Bidirectional Integration on SMS - Twilio

[LearnerNitin]

Hi everyone! 👋

I'm working on a project where we need to integrate Twilio for SMS capabilities. Specifically, we're looking to capture responses to SMS messages and update the source (like the CASE record) from where the SMS was triggered.

Has anyone here successfully integrated Twilio in a similar way? If so, I’d love to hear about your approach:

• How did you handle capturing incoming SMS responses?
• What challenges did you face in linking responses to the original trigger source?
• Any best practices or lessons learned?
• Can the SMS be processed within ServiceNow and be tagged to the source?

Looking forward to your insights! 😊

Thanks in advance! 🙌

[Ct111 · Accepted solution]

Check the below blog for understanding basic Twilio Servicenow Integration

Create a Notification System in ServiceNow using Twilio SMS and Voice | Twilio

Challenges and Considerations:
Message Parsing: Parsing SMS responses can be tricky, especially if the message structure isn't consistent. You may need to account for variations in how people respond.
Rate Limits: Twilio has rate limits for sending and receiving messages. Make sure to manage the frequency of messages to avoid issues.
Handling Spam/Invalid Numbers: Make sure to filter out any invalid numbers or spam messages that could trigger unintended actions in your ServiceNow system.

Some Best Practices:
Track Message Status: Always track the status of the sent SMS (delivered, failed, etc.) in ServiceNow to ensure you can handle any delivery issues.
Logging: Keep a log of the messages sent and received for troubleshooting and auditing.
Error Handling: Implement error handling for unexpected issues in the webhook processing (e.g., invalid input data, system downtime).
Security: Ensure your API endpoints are secured, either via OAuth or another authentication mechanism, to prevent unauthorized access.

Processing in ServiceNow:
Yes, SMS messages can be processed within ServiceNow and tagged to the original source (like a CASE record).
By using the unique identifier in both outgoing and incoming SMS messages, you can link the responses directly to the related records in ServiceNow.

[LearnerNitin]

Thanks Ct111. Appreciate the response. This is the exact resource we have used to build our POC , however the entire logic for it resides in Twilio workflows rather than ServiceNow.

I was hoping if someone has achieved this with more control on ServiceNow (like email watermark - similar concept) but looks like NO.

I appreciate the response.