SMS
Connect an SMS provider to FounderHQ Sequences.
Connect your own SMS account so sequence SMS steps send. About 5 minutes once you have the provider credentials.
Before you start
You need an account with one of the providers below, and a sending number or an approved sender ID. Sending to Indian numbers also needs DLT registration — read India DLT first. Then open Sequences in FounderHQ and add an SMS connection.
Twilio
Twilio is built into FounderHQ. It is the pick if you send worldwide and want replies handled for you.
Paste: your Account SID and Auth Token, from the Twilio console dashboard.
Set: either a sending number in E.164 form, or a Messaging Service SID if you route through a service. FounderHQ can read the numbers and messaging services on your account and set the webhook on the one you choose, so you do not have to paste URLs into Twilio yourself.
Delivery receipts are automatic — FounderHQ asks Twilio to report the result of every message. Inbound replies land on the same webhook, so STOP and HELP are handled.
Recipes for other providers
The five providers below are ready-made recipes. You type a few fields, FounderHQ builds the request, and it sends a real test message before the connection goes live.
Telnyx
| Field | Where to find it |
|---|---|
| From number | An SMS-enabled Telnyx number in E.164 form, for example +1 212 555 0123. An approved alphanumeric sender ID also works. |
| API key | Telnyx Portal → API Keys. Use a V2 key. |
Delivery receipts are automatic. Every message carries a callback address, so there is nothing to set up at Telnyx.
Plivo
| Field | Where to find it |
|---|---|
| Auth ID | Plivo Console overview. Starts with MA or SA. |
| From number | An SMS-enabled Plivo number in E.164 form, or an approved alphanumeric sender ID. |
| Auth token | Plivo Console overview, next to the Auth ID. |
Delivery receipts are automatic.
Sinch
| Field | Where to find it |
|---|---|
| Regional API host | The region shown in your Sinch dashboard: us, eu, au, br, or ca. Defaults to the US host. |
| Service plan ID | Sinch Dashboard → SMS → APIs → your service plan. |
| From number | An SMS-enabled Sinch number in E.164 form, or an approved alphanumeric sender ID. |
| API token | Sinch Dashboard → SMS → APIs → REST configuration. |
Delivery receipts are automatic. FounderHQ asks Sinch for a final report per recipient.
Exotel
For India. Read India DLT as well — Exotel checks your DLT registration on every message.
| Field | Where to find it |
|---|---|
| API host | https://api.exotel.com, or https://api.in.exotel.com if your account is on the Mumbai cluster. |
| Account SID | Exotel Dashboard → the account name in your API settings. |
| API key | Exotel Dashboard → Developer Settings → API key. |
| DLT entity ID (PE ID) | Your Principal Entity ID from the DLT portal. The same value for every message you send. |
| API token | Exotel Dashboard → Developer Settings → API token. |
Delivery receipts are automatic. The test send asks you for a sender ID and a DLT template ID, because real sends take those from the SMS template.
MSG91
For India. Read India DLT as well.
| Field | Where to find it |
|---|---|
| Auth key | MSG91 dashboard → Configurations → Auth Key. |
One thing to set up at MSG91: open Webhook (New) and add the callback URL FounderHQ shows on the connection, for SMS delivery reports. Delivery ticks then arrive automatically. The older v2 webhook format still works, but Webhook (New) is the one to use.
Like Exotel, the test send asks you for a sender ID and a DLT template ID.
What delivery receipts tell you
FounderHQ records only final answers. Delivered becomes Delivered. A definitive failure becomes Bounced. In-between states such as queued, sent, or dispatched are accepted and dropped — the send itself already recorded Sent.
A failed SMS never removes a contact from your audience on its own. Carrier failures routinely mean "phone switched off" or "out of coverage", which is not a reason to stop messaging someone. A STOP reply is, and FounderHQ acts on that where the provider forwards replies.
Verify
- Build a sequence with one SMS step and run your own number through it.
- The message arrives from the number or sender ID you configured.
- Open the sequence in FounderHQ. The message shows Sent, then moves to Delivered once the carrier reports back — usually within seconds.
Troubleshoot
The connection will not activate
The test send failed. The error from the provider is shown as-is: a bad key reads as an auth failure, a sender the provider does not own reads as an invalid from address.
Messages send but never reach Delivered
On MSG91, the callback URL is not registered under Webhook (New). On the other recipes delivery is automatic, so a message stuck at Sent means the carrier has not answered yet.
Sends to Indian numbers fail
DLT fields are missing or wrong on the template. See India DLT.