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Use WebEngage via Exotel Native SMS Plugin

Overview​

Configure WebEngage to use Exotel's native SMS plugin for sending SMS messages as part of your user engagement and retention campaigns. WebEngage supports Exotel as a Custom SMS Provider, letting you route transactional and promotional messages through Exotel's delivery infrastructure without leaving the WebEngage journey builder.

Key Capabilities​

  • Send transactional and promotional SMS from WebEngage journeys using your Exotel sender ID
  • Trigger SMS on user events, lifecycle milestones, or scheduled campaigns
  • Pass dynamic attributes (name, OTP, order ID) as message variables via WebEngage's personalisation engine
  • Track delivery status through Exotel's DLT-compliant pipeline
  • Supports both individual and bulk SMS dispatch from WebEngage segments
  • Use DLT-registered templates automatically enforced at the Exotel API layer

Prerequisites​

  • An active Exotel account with SMS enabled (contact support@exotel.in to enable if not active)
  • Your Exotel Account SID, API Key, and API Token — available under API Credentials on my.exotel.com
  • A DLT-registered Sender ID and at least one approved message template registered under your Principal Entity
  • A WebEngage account with admin access to the Channel Settings panel
  • SMS use case approved on the TRAI DLT portal (required for Indian traffic)

Setup Steps​

  1. Log in to your my.exotel.com dashboard. Go to Settings → API Credentials and copy your Account SID, API Key, and API Token.
  2. Note the Exotel SMS API endpoint for your account region. For India accounts this is typically https://api.exotel.com/v1/Accounts/{AccountSID}/Sms/send.
  3. Log in to WebEngage and navigate to Settings → Integrations → SMS.
  4. Click Add Provider and select Custom SMS Provider from the provider list.
  5. Enter the following values in the provider form:
    • Provider Name: Exotel (or any label you prefer)
    • API Endpoint: the Exotel SMS send URL from step 2
    • Authentication: Basic Auth — enter your API Key as the username and API Token as the password
    • Account SID: paste the value from step 1 (used as a path or body parameter depending on WebEngage's template format)
    • Sender ID: your DLT-registered sender ID
  6. Map the WebEngage message body field to Exotel's Body parameter and the recipient field to Exotel's To parameter.
  7. Send a test SMS from the WebEngage provider settings page to verify the connection. Confirm delivery in your Exotel dashboard under SMS Logs.
  8. Once verified, add an SMS node to a WebEngage journey and select Exotel as the provider.

Configuration Notes​

  • WebEngage sends the To number in E.164 format (e.g., +919876543210). Exotel accepts this format directly — no stripping of the + is required.
  • Ensure your DLT template content matches the message body exactly, including variable placeholders. Mismatches cause delivery failures at the operator level.
  • For promotional SMS, traffic is blocked between 9 PM and 9 AM IST per TRAI regulations; WebEngage journey scheduling should account for this window.
  • If you operate multiple Exotel accounts (e.g., separate accounts for transactional vs. promotional), you can add both as separate Custom SMS Providers in WebEngage and route journeys accordingly.