Getting Started with Verification Templates

The Verify Default template is used automatically if no actions are taken to use a pre-approved or custom template.

The message body in English is currently: Your {Service Friendly Name} verification code is: {code}. Message bodies are subject to change, as they are continuously optimized to maximize clarity and OTP conversion, while minimizing message segment cost across languages.

How to Use: Feature Maturity

No action required. The Verify Default template is used automatically if a specific template is not selected when creating a new Verification and your Verify Service does not have a default pre-approved or custom template set.:

GA (General Availability) - all customers can use this feature without restriction.

How to Use: Channel Support

No action required. The Verify Default template is used automatically if a specific template is not selected when creating a new Verification and your Verify Service does not have a default pre-approved or custom template set.:

SMS, Voice, and WhatsApp channels can all send the Verify Default template.

How to Use: Language Support

No action required. The Verify Default template is used automatically if a specific template is not selected when creating a new Verification and your Verify Service does not have a default pre-approved or custom template set.:

See Verify Supported Languages page.

How to Use: Special Features

No action required. The Verify Default template is used automatically if a specific template is not selected when creating a new Verification and your Verify Service does not have a default pre-approved or custom template set.:

• Transactional PSD2/SCA compliant message format: Enable the PSD2 compliant message format for the Verify Default template by navigating to Twilio Console > Verify > Services page and selecting your Service. On the Settings page under the General tab and turning on Transactional PSD2 compliant message.
• "Do not share" warning message addendum: Add a "Do not share" addendum to the Verify Default template by navigating to Twilio Console > Verify > Services page and selecting your Service. On the Settings page under the General tab and turning on "Do not share" warning message.

Pre-approved templates offer a variety of message body options beyond the Verify Default template, and are available for immediate use to all Verify customers.

There are three variables that can be used in pre-approved templates.

• {{friendly_name}}: Friendly name of your Verification Service
• {{code}}: 4-10 digit one-time passcode
• {{ttl}}: Expiration time of the one-time passcode in minutes

How to Use: Feature Maturity

You can :

Public Beta - We're actively looking for early-adopter customers to try it out and give us feedback.

How to Use: Channel Support

You can :

SMS and Voice channels have the ability to send pre-approved templates. Before you select a template, check to make sure it's supported by your preferred channel. Checking what channels a template supports via Twilio Console

• Navigate to Twilio Console > Verify > Services page and select your Verify Service.
• On the Settings page under the General tab, select a Message body under the Template configuration heading.
• Check the Message preview section for the SMS and/or Call icons. The presence of these icons indicates that the selected template is supported by that channel.

Checking what channels a template supports via API

• View available templates using the Get a List of Available Templates endpoint.
• Check the channels property of the template to see supported channels.

If you select a channel that the template does not support, or your Account does not have this feature enabled, the Verification will fallback to the Verify Default template for the selected channel.

How to Use: Language Support

You can :

See Verify Supported Languages page.

Custom templates have a unique message body that is provided by the template requester and are available on a case-by-case basis.

Read this support article for more information on how to request a custom template if our other templates do not suit your business needs.

You can choose a specific pre-approved or custom template for an individual Verification sent using the Verify API:

• View available templates using the Get a List of Available Templates endpoint.
• Identify the TemplateSid of the template you want to use, it will be in the format HJXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX.
• Create a new Verification using the Start a New Verification endpoint with the desired TemplateSid.

Effective March 1, 2024, all Verify WhatsApp OTP messages will switch to being sent via Copy Code Authentication Templates that are pre-defined by Meta, instead of Verify Default Templates.

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curl -X POST https://verify.twilio.com/v2/Services/VAXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX/Verifications \
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--data-urlencode "To=+15017122661" \
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--data-urlencode "Channel=sms" \
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--data-urlencode "TemplateSid=HJXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX" \
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-u $TWILIO_ACCOUNT_SID:$TWILIO_AUTH_TOKEN

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{
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  "sid": "VEXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX",
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  "service_sid": "VAXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX",
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  "account_sid": "ACXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX",
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  "to": "+15017122661",
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  "channel": "sms",
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  "status": "pending",
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  "valid": false,
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  "date_created": "2015-07-30T20:00:00Z",
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  "date_updated": "2015-07-30T20:00:00Z",
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  "lookup": {
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    "carrier": {
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      "error_code": null,
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      "name": "Carrier Name",
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      "mobile_country_code": "310",
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      "mobile_network_code": "150",
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      "type": "mobile"
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    }
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  },
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  "amount": null,
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  "payee": null,
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  "send_code_attempts": [
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    {
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      "time": "2015-07-30T20:00:00Z",
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      "channel": "SMS",
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      "channel_id": null
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    }
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  ],
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  "url": "https://verify.twilio.com/v2/Services/VAXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX/Verifications/VEXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX"
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}

You can select a specific pre-approved or custom template as the default for a Service that will be used for all SMS and Voice verifications (unless you explicitly override it). This can be done using either Twilio Console or the Verify API

Setting a Service-level default template via Twilio Console

• Navigate to Twilio Console > Verify > Services page and select your Verify Service.
• On the Settings page under the General tab, select your desired Message body under the Template configuration heading.
• Save the Service setting changes.

Setting a Service-level default template via API

• View available templates using the Get a List of Available Templates endpoint.
• Identify the TemplateSid of the template you want to use, it will be in the format HJXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX.

Use the Create or Update a Service endpoint with the desired DefaultTemplateSid.

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curl -X POST https://verify.twilio.com/v2/Services \
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--data-urlencode "FriendlyName=My Verify Service" \
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--data-urlencode "DefaultTemplateSid=HJXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX" \
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-u $TWILIO_ACCOUNT_SID:$TWILIO_AUTH_TOKEN

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{
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  "sid": "VAXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX",
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  "account_sid": "ACXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX",
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  "friendly_name": "My Verify Service",
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  "code_length": 4,
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  "lookup_enabled": false,
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  "psd2_enabled": false,
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  "skip_sms_to_landlines": false,
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  "dtmf_input_required": false,
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  "tts_name": "name",
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  "do_not_share_warning_enabled": false,
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  "custom_code_enabled": true,
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  "push": {
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    "include_date": true,
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    "apn_credential_sid": "CRXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX",
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    "fcm_credential_sid": null
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  },
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  "totp": {
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    "issuer": "test-issuer",
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    "time_step": 30,
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    "code_length": 3,
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    "skew": 2
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  },
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  "date_created": "2015-07-30T20:00:00Z",
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  "date_updated": "2015-07-30T20:00:00Z",
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  "url": "https://verify.twilio.com/v2/Services/VAXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX",
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  "links": {
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    "verification_checks": "https://verify.twilio.com/v2/Services/VAXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX/VerificationCheck",
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    "verifications": "https://verify.twilio.com/v2/Services/VAXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX/Verifications",
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    "rate_limits": "https://verify.twilio.com/v2/Services/VAXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX/RateLimits",
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    "messaging_configurations": "https://verify.twilio.com/v2/Services/VAXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX/MessagingConfigurations",
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    "entities": "https://verify.twilio.com/v2/Services/VAXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX/Entities",
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    "webhooks": "https://verify.twilio.com/v2/Services/VAXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX/Webhooks",
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    "access_tokens": "https://verify.twilio.com/v2/Services/VAXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX/AccessTokens"
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  }
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}

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curl -X POST https://verify.twilio.com/v2/Services/VAXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX \
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--data-urlencode "DefaultTemplateSid=HJXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX" \
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-u $TWILIO_ACCOUNT_SID:$TWILIO_AUTH_TOKEN

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{
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  "sid": "VAXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX",
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  "account_sid": "ACXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX",
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  "friendly_name": "name",
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  "code_length": 7,
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  "lookup_enabled": false,
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  "psd2_enabled": false,
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  "skip_sms_to_landlines": false,
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  "dtmf_input_required": false,
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  "tts_name": "name",
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  "do_not_share_warning_enabled": false,
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  "custom_code_enabled": true,
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  "push": {
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    "include_date": true,
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    "apn_credential_sid": null,
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    "fcm_credential_sid": "CRXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX"
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  },
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  "totp": {
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    "issuer": "test-issuer",
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    "time_step": 30,
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    "code_length": 3,
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    "skew": 2
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  },
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  "date_created": "2015-07-30T20:00:00Z",
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  "date_updated": "2015-07-30T20:00:00Z",
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  "url": "https://verify.twilio.com/v2/Services/VAXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX",
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  "links": {
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    "verification_checks": "https://verify.twilio.com/v2/Services/VAXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX/VerificationCheck",
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    "verifications": "https://verify.twilio.com/v2/Services/VAXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX/Verifications",
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    "rate_limits": "https://verify.twilio.com/v2/Services/VAXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX/RateLimits",
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    "messaging_configurations": "https://verify.twilio.com/v2/Services/VAXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX/MessagingConfigurations",
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    "entities": "https://verify.twilio.com/v2/Services/VAXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX/Entities",
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    "webhooks": "https://verify.twilio.com/v2/Services/VAXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX/Webhooks",
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    "access_tokens": "https://verify.twilio.com/v2/Services/VAXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX/AccessTokens"
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  }
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}

The message template used for a Verification is defined with the following priority order, from first to last priority:

1. A TemplateSid provided in the create Verification request.
2. A DefaultTemplateSid set for the Verify Service.
3. The Verify Default template.