How to Send SMS Using AWS SNS: Simple Guide

To send an SMS using AWS SNS, create an SNS client and call the publish method with the recipient's phone number and message text. The phone number must be in E.164 format (e.g., [phone]).

Syntax

The basic syntax to send an SMS with AWS SNS involves calling the publish method on the SNS client. You provide the PhoneNumber in E.164 format and the Message text you want to send.

• PhoneNumber: The recipient's phone number with country code, e.g., [phone].
• Message: The text content of the SMS.
• MessageAttributes (optional): Settings like SMS type (Promotional or Transactional) and sender ID.

javascript

sns.publish({
  PhoneNumber: '[phone]',
  Message: 'Your message here',
  MessageAttributes: {
    'AWS.SNS.SMS.SMSType': {
      DataType: 'String',
      StringValue: 'Transactional'
    },
    'AWS.SNS.SMS.SenderID': {
      DataType: 'String',
      StringValue: 'MySender'
    }
  }
});

Example

This example shows how to send an SMS using AWS SDK for JavaScript (v3). It creates an SNS client, then sends a transactional SMS message to a phone number.

javascript

import { SNSClient, PublishCommand } from "@aws-sdk/client-sns";

const snsClient = new SNSClient({ region: "us-east-1" });

async function sendSms() {
  try {
    const params = {
      PhoneNumber: "[phone]",
      Message: "Hello! This is a test SMS from AWS SNS.",
      MessageAttributes: {
        "AWS.SNS.SMS.SMSType": {
          DataType: "String",
          StringValue: "Transactional"
        }
      }
    };

    const command = new PublishCommand(params);
    const data = await snsClient.send(command);
    console.log("Message sent, ID:", data.MessageId);
  } catch (err) {
    console.error("Error sending SMS:", err);
  }
}

sendSms();

Output

Message sent, ID: <unique-message-id>

Common Pitfalls

• Incorrect phone number format: Always use E.164 format starting with '+'.
• Missing permissions: Ensure your IAM role/user has sns:Publish permission.
• SMS type not set: Without setting SMSType, messages default to Promotional, which may be blocked in some regions.
• Region mismatch: Use the correct AWS region where SNS SMS is supported.

javascript

/* Wrong: Missing '+' in phone number */
sns.publish({
  PhoneNumber: '14155552671', // Incorrect format
  Message: 'Test message'
});

/* Right: Correct E.164 format */
sns.publish({
  PhoneNumber: '[phone]',
  Message: 'Test message'
});

Quick Reference

Parameter	Description	Example
PhoneNumber	Recipient phone number in E.164 format	[phone]
Message	Text content of the SMS	Hello from AWS SNS!
AWS.SNS.SMS.SMSType	SMS type: Transactional or Promotional	Transactional
AWS.SNS.SMS.SenderID	Custom sender ID (max 11 chars)	MyCompany

Key Takeaways

Use E.164 format with '+' for phone numbers when sending SMS via SNS.

Set SMS type to 'Transactional' or 'Promotional' using MessageAttributes for proper delivery.

Ensure your AWS credentials have sns:Publish permission.

Use the AWS SDK's publish method with PhoneNumber and Message parameters.

Check AWS region supports SNS SMS before sending messages.