SMS Sending API with Express and AfricasTalking

This project is a simple API built using Node.js written in typescript and Express that allows sending SMS messages via the AfricasTalking SMS service.

Table of Contents

• Requirements
• Installation
• Project Structure
• API Endpoints
• Running the Project
• AfricasTalking Setup

Requirements

Before you begin, ensure you have the following installed on your system:

• Node.js (v18.x or higher)
• npm or yarn
• TypeScript (v5 or higher)

Installation

1. Clone this repository:

   git clone https://github.com/Anthony11-hub/sms-sending-api.git
   cd sms-sending-api

2. Install the required dependencies:

   npm install

   or

   yarn install

3. Compile the TypeScript code:

   npm run build

Project Structure

sms-sending-api/
│ ├── src/
| │ ├── routes/
│ │ └── ├── smsRoutes.ts # SMS routes using AfricasTalking
│ └── index.ts # Server entry point
├── dist/ # Compiled JavaScript files
├── tsconfig.json # TypeScript configuration
├── package.json
└── README.md

API Endpoints

POST /sms

Send an SMS message to a recipient.

Request

• POST /sms

• Request body should contain:

  {
  "to": "+254712345678",
  "message": "Your message content"
  }
  

Response

• 200 OK: If the SMS was sent successfully.
• 500 Internal Server Error: If there was an issue sending the SMS.

Example

curl -X POST http://localhost:4000/sms \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{"to": "+254712345678", "message": "Hello, this is a test message!"}'

Running the Project

To start the development server, run:

npm run dev

This will start the server at http://localhost:4000

AfricasTalking Setup

• Sign up for an AfricasTalking account at https://africastalking.com/.
• Generate an API key from the dashboard under Settings.
• For testing, use the default sandbox username and configure your sandbox environment to send SMS.

Sending SMS in Production

• Once you're ready to go live, switch from sandbox to your live AfricasTalking username.
• Set up your sender ID in the AfricasTalking dashboard to use a custom sender name.

Additional Note:

Make sure to also include a tsconfig.json file in your project to configure TypeScript options.