Send SMS

Send a single SMS message to a mobile number.

Endpoint

POST https://api.galatext.com/api/sms/send

Headers

Header	Value	Required
Content-Type	application/json	Yes
x-api-key	Your API key	Yes

Request Body

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
phoneNumber	string	Yes	Recipient phone number in E.164 format (e.g., +254712345678)
message	string	Yes	Message content (up to 1600 characters, split into segments)
senderId	string	No	Sender ID (default: GALATEX, max 11 characters)
reference	string	No	Optional client reference for reconciliation
webhookUrl	string	No	Custom webhook URL for delivery report (overrides account default)

E.164 Phone Number Format

Country code + number, no leading zero or special characters:

Country	Example
Kenya	+254712345678
Nigeria	+2348012345678
Uganda	+256701234567
Tanzania	+255712345678
Rwanda	+250781234567
Ghana	+233501234567

Example Request

curl -X POST https://api.galatext.com/api/sms/send \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "x-api-key: YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -d '{
    "phoneNumber": "+254712345678",
    "message": "Your OTP is 482916. Valid for 10 minutes.",
    "senderId": "YOURBRAND"
  }'

JavaScript (fetch)

const response = await fetch('https://api.galatext.com/api/sms/send', {
  method: 'POST',
  headers: {
    'Content-Type': 'application/json',
    'x-api-key': process.env.GALATEXT_API_KEY
  },
  body: JSON.stringify({
    phoneNumber: '+254712345678',
    message: 'Your OTP is 482916. Valid for 10 minutes.',
    senderId: 'YOURBRAND'
  })
});

const data = await response.json();
console.log(data);

Python

import requests

response = requests.post(
    'https://api.galatext.com/api/sms/send',
    headers={
        'Content-Type': 'application/json',
        'x-api-key': 'YOUR_API_KEY'
    },
    json={
        'phoneNumber': '+254712345678',
        'message': 'Your OTP is 482916. Valid for 10 minutes.',
        'senderId': 'YOURBRAND'
    }
)

data = response.json()
print(data)

Response

Success (202 Accepted)

{
  "success": true,
  "data": {
    "messageId": "msg_abc123def456",
    "status": "PENDING",
    "phoneNumber": "+254712345678",
    "senderId": "YOURBRAND",
    "messageLength": 49,
    "segments": 1,
    "creditsUsed": 1,
    "creditsRemaining": 1499
  }
}

Field	Description
messageId	Unique identifier for the message
status	Current status: PENDING, SENT, DELIVERED, FAILED
segments	Number of SMS segments (1 segment = 160 characters)
creditsUsed	Credits deducted for this message
creditsRemaining	Remaining credits in your account

Error Responses

{
  "success": false,
  "error": {
    "code": "INVALID_PHONE_NUMBER",
    "message": "The phone number provided is not valid. Use E.164 format.",
    "statusCode": 422
  }
}

Error Codes

Status	Error Code	Description
400	BAD_REQUEST	Malformed request body
401	UNAUTHORIZED	Missing or invalid API key
402	INSUFFICIENT_CREDITS	Account balance too low
422	INVALID_PHONE_NUMBER	Phone number not in E.164 format
422	MESSAGE_TOO_LONG	Message exceeds 1600 characters
422	INVALID_SENDER_ID	Sender ID not approved or invalid format
429	RATE_LIMIT_EXCEEDED	Too many requests, slow down

Message Segments

Characters	Segments	Credits
1–160	1	1
161–320	2	2
321–480	3	3
481–1600	Up to 10	Up to 10

Using Unicode/emoji characters reduces per-segment capacity to 70 characters.

Best Practices

• Always validate phone numbers before sending
• Store the messageId for delivery tracking
• Set up webhooks for automatic delivery report callbacks
• Use a custom sender ID for brand recognition
• Keep messages under 160 characters to minimize costs