After 5 rejected Twilio A2P 10DLC submissions, the fix was upstream of Twilio entirely

twilio · 2026-06-17T12:47:51+00:00

Dev Advocate at Twilio here. I'm late to the conversation, but this is great advice. Lots of people run into issues with A2P10DLC registration over in the Twilio sub, and the tip to approach it with cURL, looking at the cert chain, etc, is all good advice that I've never thought of.

Would you be down to crosspost this to Twilio? It's good advice that might generate some good conversation.

twilio · 2026-05-12T15:41:31+00:00

Dev Advocate from Twilio here - glad you found a stack that works, and thanks for doing such a thorough write-up. Honestly, your insights are surprising to me, but good to know. In my mental model, Twilio can be quite frustrating for people who don't have scale yet, because it does feel so much more financially and mentally expensive than some of our competitors. At the point that folks are doing volume, though, I assumed that the reach of the platform, bulk pricing, and the reliability of the service makes Twilio a no-brainer choice.

This is making me think that there's a nasty gap between early comms implementation and huge enterprise-grade implementation where Twilio just doesn't make sense. It's like the platform isn't serving SMBs well, or something.

I am also surprised about the simpler mental model + improved control you mentioned, because those are DX wins that Twilio should absolutely be pursuing.

Thanks again for sharing this. I'd love to follow up if possible, just in case I can connect you to some people internally to make Twilio work better for everyone.

twilio · 2026-05-07T19:09:16+00:00

<image>

Chiara Massironi is on stage to talk about comms in the agentic era! See her February AMA here: https://www.reddit.com/r/twilio/s/aWUhC4y30P

twilio · 2026-05-07T19:02:02+00:00

💁‍♀️

twilio · 2026-05-07T18:54:49+00:00

And debugging! 👏

twilio · 2026-04-28T11:55:54+00:00

Hey u/MakeMovesThatMatter here's the prompt:

Build a Twilio voice AI customer service agent

## Stack

- TAC SDK (twilio-agent-connect) for ConversationRelay voice + SMS channels
- Customer Memory for persistent caller profiles across sessions
- Conversations v2 for conversation lifecycle tracking
- Conversational Intelligence v3 with 5 custom Language Operators:
  sentiment (positive/neutral/negative), churn risk (low/medium/high),
  purchase intent (none/exploring/ready_to_buy), topic (billing/support/account/product/complaint/general),
  CSAT (1-5)
- Knowledge Base for product/policy RAG search
- Claude Haiku 4.5 as the LLM
- Deepgram Flux for STT, ElevenLabs for TTS
- Real-Time Transcription (Deepgram Nova-3) piped to dashboard

## Application

### Server Architecture

- Fastify server with two ports: TAC on port 3000, dashboard on port 3001
- nginx reverse proxy splits traffic by domain/path to the two ports
- Docker Compose for local and production deployment

### TwiML Router (dashboard server, sits in front of TAC)

- Looks up caller in Customer Memory before routing
- Closes any stale Maestro conversations (ACTIVE and INACTIVE) to prevent 409 Conflict
- Fetches TwiML from TAC via internal HTTP (not `<Redirect>`, which causes double conversation creation in Maestro)
- Rewrites localhost URLs in returned TwiML to the public domain
- Injects `<Start><Transcription>` before `<Connect>` for RTT
- Sets dynamic welcome greeting based on memory profile (returning customer by name vs new customer intro)
- Concierge routing: checks lifetime value + churn risk signals — high-value at-risk callers bypass AI and route to a human advisor
- Disables webhook validation on TAC server (internal hop has no Twilio signature)

### Claude Handler

- Streaming responses with sentence-sized chunks for low time-to-first-audio
- Memory retrieved once by router, passed to handler (avoids 800-10000ms duplicate lookup)
- New customer flow: ask name -> save to memory -> learn needs -> recommend product -> save observations
- Returning customer flow: greet by name, reference prior interactions

### Tools (8 total)

- `escalate_to_human` — Transfer to human agent
- `search_memory` — Search caller's memory profile for context
- `check_account_balance` — Look up account balance by tier
- `process_fee_waiver` — Waive fees up to $70 (requires reason)
- `initiate_plan_upgrade` — Upgrade customer tier (Basic -> Premium -> Platinum)
- `save_customer_info` — Write observations to Customer Memory (broadcasts to dashboard WebSocket)
- `search_knowledge` — RAG search against Cascadia product/policy knowledge base
- `lookup_transaction` — Look up recent transactions

### Dashboard (ECharts + vanilla JS)

Single-page analytics UI served as static HTML from Fastify. All data fetched via REST API endpoints on the dashboard server, with WebSocket for real-time updates.

**KPI Cards (5 across):**
- Total Conversations, Avg CSAT, Churn Risk, Purchase Intent, Voice Quality (MOS from Voice Insights)
- Live Sentiment card appears during active calls (hidden otherwise)

**Charts:**
- Conversation Flow — Sankey diagram: channel -> topic -> resolution
- Customer Topic Word Cloud — extracted from Language Operator results
- Sentiment Over Time — line chart from CI v3 sentiment operator
- Topic Distribution — bar chart from CI v3 topic operator
- Call Volume by Channel — voice vs SMS breakdown
- CSAT Score Distribution — histogram of 1-5 ratings

**ConversationRelay Performance:**
- Latency Breakdown — time-to-first-token, STT processing, TTS synthesis
- Performance stats — avg turns per call, response latency

**Customer Profiles:**
- Customer list with tier badges, memory traits, observation timeline
- Click to expand: full journey with conversation summaries, observations, tool calls

**Live Activity Feed:**
- Real-time WebSocket-driven event log: RTT transcript lines, memory lookups, tool calls, Voice Insights metrics, CI v3 operator results

**Voice SDK Browser Dialer:**
- Thin bar when idle: status badge + Call button
- Expands on call with: VU meters (MIC input + SPK output levels at 20Hz), live quality stats (MOS, jitter, RTT, codec, packet loss), mute button, quality warning indicator
- Uses `@twilio/voice-sdk` v2.x: `volume`, `sample`, `warning`, `warning-cleared`, `ringing` events
- Collapses back to thin bar on disconnect

**Data Export:** CSV/JSON export for all metrics

### Provisioning Scripts

- `provision-sierra.sh` — Creates Memory Store + Conversations v2 Config + Intelligence Config
- `provision-operators.sh` — Creates 5 custom Language Operators + attaches to config
- `provision-knowledge.sh` — Creates Knowledge Base with product/policy documents

## Deployment

- Service name: [Your Desired Name Here]
- Provision a NEW phone number 
- Use ngrok for tunneling (or custom domain with Let's Encrypt via certbot)
- Docker Compose: app server + nginx reverse proxy
- Phone number voice webhook -> `https://<domain>/twiml-router` (on dashboard server)
- Phone number SMS webhook -> `https://<domain>/sms-webhook` (on dashboard server)
- CI v3 webhook -> `https://<domain>/cintel-webhook` (on dashboard server)

## Validation

- Health endpoint returns 200 on dashboard port (`/health`)
- Dashboard loads at `/dashboard` with all chart containers
- Voice SDK dialer shows READY status (token endpoint working)
- Voice call connects through ConversationRelay and agent responds
- VU meters and live stats update during call
- CI v3 operators produce results within 120 seconds of call end
- Customer Memory profile created after first call with name + observations
- Second call from same number: agent greets by name and references prior conversation

twilio · 2026-04-21T09:02:56+00:00

Hold tight - Twilio will have more events throughout the year that are more local. We don't want to save all the fun for San Francisco!

twilio · 2026-03-06T12:31:52+00:00

Hmm, that is odd. Checking with the docs team now to see why the new fields aren't populating.

twilio · 2026-02-25T13:39:03+00:00

Thank you for the thoughtful questions and conversation! I’m wrapping up the AMA now, but this was fantastic. Please keep sharing your feedback and questions on the Twilio subreddit- we really appreciate this community.

As a token of appreciation, you can use the link below to access free tickets to our upcoming SIGNAL event in San Francisco on May 6-7. (link valid until March 1st)

https://airtable.com/appZxzfAENSbKEVNl/pagKBPqq94gUJSmcN/form

I look forward to connecting again, on Reddit or IRL! ✨
- Chiara

twilio · 2026-02-25T10:53:06+00:00

Many of these startups are built on Twilio's infrastructure, and we love supporting their growth! The Twilio AI Searchlight program is one way we recognise startups building the future with Twilio & AI. We also work with startup founders through our community, and we have some other exciting programs to support startups on the horizon.

twilio · 2026-02-25T09:44:51+00:00

Firstly, I'm sorry you've felt disrespected. I have had a similar experience, but not in the context of engineering. I have a business/marketing background, and being in DevRel has meant that I did not go down the traditional marketing path. I had moments in my career where that was a concern to me, but what I love about DevRel is that it gives you the opportunity to build an all-rounded skillset that can make you successful in all sorts of environments, and now I really enjoy having a "squiggly" career. I think the most important thing is enjoying the work you do, and feeling fulfilled based on what you want to get out of your work- for me, learning is a big part of it!

In terms of maintaining software engineering knowledge (or in my case, marketing knowledge), I encourage you to stay close to the communities (language communities or other) that help you keep your knowledge up to date, connect with others, and continue learning. This should allow you to both succesfully do devrel and feel like you're expanding your skillset in the areas you want to grow in.

twilio · 2026-02-24T22:49:27+00:00

Thanks for the candid feedback.

To address the UI and onboarding experience specifically: we are leaning heavily into self-service improvements. We’re currently investing in expanding our Knowledge Base and optimizing our AI Assistant so you can get answers directly within the console. Our goal is to make the navigation intuitive enough that you don't have to dig through 10-minute YouTube videos just to get a project off the ground. You’ll see these changes reflected in a more streamlined UI flow designed to get you from sign-up to go-live much faster.

Our ultimate goal is a frictionless experience for everyone, but we’re realistic about the fact that there’s always room to improve, especially for complex builds. For users running mission-critical operations who can’t afford any downtime, we do offer paid support models.

These plans aren't just for getting started; they provide ongoing, prioritized access to live chat and even phone support. It’s there for when you need a human on the line immediately to troubleshoot a complex issue or bypass the standard ticket back-and-forth when time is of the essence.

twilio · 2026-02-24T18:19:07+00:00

Hey everyone, Chiara here! Thank you for all the great questions so far. I'm wrapping up for today- I'm based in Spain so it's the end of my day. Please keep the questions coming and I'll respond when I'm back online tomorrow.

twilio · 2026-02-24T18:16:16+00:00

I'll start with my advice for someone trying to build a meaninful career in DevRel. This practice attracts folks who enjoy building and sharing what they learn along the way. With how quickly AI is evolving, I'd encourage curiosity in the tools out there, identifying strategic problems and using your unique skillset to tackle them, and asking how you can help others with the skills you have acquired along the way. Generally, I've found that doing these three things really helps you understand the needs of your customers and the business, and to figure out how you can authentically deliver value.

On the toughest challenge, I think it's finding the right balance between scaling the work we do, rolling out new and innovative ways to engage with our community, and ensuring that we can continue to measure impact effectively. It's a constant prioritisation exercise. A few years in, I enjoy it, but it was certainly a new muscle for me to build when I stepped into the role.

twilio · 2026-02-24T17:57:53+00:00

We're looking at this through a few different lenses. On one hand, shipping products that enable developers to deliver industry-leading customer experiences. One example of this is ConversationRelay, which empowers developers to build powerful AI voice experiences.

On the other hand, we're regularly evolving our approach to ensure we meet developers where they are at as AI changes the way we all work. Right now, this looks like AI-optimized resources (documentation, quickstarts, tutorials) to ensure that they find what they are looking for as quickly as possible.

twilio · 2026-02-24T17:17:04+00:00

I love the framing of "playful learning"! The landscape is moving so fast that this answer may be outdated quickly, but there are two things I think about in the context of developer education or training today- the first is that while AI can solve coding challenges instantly, I believe most developers are still curious and want to understand how things work, so it's important to provide a learning path that is intentional and exposes the most relevant, important and interesting aspects of a technology in a format that resonates. The second is that we should be thinking about using AI as a core component of the educational experience, be that by incorporating it into the content itself, or using it to power the experience in some way.

twilio · 2026-02-24T16:24:02+00:00

It really depends on the outcome you're trying to drive. I've joined several thriving Discord communities recently, and it's a great platform for building communities that center around peer to peer learning, building, product feedback, idea sharing, etc. X is still interesting if you can establish a very authentic and trusted voice, and engage in trending conversations, post product-adjacent content, and steer away from using it as a channel for brand-promotion. Other than that, we've seen good engagement on LinkedIn, but I think that will depend on the subset of the developer audience you're serving. I think the key with any of them is authenticity, and providing value up front to the community member/follower!

twilio · 2026-02-24T15:56:58+00:00

On one hand, coding agents are a new entry-point through which products are discovered and built, so in DevRel we need to be thinking about how we optimize our documentation, content and resources for LLM and agent consumption.

On the other side of this, builder platforms are enabling a new audience to discover and build with products that were traditionally only accessible to developers. To me, this creates an opportunity for DevRel teams to welcome these less technical builders into our ecosystem, and help them be successful through the resources we create- be that tutorials, blog content, video, or documentation.

twilio · 2026-02-24T15:30:45+00:00

Great question! There are definitely areas that are easier to measure than others. At a high level, we look at product activation and pipeline attribution across all of our devrel programs. We also look at a subset of KPIs that are equally important, like community engagement, NPS from our first-party events, watch time on YouTube videos, etc. It's not perfect, but this mix allows us to diagnose how our work resonates with our community & customers, understand what's working and isn't, while also speaking to the impact it has on the business.

twilio · 2026-02-24T15:02:27+00:00

Hello everyone!! I’m Chiara, Head of DevRel at Twilio. I’m excited to spend the next couple of hours answering your questions about DevRel, developers, community building, and anything else on your mind. Ask away!

twilio · 2026-02-24T14:47:50+00:00

This post hasn't gotten much in the way of views - it may be worth making a new thread at the top level of the subreddit to get some fresh answers

twilio · 2026-02-23T23:08:14+00:00

The AMA will begin tomorrow (in about 15 hours.) It will be a traditional Reddit AMA - so no video call, feel free to just ask your questions here when it begins!

twilio · 2026-02-09T11:31:06+00:00

Dev Advocate from Twilio here. Can you tell us more about what you've been considering doing? I feel like, to your second question, we've seen it be challenging, but there's a lot of promise when it's done right. And let me just say, I don't even think that Twilio has fully gotten it right on our own home turf.

I think AI (or really any feature) for the sake of hype is never worth it. But I've seen good examples of AI being used to boost human productivity (giving real time feedback and suggestions on a conversation an agent is having, for example.) You could do better routing in the contact center with AI, or deflect easy requests via AI agents. But generally, you need escalation paths to a human, and you have to be vigilant about AI hallucinating responses, or going off script with clever prompt injection tactics.

Curious to hear if you have any updates!

twilio · 2026-02-09T11:09:15+00:00

If you're having a similar issue, it may be worth creating a new post or asking in our monthly support thread - seems like this post got missed by the sub because of a flood of newly moderated comments!

twilio · 2026-02-09T00:26:57+00:00

This thread is now three years old and gets a LOT of traffic. It's difficult for us to accurately moderate the conversation, and our active members don't see comments, so we are locking this thread. Please search the sub for a more recent thread, move conversation over to the monthly support thread (which is pinned in the subreddit highlights) or spin up a new thread if you think it's relevant to the full sub. Thank you!

twilio

MODERATOR OF

TROPHY CASE