{"registry_version":"2026.1025.387","generated_at":"2026-10-25T06:27:00Z","content_sha256":"089d16f627d9365e3d0663cc8069203706d7cb23a76c332226e29686968811a5","signed":true,"signature":{"key_id":"ed25519:74ca19268e364242","algorithm":"ed25519","expires_at":"2026-11-24T06:27:09Z","expired":false,"manifest":"/registry/manifest.json"},"id":"twilio/account-and-keys","name":"Twilio account, upgrade and API keys","vendor":"Twilio","status":"researched","last_verified":null,"last_researched":"2026-10-25","summary":"Create a Twilio account, upgrade it from trial to paid, and create an API key (SID + secret) for server-side calls. Almost every other Twilio product (Verify, WhatsApp, toll-free, A2P 10DLC) starts here.","account_model":{"summary":"One Twilio login (user) can belong to one or more Twilio accounts. Each account has an Account SID (AC…) and a primary Auth Token, and can hold subaccounts. API keys (SK…) live inside an account and, like Auth Tokens, are valid only in the Twilio Region where they were created.","accounts":[{"name":"Twilio user login","kind":"personal","owned_by":"the person","note":"Email and personal phone number are verified at sign-up."},{"name":"Twilio account (AC…)","kind":"organisation","owned_by":"the person or the company","parent":"Twilio user login","required":true,"note":"Starts as a trial; must be upgraded (paid) for most production messaging."},{"name":"Subaccount","kind":"project","parent":"Twilio account (AC…)","required":false,"note":"Optional; each has its own SID and Auth Token that must be rotated separately."}],"notes":["Main keys equal Account SID + Auth Token access; Standard keys cannot manage Accounts or Keys; Restricted keys are fine-grained.","Credentials made in one Twilio Region fail authentication in another."]},"prerequisites":[{"need":"An email address and a personal mobile phone that can receive SMS","note":"Both are verified during sign-up."}],"identity_requires":[],"have_ready":[{"kind":"phone_for_2fa","description":"A personal mobile phone you control","why":"Sign-up verifies a personal phone number, and paid accounts must use 2FA at login.","needed_for":["sign-up","upgrade"],"auto_check":"none","source_url":"https://www.twilio.com/docs/usage/tutorials/how-to-use-your-free-trial-account"},{"kind":"payment_card","description":"A card for the starting balance","why":"Upgrading asks for an address, a starting balance and payment details.","needed_for":["upgrade"],"auto_check":"none","source_url":"https://www.twilio.com/docs/usage/tutorials/how-to-use-your-free-trial-account"},{"kind":"proof_of_address","description":"Your (or your business) address as you want it on the account profile","why":"The upgrade flow asks you to create a profile and add an address.","needed_for":["upgrade"],"auto_check":"none","source_url":"https://www.twilio.com/docs/usage/tutorials/how-to-use-your-free-trial-account"}],"steps":[{"id":"sign-up","title":"Create a Twilio account","summary":"You sign up yourself at twilio.com, then verify your email address and a personal phone number. verapli never creates the account for you.","route":"guided","gate":"human_submit","human_only":true,"gate_label":"You press submit","depends_on":[],"optional":false,"url":"https://www.twilio.com/try-twilio","lead_time":{"official":{"text":"Trial starts immediately after email and phone verification; trial expires 30 days after sign-up.","source_url":"https://www.twilio.com/docs/usage/tutorials/how-to-use-your-free-trial-account","source_title":"Twilio docs – How to use your free trial account"},"reported":null,"typical_minutes":5},"preflight":[],"captures":null},{"id":"enable-2fa","title":"Turn on two-step verification","summary":"Set up 2FA for your Twilio login. It is enforced on paid accounts, so do it before upgrading.","route":"guided","gate":"2fa","human_only":true,"gate_label":"You enter a 2-step code","depends_on":["sign-up"],"optional":false,"url":null,"lead_time":null,"preflight":["mfa_enabled"],"captures":null},{"id":"upgrade","title":"Upgrade from trial","summary":"Click Upgrade in the Console, create a profile, add an address, choose a starting balance and enter payment details. You enter the card yourself.","route":"guided","gate":"human_payment","human_only":true,"gate_label":"You add payment details","depends_on":["enable-2fa"],"optional":false,"url":"https://console.twilio.com/","lead_time":{"official":{"text":"No review time stated; upgrade is completed in the Console.","source_url":"https://www.twilio.com/docs/usage/tutorials/how-to-use-your-free-trial-account","source_title":"Twilio docs – How to use your free trial account"},"reported":null,"typical_minutes":10},"preflight":[],"captures":null},{"id":"choose-region","title":"Pick the Twilio Region for your keys","summary":"Select the Region you will send traffic in before creating the key; keys only work in the Region where they were made.","route":"guided","gate":"none","human_only":false,"gate_label":null,"depends_on":["sign-up"],"optional":false,"url":null,"lead_time":null,"preflight":[],"captures":null},{"id":"create-api-key","title":"Create a Standard API key","summary":"In Console, open API keys & tokens and create a key. Choose Standard (or Restricted) unless you really need Main. The secret is shown once only; verapli captures it straight into your vault.","route":"copilot","gate":"human_submit","human_only":true,"gate_label":"You press submit","depends_on":["choose-region"],"optional":false,"url":"https://console.twilio.com/","lead_time":null,"preflight":[],"captures":"TWILIO_API_KEY_SECRET"},{"id":"record-account-sid","title":"Note your Account SID","summary":"Copy the Account SID (AC…) from the Console dashboard; it is not secret but every API call needs it.","route":"copilot","gate":"none","human_only":false,"gate_label":null,"depends_on":["sign-up"],"optional":false,"url":"https://console.twilio.com/","lead_time":null,"preflight":[],"captures":"TWILIO_ACCOUNT_SID"}],"gates":[{"step":"sign-up","gate":"human_submit","label":"You press submit"},{"step":"enable-2fa","gate":"2fa","label":"You enter a 2-step code"},{"step":"upgrade","gate":"human_payment","label":"You add payment details"},{"step":"create-api-key","gate":"human_submit","label":"You press submit"}],"lead_times":[{"step":"sign-up","what":"Create a Twilio account","official":{"text":"Trial starts immediately after email and phone verification; trial expires 30 days after sign-up.","source_url":"https://www.twilio.com/docs/usage/tutorials/how-to-use-your-free-trial-account","source_title":"Twilio docs – How to use your free trial account"},"reported":null},{"step":"upgrade","what":"Upgrade from trial","official":{"text":"No review time stated; upgrade is completed in the Console.","source_url":"https://www.twilio.com/docs/usage/tutorials/how-to-use-your-free-trial-account","source_title":"Twilio docs – How to use your free trial account"},"reported":null}],"outputs":[{"name":"TWILIO_ACCOUNT_SID","description":"Twilio Account SID","secret":false,"example_format":"AC… (34 characters)","environments":null},{"name":"TWILIO_API_KEY_SID","description":"API key SID (used as the username with the secret)","secret":false,"example_format":"SK… (34 characters)","environments":null},{"name":"TWILIO_API_KEY_SECRET","description":"API key secret, shown once at creation","secret":true,"example_format":null,"environments":null}],"renewals":[{"what":"Trial account expiry (upgrade or lose the trial)","every":"30 days after sign-up (once)","every_days":null,"source_url":"https://www.twilio.com/docs/usage/tutorials/how-to-use-your-free-trial-account"}],"estimated_minutes":15,"guide_url":"https://verapli.com/guides/twilio/account-and-keys"}