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Guides · messaging · Verification-gated

Bird SMS API (formerly MessageBird)

Send SMS through the bird.com platform with a region-scoped API key (bk_us1_… / bk_eu1_…). Sending draws on a prepaid wallet, only reaches countries you enable, and custom senders need business identity verification and, in many countries, sender registration. Legacy MessageBird accounts and keys are a separate system.

Researched · not yet run liveLast researched 25 October 2026 · Bird · provider site

Researched, not yet run live. Built from the provider’s official pages (linked below). A person hasn’t walked this flow end to end yet, so check each step against the source.
Do this in about 5 minutes with verapliJSON for agents

Who owns what

A bird.com organisation holds billing (wallet) and members; work happens in workspaces, which hold API keys, senders and message history. API keys are scoped to one workspace and one region. Legacy MessageBird (dashboard.messagebird.com) and Bird Engagement Platform (app.bird.com) accounts are separate.

  • bird.com organisation billing owned by the companyHolds the wallet and the owners who complete identity verification.
  • Workspace project · under bird.com organisation

Tools with built-in "MessageBird" support (for example older phone sign-in integrations) need a legacy MessageBird access key and will not work with a bird.com key.

Have ready

  • A work email address
  • Legal company name exactly as in the companies register and the company registration number (not the VAT number) · Required for business verification before custom senders. [5]Needed for: Verify your business identity
  • Photo ID of an organisation owner · An owner must provide a photo of their ID for identity verification. [5]Needed for: Verify your business identity
  • A payment method to top up the wallet · Sends fail with 402 when the wallet cannot cover them. [1]Needed for: Top up the wallet

Steps

Steps marked “human step” are ones only you can do: verapli never signs in, submits, pays or accepts terms for you.

  1. Create a bird.com account

    Sign up with your work email and confirm with the emailed link or six-digit code.

    • Guided by hand
    • Human step: You press submit
    Your time
    about 5 min

    Where: https://bird.com/

  2. Top up the wallet

    Add a payment method and fund the organisation wallet; SMS is charged per segment from it.

    • Guided by hand
    • Human step: You add payment details
    • After: Create a bird.com account
    If something goes wrong (1)
    • Send fails with 402 WalletInsufficientBalance (402): Top up the wallet, then retry. [1]

  3. Enable destination countries

    Under SMS > Destinations enable each country you send to; only your home country is added automatically.

    • Guided by hand
    • After: Create a bird.com account
    If something goes wrong (1)
    • Send fails with 422 SMSDestinationNotEnabled (422): Enable the recipient's country under SMS > Destinations. [1]

  4. Create an API key

    In Platform tools > API keys create a key with the sms:write scope in the region you will use. The full key shows once; verapli captures it to your vault.

    • verapli co-pilot
    • Human step: You press submit
    • After: Create a bird.com account

    verapli captures BIRD_API_KEY here by plain code: encrypted in your browser, never shown to AI.

    If something goes wrong (1)
    • Requests rejected although the key is right: Use the host that matches the key prefix (bk_us1_ → us1.platform.bird.com, bk_eu1_ → eu1.platform.bird.com). [1]

    Where: https://bird.com/dashboard

  5. Verify your business identity

    An owner enters the legal name and registration number and provides a photo ID through Bird's verification flow. Needed before claiming senders or buying numbers.

    • Guided by hand
    • Human step: You prove your identity
    • After: Create a bird.com account
    If something goes wrong (2)
    • Claiming a sender returns 412 (412): Finish identity verification first. [3]
    • Verification rejected: Correct only the answers the reviewer flagged, upload replacement documents and select Resubmit details; contact support if an accepted answer is wrong. [5]

  6. Set up a sender and any country registration

    Claim an alphanumeric sender ID, or get a number. Check each country's registration mode; where it is required, sending is blocked until approved. US long codes use the 10DLC programme and toll-free numbers the toll-free verification programme, which you authorise in the dashboard.

    • Guided by hand
    • Human step: The provider reviews it
    • After: Verify your business identity, Top up the wallet
    The provider says
    Varies by country; each country row gives a typical range in business days (timeline_min_days / timeline_max_days), null where none is published. [3]
    If something goes wrong (2)
    • Sender registration rejected: Read rejection_reason, fix it and select Resubmit (or Complete if the form was closed but accepts corrections); otherwise contact support. [3]
    • Need a different US use case on an approved campaign: The use case cannot be changed; register a new campaign (fees may apply again). [4]

Terms and gotchas

Plain-English summary, not legal advice. Each card links its source.

Can get you bannedThe rules say

Bird may reject requests, put the account under review or suspend access for spam, phishing, spoofed senders, or messaging people who did not consent or opted out. [9]

Can cost moneyThe rules say

US 10DLC carries brand, vetting and recurring campaign fees, and a corrected resubmission can count as a new chargeable attempt. [4]

Worth knowingThe rules say

Legacy MessageBird keys and credits do not carry over to bird.com; integrations that expect a MessageBird access key will not work with a bird.com key. [7]

What you end up with

Env varSecretFormatWhat it is
BIRD_API_KEYsecretbk_us1_… or bk_eu1_…bird.com API key (region-scoped)

Pricing

  • Costs: Per SMS segment by destination country (and carrier in some countries), charged from a prepaid wallet.
  • No free SMS allowance is described; funding plans add a monthly wallet deposit.

Source [8]

For agents

The same entry as JSON: /api/v1/entries/messagebird-bird/sms · requirements /api/v1/requirements/messagebird-bird/sms · terms /api/v1/terms/messagebird-bird/sms.

Remote MCP (read-only, no auth)
claude mcp add --transport http verapli https://verapli.com/mcp

> "What do I need for Bird SMS API (formerly MessageBird), and how long will it take?"
  → tools/call requirements { "provider_id": "messagebird-bird/sms" }

Sources

  1. Bird docs – Send your first SMS API keys under Platform tools > API keys; sms:write scope; keys region-scoped bk_us1_/bk_eu1_ with matching host; full key shown only at creation; wallet funds sends (402 WalletInsufficientBalance); enable destination countries (422 SMSDestinationNotEnabled); quickstart template uses a shared sender with no registration · accessed 25 October 2026 · official
  2. Bird docs – Sending SMS Regional hosts us1/eu1.platform.bird.com; POST /v1/sms/messages; destination allowlist starts empty except home country from business profile; US does not support alphanumeric senders · accessed 25 October 2026 · official
  3. Bird docs – SMS sender IDs Sender types (alphanumeric, long code, toll-free, short code); 412 means finish identity verification first; per-country registration modes; US 10DLC and toll-free have own programmes; toll-free submit must be authorised in dashboard; timeline_min_days/max_days; rejection_reason and Resubmit · accessed 25 October 2026 · official
  4. Bird – 10DLC compliance Brand, campaign, link numbers, poll until approved; separate brand, vetting and recurring campaign fees; corrected resubmission can be a new chargeable attempt; use case cannot be changed later · accessed 25 October 2026 · official
  5. Bird knowledge base – Business verification Legal name exactly as in companies register plus registration number (VAT number not accepted); an organisation owner provides a photo of ID; rejection shows only failed answers with reasons, then Resubmit details; sole proprietor guidance · accessed 25 October 2026 · official
  6. Bird knowledge base – Create an account and workspace Sign up with work email; verify by link or six-digit code; workspace holds API keys; a key only accesses its own workspace · accessed 25 October 2026 · official
  7. Bird knowledge base – Accounts from MessageBird and earlier Bird platforms MessageBird account is separate from bird.com account; MessageBird keys work only on rest.messagebird.com; bk_ keys do not work there; credits not transferable; wallet model on bird.com · accessed 25 October 2026 · official
  8. Bird knowledge base – Plans and pricing SMS priced per segment by destination (and carrier in some countries); wallet charged as you send; no free SMS allowance described · accessed 25 October 2026 · official
  9. Bird knowledge base – Acceptable use Consent required; honour opt-outs; spam, phishing, spoofing prohibited; Bird may reject requests, place account under review or suspend access; binding text at bird.com/legal/acceptable-use-policy · accessed 25 October 2026 · official

Provider rules change. This page is generated from verapli registry version 2026.1025.316; spotted something out of date? Tell us. Bird is not affiliated with verapli.