Configuration

SMS Notifications

Send text messages to clients when ticket status changes. Servelo uses Twilio for SMS delivery. Each workspace brings its own Twilio account, so messages come from your phone number and your Twilio bill.

Each workspace uses its own Twilio credentials. Servelo does not send SMS on your behalf. You sign up for a Twilio account, purchase a phone number, and paste three values into Servelo. This keeps your sender identity and billing entirely under your control.

How It Works

When a technician changes the status of a ticket, Servelo checks whether the client has a phone number on file and whether SMS notifications are enabled. If both are true, a text message goes out immediately with the ticket number, title, new status, and a one-click link to the client portal so the client can view the full ticket without logging in.

Example message the client receives:

Brava IT Services: Ticket #0821 "Laptop won't boot" is now In Progress. View: https://bravait.serveloapp.com/portal/bravait?token=...

The portal link is a 7-day magic link. No password required. The client taps it, lands directly on their ticket.

Requirements

A Twilio account (free trial works for testing)
A Twilio phone number with SMS capability ($1.15/month for a local US number)
Your Twilio Account SID and Auth Token (found on the Twilio console dashboard)
Admin role in Servelo to configure the settings
Client records in Servelo with a phone number saved

Trial vs. Production

Twilio's free trial gives you $15.50 in credit, which is more than enough for testing. The differences between trial and a paid account:

Feature	Trial	Paid
Message prefix	"Sent from your Twilio trial account" is prepended	No prefix
Recipients	Only Verified Caller IDs (up to 5 numbers you add in Twilio)	Any number
Daily limit	Low (fine for testing)	Based on registration type
Cost	Free until credits run out	~$0.0079 per SMS

To send to real customers in production, upgrade your Twilio account and complete A2P 10DLC registration. See A2P 10DLC below.

Setup

Step 1. Create a Twilio account

Go to twilio.com/try-twilio and sign up. When asked, select:

Business type: Business
Business kind: Independent Software Vendor (ISV)
Role: Developer
Build with: With code
What to build: Notifications
Channel: SMS

Step 2. Buy a phone number

In the Twilio console, go to Phone Numbers > Manage > Buy a number.
Search by area code (use your local area code so clients recognize the number).
Select any local number with SMS capability ($1.15/month). Click Buy.
Note the phone number in E.164 format, for example +17275551234.

Step 3. Add a Verified Caller ID (trial only)

During the trial, Twilio can only send messages to verified numbers. Add the phone numbers you want to test with:

Go to Phone Numbers > Manage > Verified Caller IDs.
Click Add a new Caller ID and verify your mobile number.
Repeat for any other test numbers.

Skip this step once you upgrade to a paid account.

Step 4. Collect your credentials

On the Twilio console dashboard, find and copy:

Account SID (starts with AC)
Auth Token (click Show to reveal)
From number (the number you just purchased, in E.164 format)

Step 5. Configure Servelo

In Servelo, go to Tickets > Settings.
Scroll to the SMS Notifications (Twilio) section, just below Outbound Email.
Enter your Account SID, Auth Token, and From Number.
Check Notify client when ticket status changes.
Click Save.

Step 6. Add phone numbers to client records

SMS is sent to the phone number stored on the client's record in Servelo. Go to Clients, open any client, and make sure the Phone field is filled in. Clients without a phone number will not receive an SMS even if notifications are enabled.

What Triggers a Message

When the Notify client when ticket status changes toggle is on, a text is sent every time a ticket moves to one of these statuses:

In Progress - work has started
Waiting - waiting on client response or parts
On Hold - job is paused
Closed - job is complete

Status changes to Open or Scheduled do not trigger an SMS. The message is sent in addition to any email notification, not instead of it.

A2P 10DLC (Production)

To send SMS to customers you have not verified in Twilio, you must register your phone number for Application-to-Person (A2P) messaging via the 10DLC program. This is a US carrier requirement.

To complete A2P 10DLC registration:

In the Twilio console, go to Messaging > Regulatory Compliance > Get Started.
Register your business (EIN required for businesses).
Create a campaign describing your use case (select Notifications).
Assign your Twilio phone number to the campaign.

Registration takes 1 to 3 business days. Until approved, messages to unverified numbers will be blocked by US carriers. Once approved, the "Sent from your Twilio trial account" prefix is gone and you can send to any US number.

Troubleshooting

Client is not receiving texts: Check that the client has a phone number saved in Servelo. On a trial account, confirm the number is in Twilio's Verified Caller IDs list. Check the Twilio console under Monitor > Logs > Messages for delivery errors.
Messages say "Sent from your Twilio trial account": This prefix appears on all trial account messages. Upgrade your Twilio account and complete A2P 10DLC registration to remove it.
Auth error when saving settings: Double-check your Account SID and Auth Token. The SID starts with AC. Make sure you copied the Auth Token and not a different credential.
Messages are sending but the portal link does not work: The portal link is a 7-day magic link. If it has expired, the client can request a new one from the portal login page. Make sure your portal is enabled under Settings > Portal.
Phone number format errors: Servelo accepts phone numbers in any common format (e.g., 727-555-1234 or (727) 555-1234). It automatically converts to the E.164 format Twilio requires. US numbers with 10 digits are treated as +1 automatically.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Servelo share one Twilio account across all customers?: No. Each workspace uses its own Twilio account, phone number, and billing. Messages come from your number, not Servelo's.
How much does Twilio cost?: A local US number costs $1.15/month. Each outbound SMS costs about $0.0079. A100-message month costs under $1 in addition to the phone number fee.
Can I use the same Twilio account for multiple Servelo workspaces?: Yes, but they would share the same From number, which can look confusing. It is better to use a separate number per workspace.
Can clients reply to SMS messages?: Twilio will receive inbound replies, but Servelo does not currently process them. Replies go to your Twilio inbox only.
Will clients get a text every time the status changes?: Yes, one text per qualifying status change. If a ticket goes from Open to In Progress to Waiting, that is two texts.
Can I disable SMS for a specific client?: Remove the phone number from their client record in Servelo, or leave it blank, to prevent SMS for that client specifically.
How do I test SMS before going live?: Use the Twilio free trial. Add your own mobile number as a Verified Caller ID, then change the status of a test ticket assigned to a client whose phone number matches your verified number. The text arrives within seconds.