> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.teli.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Send Single SMS

> Send a manual SMS message to a contact (live agent/human takeover)

# Send Single SMS

Send a manual SMS message to a contact within a campaign. This enables live agents to take over conversations from AI and communicate directly with contacts.

## Authentication

<ParamField header="X-API-Key" type="string" required>
  Your API key
</ParamField>

## Request Body

<ParamField body="campaign_id" type="string" required>
  The campaign ID containing the contact
</ParamField>

<ParamField body="phone_number" type="string" required>
  The contact's phone number (E.164 format recommended: +15551234567)
</ParamField>

<ParamField body="message" type="string" required>
  The SMS message text to send (cannot be empty)
</ParamField>

## Response

<ResponseField name="success" type="boolean">
  Whether the message was sent successfully
</ResponseField>

<ResponseField name="message" type="string">
  Status message
</ResponseField>

<ResponseField name="phone_number" type="string">
  The normalized phone number the message was sent to
</ResponseField>

<ResponseField name="campaign_id" type="string">
  The campaign ID
</ResponseField>

<ResponseField name="thread_qualified" type="boolean">
  Whether the conversation thread was marked as qualified (always true for manual messages)
</ResponseField>

<ResponseField name="ai_disabled" type="boolean">
  Whether AI follow-ups have been disabled for this contact (always true after manual message)
</ResponseField>

<ResponseField name="human_takeover" type="boolean">
  Indicates this was a human takeover action (always true)
</ResponseField>

## Example Request

```bash theme={null}
curl -X POST "https://api.teli.ai/v1/sms/send" \
  -H "X-API-Key: your-api-key" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "campaign_id": "campaign_abc123",
    "phone_number": "+15551234567",
    "message": "Hi! This is John following up on your inquiry. How can I help you today?"
  }'
```

## Example Response

```json theme={null}
{
  "success": true,
  "message": "SMS sent successfully",
  "phone_number": "+15551234567",
  "campaign_id": "campaign_abc123",
  "thread_qualified": true,
  "ai_disabled": true,
  "human_takeover": true,
  "powered_by": "Teli"
}
```

## Behavior

When a manual SMS is sent:

1. **Message Delivered** - The SMS is sent immediately to the contact
2. **Thread Qualified** - The conversation is marked as "human\_takeover"
3. **AI Disabled** - All scheduled AI follow-ups and drip messages are cancelled
4. **Conversation Saved** - The message is added to conversation history
5. **Data Extracted** - Any extraction fields are processed from the full conversation

## Use Cases

* **Live Agent Support** - Customer service representatives responding to inquiries
* **Sales Follow-up** - Sales reps taking over promising leads
* **Complex Issues** - Handling situations AI cannot resolve
* **VIP Customers** - Personal touch for high-value contacts

## Error Responses

```json theme={null}
{
  "success": false,
  "error": "Missing required fields: campaign_id, phone_number, message"
}
```

```json theme={null}
{
  "success": false,
  "error": "Message text cannot be empty"
}
```

```json theme={null}
{
  "success": false,
  "error": "Client +15551234567 not found in campaign campaign_abc123"
}
```

## Notes

* The contact must already exist in the specified campaign
* DNC and timezone checks are bypassed for human-sent messages
* After sending, the AI will not send any more automated messages to this contact
* Message history remains accessible for review

## Related Endpoints

* [Send MMS](/partner-api/messages/send-mms) - Send message with media attachment
* [Get Campaign Messages](/partner-api/campaigns/messages) - View conversation history
* [List Contacts](/partner-api/contacts/list) - Get contacts in a campaign