Activate Alibaba Cloud Short Message Service (SMS) and send your first message to destinations outside the Chinese mainland in three steps.
What to expect
For destinations outside the Chinese mainland — including Hong Kong (China), Macao (China), and Taiwan (China) — the activation workflow is straightforward. For most destinations, you do not need to apply for an SMS signature or template before sending.
Time estimates
|
Step |
Estimated time |
|
Prepare your account |
5 minutes |
|
Signature review (Chinese mainland destinations only) |
At least 24 hours (business hours) |
|
SMS template review (Chinese mainland destinations only) |
2 to 4 hours |
|
Sender ID registration (destination-dependent) |
Varies by country or region |
Rate limit: Up to 20 messages per phone number per day.
Billing: Charges apply only when you send a message. SMS supports pay-as-you-go and resource packages. If you have a resource package, its quota is consumed first; pay-as-you-go rates apply after the quota runs out.
Step 1: Prepare your account
Register an Alibaba Cloud account if you do not already have one.
Complete identity verification.
Top up your account balance or purchase a resource package.
Step 2: Send messages
Go to the Quick Start page in the SMS console and send a test message.
Sending test messages incurs charges. Check your account balance before you begin.
To send messages programmatically, use the SMS API or an Alibaba Cloud SDK. For step-by-step instructions, see Send a test message.
Step 3: Ensure compliance
Some destinations require additional registration before you can send messages. Check the requirements for your target country or region:
India: Complete DLT registration. See A2P SMS messaging regulations for India.
Saudi Arabia: Register your sender ID. See Register a sender ID.
United States and Canada: Use a local number (long code or short code) to improve delivery rates.
Other destinations: Check the Supported countries/regions page in the console for destination-specific requirements.