Using Twilio for Ringless Voicemail

Twilio is a cloud communications platform that provides APIs for voice, SMS, and other messaging channels. Many businesses already use Twilio for their communication infrastructure.

Important clarification:

Twilio itself does not offer a native ringless voicemail product. Their APIs support traditional voice calls, but ringless voicemail requires specialized technology to deposit messages directly into voicemail systems.

To use Twilio with ringless voicemail, you need:

1. A ringless voicemail platform that supports BYOC (Bring Your Own Carrier)
2. Your Twilio account with phone numbers and credentials
3. Integration between the two systems

Drop Cowboy supports BYOC integration, allowing you to use your Twilio infrastructure with our ringless voicemail delivery technology.

Step 1: Configure Twilio Credentials

Provide your Twilio Account SID and Auth Token to the ringless voicemail platform. These credentials allow the platform to route calls through your Twilio account.

Step 2: Register Phone Numbers

Specify which Twilio phone numbers to use as caller IDs. The platform validates these numbers and configures them for ringless voicemail delivery.

Step 3: Set Up Webhook Handlers

Configure webhooks to receive delivery status updates, opt-out notifications, and other events. This keeps your systems synchronized.

Step 4: Test the Integration

Send test messages through the BYOC connection to verify delivery works correctly. Check that billing flows to your Twilio account as expected.

Step 5: Launch Campaigns

Once validated, use BYOC numbers for your campaigns. The ringless voicemail platform handles delivery optimization while routing through your Twilio infrastructure.

Choose BYOC when:

• You have existing Twilio numbers with established reputation you want to preserve
• Consolidated billing through Twilio simplifies your accounting significantly
• You have developer resources to manage the integration
• Your Twilio pricing is favorable due to volume or negotiated rates
• You need Twilio-specific features like number porting or advanced routing

Choose standard delivery when:

• You are new to ringless voicemail and want the simplest setup
• You do not have existing Twilio infrastructure
• You prefer hands-off operation without managing integrations
• You want the platform to handle all carrier relationships
• Your volume does not justify the complexity of BYOC

The hybrid approach:

Some businesses use BYOC for specific campaigns (perhaps using established numbers for existing customer outreach) while using standard delivery for new lead campaigns. Drop Cowboy supports mixing approaches based on your needs.

Does BYOC improve delivery rates?

Not necessarily. Delivery rates depend more on the ringless voicemail delivery technology than the carrier layer. Drop Cowboy's AI-optimized routing works whether you use BYOC or standard delivery.

Can I use any Twilio number for BYOC?

Most Twilio phone numbers work with BYOC. Some specialized number types may have restrictions. Your Drop Cowboy account manager can help verify compatibility.

What happens if Twilio has an outage?

BYOC campaigns would be affected by Twilio outages since calls route through their infrastructure. Standard delivery uses Drop Cowboy's carrier relationships, which may provide redundancy.

Do I still need Drop Cowboy if I have Twilio?

Twilio provides the carrier infrastructure but not ringless voicemail technology. Drop Cowboy provides the specialized delivery system that deposits messages into voicemail, plus compliance tools, campaign management, and analytics.