Sinch Node.js SDK for Conversation

The Sinch Conversation Node.js SDK allows you to quickly interact with the Conversation API from inside your Node.js applications. The fastest way to get started with the SDK is to check out our getting started guides. There you'll find all the instructions necessary to download, install, set up, and start using the SDK.

Syntax

When using the Node.js SDK, the code representing requests and queries sent to and responses received from the Conversation API are structured similarly to those that are sent and received using the Conversation API itself.

Note:

This guide describes the syntactical structure of the Node.js SDK for the Conversation API, including any differences that may exist between the API itself and the SDK. For a full reference on Conversation API calls and responses, see the Conversation REST API Reference.

The code sample on the side of this page is an example of how to use the Node.js SDK to send a text message on the SMS channel of a Conversation API app. The Conversation API call that accomplishes the same task is displayed below for reference (note that this REST API example would be included in an mjs instead of a js file, and it uses Basic Authentication instead of OAuth2):
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// Find your App ID at dashboard.sinch.com/convapi/apps
// Find your Project ID at dashboard.sinch.com/settings/project-management
// Get your Access Key and Access Secret at dashboard.sinch.com/settings/access-keys
const APP_ID = '';
const ACCESS_KEY = '';
const ACCESS_SECRET = '';
const PROJECT_ID = '';
const CHANNEL = '';
const IDENTITY = '';

import fetch from 'node-fetch';

async function run() {
  const resp = await fetch(
    'https://us.conversation.api.sinch.com/v1/projects/' + PROJECT_ID + '/messages:send',
    {
      method: 'POST',
      headers: {
        'Content-Type': 'application/json',
        Authorization: 'Basic ' + Buffer.from(ACCESS_KEY + ':' + ACCESS_SECRET).toString('base64')
      },
      body: JSON.stringify({
        app_id: APP_ID,
        recipient: {
          identified_by: {
            channel_identities: [
              {
                channel: CHANNEL,
                identity: IDENTITY
              }
            ]
          }
        },
        message: {
          text_message: {
            text: 'Text message from Sinch Conversation API.'
          }
        }
      })
    }
  );

  const data = await resp.json();
  console.log(data);
}

run();

This example highlights the following required to successfully make a Conversation API call using the Sinch Node.js SDK:

Client

When using the Sinch Node.js SDK, you initialize communication with the Sinch backend by initializing the Node.js SDK's main client class. This client allows you to access the functionality of the Sinch Node.js SDK.

Initialization

Before initializing a client using this SDK, you'll need three pieces of information:

  • Your Project ID
  • An access key ID
  • An access key Secret
These values can be found on the Access Keys page of the Customer Dashboard. You can also create new access key IDs and Secrets, if required.
Note:
If you have trouble accessing the above link, ensure that you have gained access to the Conversation API by accepting the corresponding terms and conditions.

To start using the SDK, you need to initialize the main client class with your credentials from your Sinch dashboard.

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const {SinchClient} = require('@sinch/sdk-core');

const sinchClient = new SinchClient({
    projectId: "YOUR_project_id",
    keyId: "YOUR_access_key",
    keySecret: "YOUR_access_secret"
});
Note:

For testing purposes on your local environment it's fine to use hardcoded values, but before deploying to production we strongly recommend using environment variables to store the credentials, as in the following example:

.env File

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PROJECTID="YOUR_project_id"
ACCESSKEY="YOUR_access_key"
ACCESSSECRET="YOUR_access_secret" 

app.js File

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const {SinchClient} = require('@sinch/sdk-core');

const sinchClient = new SinchClient({
    projectId: process.env.PROJECTID,
    keyId: process.env.ACCESSKEY,
    keySecret: process.env.ACCESSSECRET
});
Note:

If you are using the Node.js SDK for multiple products that use different sets of authentication credentials, you can include all of the relevant credentials in the same configuration object, as in the following example:

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const {SinchClient} = require('@sinch/sdk-core');

const sinchClient = new SinchClient({
    projectId: "YOUR_project_id",
    keyId: "YOUR_access_key",
    keySecret: "YOUR_access_secret",
    applicationKey: "YOUR_application_key",
    applicationSecret: "YOUR_application_secret"
});

Conversation domain

The Sinch Node.js SDK organizes different functionalities in the Sinch product suite into domains. These domains are accessible through the client. For example, sinch.conversation.[endpoint_category].[method()].

Endpoint categories

In the Sinch Node.js SDK, Conversation API endpoints are accessible through the client (either a general client or a Conversation-specific client). The naming convention of the endpoint's representation in the SDK matches the API:

  • messages
  • app
  • contact
  • events
  • transcoding
  • capability
  • templatesV1
  • templatesV2
  • webhooks
  • conversation

For example:

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const response = await sinchClient.conversation.messages.send({
    sendMessageRequestBody: {
        app_id: "YOUR_app_ID",
        recipient: {
            identified_by: {
                channel_identities: [
                    {
                        channel: "SMS",
                        identity: "RECIPIENT_number"
                    }
                ]
            }
        },
        message: {
            text_message: {
                text: "This is a test message using the Sinch Node.js SDK"
            }
        },
        channel_properties: {
            SMS_SENDER: "YOUR_sms_sender"
        }
    }
});

messages endpoint category

The messages category of the Node.js SDK corresponds to the messages endpoint. The mapping between the API operations and corresponding methods are described below:
API operationSDK method
Send a messagesend, or you could use any of the following message-specific methods:
sendCardMessage
sendCarouselMessage
sendChoiceMessage
sendContactInfoMessage
sendListMessage
sendLocationMessage
sendMediaMessage
sendTemplateMessage
sendTextMessage
Get a messageget
Delete a messagedelete
List messageslist
Update a message's metadataupdate

app endpoint category

The app category of the Node.js SDK corresponds to the apps endpoint. The mapping between the API operations and corresponding methods are described below:
API operationSDK method
List all apps for a given projectlist
Create an appcreate
Get an appget
Delete an appdelete
Update an appupdate

contact endpoint category

The contact category of the Node.js SDK corresponds to the contacts endpoint. The mapping between the API operations and corresponding methods are described below:
API operationSDK method
List contactslist
Create a contactcreate
Get a contactget
Delete a contactdelete
Update a contactupdate
Merge two contactsmergeContact
Get channel profilegetChannelProfile

conversation endpoint category

The conversation category of the Node.js SDK corresponds to the conversations endpoint. The mapping between the API operations and corresponding methods are described below:
API operationSDK method
List conversationslist
Create a conversationcreate
Get a conversationget
Delete a conversationdelete
Update a conversationupdate
Stop conversationstopActive
Inject a messageinjectMessage
Inject an eventinjectEvent
List recent conversationslistRecent

events endpoint category

The events category of the Node.js SDK corresponds to the events endpoint. The mapping between the API operations and corresponding methods are described below:
API operationSDK method
Send an eventsend, or you could use any of the following message-specific methods: sendComposingEvent, sendComposingEndEvent, sendCommentReplyEvent, sendAgentJoinedEvent, sendAgentLeftEvent, or sendGenericEvent
Get an eventget
Delete an eventdelete
List eventslist

transcoding endpoint category

The transcoding category of the Node.js SDK corresponds to the messages:transcode endpoint. The mapping between the API operations and corresponding methods are described below:
API operationSDK method
Transcode a messagetranscodeMessage

capability endpoint category

The capability category of the Node.js SDK corresponds to the capability endpoint. The mapping between the API operations and corresponding methods are described below:
API operationSDK method
Capability lookuplookup

webhooks endpoint category

The webhooks category of the Node.js SDK corresponds to the webhooks endpoint. The mapping between the API operations and corresponding methods are described below:
API operationSDK method
List webhookslist
Create a new webhookcreate
Get a webhookget
Update an existing webhookupdate
Delete an existing webhookdelete

templatesV1 endpoint category

The templatesV1 category of the Node.js SDK corresponds to the Templates endpoint. The mapping between the API operations and corresponding methods are described below:
API operationSDK method
List all templates belonging to a project IDlist
Creates a templatecreate
Updates a templateupdate
Get a templateget
Delete a templatedelete

templatesV2 endpoint category

The templatesV2 category of the Node.js SDK corresponds to the Templates-V2 endpoint. The mapping between the API operations and corresponding methods are described below:
API operationSDK method
List all templates belonging to a project IDlist
Creates a templatecreate
Lists translations for a templatelistTranslations
Updates a templateupdate
Get a templateget
Delete a templatedelete

Request and query parameters

Requests and queries made using the Node.js SDK are similar to those made using the Conversation API. Many of the fields are named and structured similarly. Additionally, path parameters, request body parameters, and query parameters that are used in the API are all passed as arguments to the corresponding Node.js method.

SDKJSON
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app_id: "{APP_ID}"
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"app_id": "{APP_ID}"
Note that the fields have the same name. Additionally, path parameters, request body parameters, and query parameters that are used in the API are all passed as arguments to the corresponding method. For example, consider this example in which the get method of the message class is invoked:
SDKJSON
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const response = await sinchClient.conversation.messages.get({
                    message_id:"YOUR_message_id"
                    messages_source:"CONVERSATION_SOURCE"
                    });
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url = "https://us.conversation.api.sinch.com/v1/projects/" + project_id + "/messages/" + YOUR_message_id

payload = {
    "messages_source": "CONVERSATION_SOURCE"
}
When using the Conversation API, message_id would be included as a path parameter, and messages_source would be included as a query parameter in the JSON payload. With the Node.js SDK, both parameters are included as arguments in the get method.

Responses

Response fields match the API responses. They are delivered as JavaScript objects.

Pagination objects

For operations that return multiple pages of objects, such as list operations, the API response that would normally be an array is instead wrapped inside an ApiPromiseList object. This object can take two forms, depending on how you have made the call:

PageResult

If you are using a traditional await in front of the method, the ApiPromiseList will take the form of a PageResult, as demonstrated by the following example:
NumbersConversation
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const requestData: ListActiveNumbersRequestData = {
    regionCode: 'US',
    type: 'LOCAL',
    pageSize: 2,
  };

  // This call will return the data of the current page wrapped in a PageResult
  // We can then loop on the response while it has more pages
  let response: PageResult<ActiveNumber> = await sinchClient.numbers.activeNumber.list(requestData); 

  // The ActiveNumber are in the `data` property
  let activeNumbers: ActiveNumber[] = response.data;
  console.log(activeNumbers); // prints the content of a page
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const requestData: ListMessagesRequestData = {
    app_id: "YOUR_Conversation_app_ID,
    channel: 'MESSENGER',
  };

  // This call will return the data of the current page wrapped in a PageResult
  // We can then loop on the response while it has more pages
  let response: PageResult<ConversationMessage> = await sinchClient.conversation.messages.list(requestData);

  // The ConversationMessage are in the `data` property
  let messages: ConversationMessage[] = response.data;
  console.log(messages); // prints the content of a page
The array is contained in the data field and the object contains a hasNextPage boolean as well as a nextPage() function which can be used to iterate through the results.
NumbersConversation
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// Loop on all the pages to get all the active numbers
  let reachedEndOfPages = false;
  while (!reachedEndOfPages) {
    if (response.hasNextPage) {
      response = await response.nextPage();
      activeNumbers = response.data;
      console.log(activeNumbers); // prints the content of a page
    } else {
      reachedEndOfPages = true;
    }
  }
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// Loop on all the pages to get all the messages
  let reachedEndOfPages = false;
  while (!reachedEndOfPages) {
    if (response.hasNextPage) {
      response = await response.nextPage();
      messages = response.data;
      console.log(messages); // prints the content of a page
    } else {
      reachedEndOfPages = true;
    }
  }
Each call to the Sinch servers is visible in the code in the while loop.

AsyncIteratorIterable

If you using an iterator (for await (... of ...)), the ApiPromiseList will take the form of a AsyncIteratorIterable object which can be used to iterate through the results, as demonstrated by the following example:
NumbersConversation
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const requestData: ListActiveNumbersRequestData = {
    regionCode: 'US',
    type: 'LOCAL',
    pageSize: 2,
  };

  for await (const activeNumber of sinchClient.numbers.activeNumber.list(requestData)) {
    console.log(activeNumber); // prints a single ActiveNumber
  }
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const requestData: ListMessagesRequestData = {
    app_id: "YOUR_Conversation_app_ID,
    channel: 'MESSENGER',
  };

  for await (const message of sinchClient.conversation.messages.list(requestData)) {
    console.log(message); // prints a single ConversationMessage
  }

With the iterator, the code is more concise but you have less control over the number of calls made to the API; the iterator will continue to make calls to the API to fetch the next page until the final page is returned.

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