Initiate an SMS PIN verification request with Python
You can quickly see how the Verification API works by sending yourself an SMS PIN verification request.
In this guide you will learn:
What you need to know before you start
Before you can get started, you need the following already set up:
- Set all Verification API configuration settings.
- Python and a familiarity with how to create a new file.
- PIP (package installer for Python) and a familiarity with how to install Python modules.
- A mobile handset that can receive SMS messages.
Set up your Python application and install dependencies
We'll be using therequests module to make HTTP requests. Open a command prompt and use the following command to install the requests module:pip install requestsinitiate-verification.py and paste the provided "initiate-verification.py" code found on this page into the file.Note:
This tutorial uses basic authentication for testing purposes. We recommend using a signed request for authentication in a production environment. You can follow the steps in this guide, but use the code samples from here to use request signing authentication instead.
toNumber parameter in the body of the request.Fill in your parameters
Before you can run the code, you need to update some values so you can connect to your Sinch account. Update the following parameters with your own values:
| Parameter | Your value |
|---|---|
applicationKey | The application key found on your Sinch dashboard. |
applicationSecret | The application secret found on your Sinch dashboard. |
toNumber | This should be the number of the mobile handset you are using for this guide. |
Note:
When your account is in trial mode, you can only message your verified numbers. If you want to send a message to any number, you need to upgrade your account!
Save the file.
Initiate your verification request
Now you can execute the code and initiate your verification request. Run the following command:
python initiate-verification.pyYou should receive a text message to your mobile handset with a verification code. In a production scenario, this is the code that a user would enter into your app to verify their account.
Troubleshooting tip
If after running your app you receive a 5000 error response, you may have forgotten to save your file after adding your authentication values. This is an easy mistake to make! Try saving the file and running the app again.
Next steps
Now it's time to take the one time PIN code you just received and use it to verify the identity of the user by reporting the PIN code.
