canonical: https://jentic.com/apis/ottertext.com/ottertext

# OtterText API

OtterText is an SMS marketing and customer engagement platform designed for restaurants, retail, and service businesses. The API provides programmatic access to subscriber management, message sending, message templates, campaign automation, and webhook configuration. OtterText focuses on compliance-first SMS marketing with opt-in management, scheduled messaging, and analytics for customer retention and promotional campaigns.

## For AI agents

Manage SMS marketing campaigns: send messages, manage subscribers, create templates, configure webhooks, and automate customer engagement via text.

## Scope

Does not provide phone number provisioning, carrier integration, or transactional SMS - use only for marketing campaigns, promotional messages, and customer engagement via OtterText infrastructure.

## Capabilities

- Send individual and bulk SMS messages to subscribers
- Manage subscriber lists including opt-ins, opt-outs, and segmentation
- Create and manage message templates for consistent campaigns
- Schedule messages for future delivery and recurring campaigns
- Configure webhooks for delivery receipts, replies, and subscriber events
- Track message delivery status and engagement metrics
- Manage compliance with opt-in/opt-out regulations and TCPA requirements
- Segment subscribers by tags, behavior, or custom attributes

## Use cases

### Restaurant Promotional Campaigns

Restaurants can send targeted promotions, daily specials, and event announcements to their SMS subscriber base. POST /messages sends bulk campaigns, POST /templates creates reusable message formats, and GET /subscribers retrieves segmented lists by tags like 'lunch-specials' or 'VIP-customers'. Agents can automate weekly special announcements or flash sales with scheduling and template management.

Example prompt: POST /templates to create a 'daily-special' template, then POST /messages with the template ID and subscriber segment to send the campaign.

### Automated Appointment Reminders

Service businesses like salons, clinics, or repair shops can automate appointment reminders. POST /messages with scheduled delivery sends reminders 24 hours before appointments, reducing no-shows. The API integrates with booking systems to trigger reminders, and webhook configuration captures replies for rescheduling requests.

Example prompt: When an appointment is booked, POST /messages with scheduled delivery for 24 hours before the appointment time, using a reminder template and the customer's phone number.

### Customer Loyalty and Re-Engagement

Retail and hospitality businesses can re-engage inactive customers with targeted campaigns. GET /subscribers filters by last-interaction date, and POST /messages sends re-engagement offers to the segment. Tags and segmentation enable personalized campaigns like 'first-time-customers', 'lapsed-subscribers', or 'high-spenders'. Webhook tracking captures replies for two-way engagement.

Example prompt: GET /subscribers with filters for inactive customers, then POST /messages with a re-engagement offer template targeting that segment.

### Two-Way Customer Support via SMS

Businesses can enable two-way SMS conversations for customer support. POST /webhooks configures reply handling, and GET /messages retrieves incoming messages. Agents or chatbots process replies, send follow-up messages with POST /messages, and maintain conversation threads. This complements phone and email support with text-based customer service.

Example prompt: POST /webhooks to configure reply webhook, then when replies arrive, GET `/messages/{messageId}` to retrieve context and POST /messages to send follow-up responses.

### AI Agent for SMS Campaign Management

Let an AI agent handle SMS marketing tasks for a restaurant chain - sending promotions, managing subscriber lists, scheduling campaigns, and creating templates. Through Jentic, the agent loads only the required operations and OtterText API keys are injected at execution time.

Example prompt: Use the Jentic search query 'send sms campaign' to find POST /messages, load its schema, and execute with the campaign message and subscriber segment.

## Key endpoints

| Method | Path | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| POST | `/messages` | Send SMS messages to subscribers with optional scheduling |
| GET | `/messages` | List sent messages with filtering by status or date |
| GET | `/subscribers` | List subscribers with filtering by tags or status |
| POST | `/subscribers` | Add a new subscriber with opt-in status |
| POST | `/templates` | Create a message template for campaigns |
| POST | `/webhooks` | Configure webhooks for message events |

## Key resources

- **Messages** — SMS messages sent to subscribers including content, delivery status, and scheduling
- **Subscribers** — Customer phone numbers with opt-in status, tags, and engagement history
- **Templates** — Reusable message formats for consistent campaigns and automated messaging
- **Webhooks** — Event notifications for delivery receipts, replies, opt-ins, and opt-outs
- **Tags and Segments** — Subscriber organization by behavior, preferences, or custom attributes

## Why Jentic

- **Setup:** Wiring OtterText by hand means setting up its bearer token auth, targeting the app.ottertext.com host, and managing your own retries across messaging and subscriber calls. Through Jentic you install once, import the OtterText API from the API Directory, store the token once, and your agent calls it.
- **Permission scoping:** OtterText identifies messages and subscribers through request bodies and list queries rather than URL path ids, so scope by operations: limit the agent to the operations it needs, such as listing subscribers or reading messages, and leave sending messages or creating templates out unless you add them. You choose the allowed set, so a read-only agent can review activity without sending anything.
- **Credential handling:** Your OtterText token is stored once, encrypted, by your own Jentic One instance and injected at execution time. It never enters the agent's prompt, logs, or context.
- **Discovery method:** Agents search Jentic by intent such as 'send a marketing message' or 'list current subscribers', and Jentic returns the matching OtterText operation with its input schema so the agent calls the right endpoint without browsing the reference docs.

## Related APIs

- **Twilio Messaging API** — General-purpose SMS API for transactional and marketing messages.
- **Mailchimp API** — Email marketing platform that complements OtterText's SMS campaigns.
- **Klaviyo API** — Marketing automation platform with SMS and email capabilities.

## FAQ

### What authentication does the OtterText API use?

The OtterText API uses API key authentication. API keys are generated in the OtterText dashboard and sent via an authentication header. Through Jentic, keys are stored encrypted and injected at execution time.

### How does OtterText handle SMS compliance and opt-outs?

OtterText automatically manages opt-in and opt-out compliance. The API tracks subscriber consent status, honors opt-out requests, and includes required opt-out language. GET /subscribers shows opt-in status, and opt-outs are automatically excluded from campaigns.

### Can I schedule SMS campaigns for future delivery?

Yes, POST /messages supports scheduled delivery. Specify a future timestamp when creating the message, and OtterText will deliver it at that time. This is useful for campaign planning and time-zone targeting.

### What are the rate limits for the OtterText API?

Rate limits depend on your OtterText plan and are enforced per account. Check your dashboard for specific limits. The API returns HTTP 429 when limits are exceeded.

### How do I handle incoming SMS replies?

Configure a webhook with POST /webhooks to receive real-time notifications when subscribers reply to messages. The webhook payload includes the reply content, sender phone number, and message thread context.

### Is the OtterText API suitable for transactional messages?

OtterText is primarily designed for marketing and promotional SMS. For transactional messages like order confirmations or OTP codes, consider dedicated transactional SMS APIs like Twilio or Plivo.

### Can I limit what my agent is allowed to do with the OtterText API?

Yes. Because you run Jentic One yourself, your own rules decide which OtterText operations and credentials the agent may use. Since OtterText identifies messages and subscribers through request bodies and list queries rather than URL path ids, you scope by operation: grant an agent only what it needs, such as GET /subscribers and GET /messages, and leave POST /messages and POST /templates out. That way a read-only agent can review subscribers and message activity without ever sending an SMS or creating a template.