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Factory Labs + Twilio Integration: SMS, WhatsApp, and Voice

How Factory Labs uses Twilio for SMS (10DLC), WhatsApp Business Platform, and Voice/SIP telephony. Carrier-compliant deliverability, template-managed WhatsApp, and browser softphone with Voice agents.

Updated 2026-05-17 · Official Twilio site

Factory Labs runs the omnichannel surface (SMS, WhatsApp, Voice) on top of Twilio. The integration covers the full carrier-compliance stack (10DLC brand and campaign registration, opt-in/opt-out handling, WhatsApp template management) plus the voice / SIP plane used by the browser softphone and the AI voice agents.

What we use Twilio for

  • SMS (US 10DLC). Application-to-person messaging with full 10DLC brand + campaign registration handled inside Factory's onboarding flow.
  • MMS. Picture and document attachments where supported by the destination carrier.
  • WhatsApp Business Platform. Template-managed outbound, conversation-based pricing, business verification.
  • Voice + SIP. Browser-based softphone via Twilio Voice + Programmable Voice for inbound and outbound calls.
  • Conversational AI voice. The Factory voice agent rides on Twilio's media streams interface.

We have other channels (RingDNA / RingCentral for some customers, direct CPaaS for high-volume specialized cases), but Twilio is the default and the deepest-integrated.

What the integration does

SMS with 10DLC compliance

Factory CRM tracks every contact's opt-in event with timestamp, source, and campaign. Outbound SMS workflows respect per-campaign opt-in state automatically; a workflow cannot send to a contact that has not consented to that specific campaign.

The 10DLC brand and campaign registration is configured inside Factory's admin UI; the actual filing goes to The Campaign Registry via Twilio. Brand Score, throughput tier, and deliverability metrics are surfaced in the Factory messaging analytics view.

WhatsApp Business Platform

Templates are managed in Factory: submit, track approval status from Meta, version, deprecate. Conversation pricing (24-hour windows, customer-initiated vs business-initiated, utility vs marketing tagging) is surfaced inline so the team can manage spend.

The integration handles WhatsApp's business verification flow, phone number registration with Meta, and the template-content moderation that trips up most distributor deployments.

Voice + browser softphone

Factory ships a browser softphone (WebRTC + Twilio Voice SDK) that handles inbound and outbound calls without a desk-phone deployment. Calls are routed by Factory's routing logic (account-based, round-robin, skills-based) and recorded if your jurisdiction permits and you configure recording on.

AI voice agents

The Factory voice agent uses Twilio media streams to handle inbound calls end to end. The agent identifies the caller, captures intent, looks up the ERP, places orders, and escalates to a human rep when needed. See the voice agents post for what works today and what does not.

How it works

Architecturally:

  1. Twilio account. You bring your own Twilio account (or we provision one for you during onboarding).
  2. Twilio sub-accounts per tenant. For multi-tenant deployments, Factory provisions Twilio sub-accounts so per-tenant billing and isolation are clean.
  3. Webhook handling. Twilio webhooks for incoming SMS, MMS, WhatsApp, and Voice events land at Factory's webhook endpoints, are verified with the Twilio signature, and are routed into the CRM's conversation surface.
  4. Outbound throughput. Factory's outbound queue respects 10DLC throughput tiers and WhatsApp rate limits per phone number.
  5. Recording storage. Voice recordings (if enabled) are stored in Factory's per-tenant object store with the same per-tenant HKDF encryption as other CRM data.

How to set it up

  1. Provision Twilio account. Either bring your existing account or have Factory provision a sub-account.
  2. Configure 10DLC. Brand registration first (10-15 minutes), then per-campaign registration (5-10 minutes each). Factory's onboarding flow walks through both.
  3. Configure WhatsApp. Meta Business verification (one-time, 30-60 minutes), phone number registration with Meta, template library setup.
  4. Configure Voice. Phone numbers, call routing rules, optional CTI integration with existing desk phones if you are not full-WebRTC.
  5. Test. Send a test SMS, send a WhatsApp template, place a test call. Verify delivery, opt-out, and recording.

End to end: 1-2 days for SMS + WhatsApp + Voice setup including the carrier-side compliance work. The carrier-side work (10DLC approval, Meta verification) can run in parallel with software setup.

What this means for your team

  • Reps use one inbox for SMS, WhatsApp, and voice activity per contact.
  • Marketing / inside sales ops ship outbound campaigns with confidence about deliverability and consent.
  • Customer service handles inbound text and WhatsApp the same way they handle email.
  • Compliance has a single audit log for outbound messages and consent events.

Pricing notes

The Twilio integration is part of Factory Labs Professional ($85/user/month) and up. Twilio's own usage fees (per-SMS, per-WhatsApp-conversation, per-minute voice) are pass-through; Factory does not mark them up. You can use your existing Twilio account and pay Twilio directly, or have Factory consolidate the bill.

Per-message and per-conversation rates are governed by Twilio's price book; Factory surfaces real-time spend in the admin UI.

Frequently asked questions

Can we bring our own Twilio account? Yes. Most customers do. The integration uses standard Twilio API credentials; Factory does not require a Twilio sub-account if you prefer parent-account billing.

What about WhatsApp template approval times? Meta typically reviews templates in hours, sometimes minutes for simple cases. Factory shows the approval state inline and notifies you when the state changes.

Do we have to use Twilio for voice if we have an existing telephony vendor? No. Factory supports RingDNA / RingCentral, and direct SIP trunking from other CPaaS providers, as alternative voice backends. Twilio is the default because the integration is deepest, but it is not required.

Can the voice agent escalate to a human rep mid-call? Yes. Detection signals (third repetition, frustration tone, complex part-identification, explicit customer request) trigger a structured handoff with context already presented to the receiving rep.

Is recording legal in our state? Recording laws vary; Factory exposes per-state and per-jurisdiction configuration so you can set the right consent flow and recording posture for each call.