Frequently Asked Questions
This guide provides a step-by-step process to integrate Sinch's inbound SMS capabilities into your Next.js application. It utilizes NextAuth.js for user authentication and Prisma for database interactions, allowing you to securely receive and process SMS messages sent to a dedicated Sinch number linked to user accounts.
NextAuth.js simplifies the implementation of user authentication in your Next.js application. This is crucial for associating incoming SMS messages with specific authenticated user accounts based on their registered phone numbers.
E.164 format (+15551234567) ensures consistent handling of phone numbers, which is essential for reliably linking inbound SMS messages from Sinch to the corresponding user account. It is a globally recognized standard that enables phone number validation, verification and compatibility across different systems, preventing errors or mismatches caused by regional variations.
The Sinch SDK is optional for this specific guide, which focuses on receiving inbound SMS messages. However, the SDK is required if you extend the functionality to send replies or other outbound communications.
While this guide uses PostgreSQL, you can adapt it to use other databases by adjusting the DATABASE_URL and configuring the appropriate Prisma provider in the schema.prisma file.
Webhook security is paramount. Generate a strong secret with openssl rand -base64 32 and configure it in both your .env file (SINCH_WEBHOOK_SECRET) and the Sinch dashboard for the specific webhook endpoint. This secret will be used to verify the signature of incoming webhook requests, ensuring they originate from Sinch and not malicious actors.
The diagram visually illustrates the flow of requests and data between the user, your Next.js application, the Sinch platform, and the database. It highlights the interactions with NextAuth.js for login requests and Prisma for database access, and showcases how the webhooks are processed via an API route.
Use tools like ngrok or the Vercel CLI to expose your local development server to the internet. This will allow Sinch to send webhooks to your local endpoint during development and testing. Make sure to configure the generated URL from ngrok or Vercel as your webhook URL in Sinch.
You'll need Node.js, access to a PostgreSQL database, a Sinch account with API credentials and a dedicated phone number, and basic understanding of React, TypeScript, and REST APIs.
The application assumes that SMS messages are sent in E.164 format. It looks up the user in the database whose phoneNumber field matches the incoming fromNumber received in the Sinch webhook payload. Accurate and consistent use of E.164 is critical for correct user identification.
The guide is designed for Next.js version 14 or later, using the App Router.
Prisma is a modern Object-Relational Mapper (ORM) that simplifies database interactions. It provides a type-safe way to access and manipulate data in your PostgreSQL database, including creating, updating, and querying users and message data.
TypeScript adds static typing to your project, which improves code maintainability, developer experience with enhanced autocompletion and error detection, and helps catch errors early in development. It's recommended to leverage TypeScript in any large-scale Next.js application.
User passwords are securely hashed using bcryptjs before being stored in the database. This ensures that even if the database is compromised, the raw passwords remain protected.
This guide doesn't explicitly cover deployment steps, however common platforms for deploying a Next.js app include Vercel, Netlify, AWS Amplify, or Google Cloud Run. In your chosen production environment, ensure your environment variables are correctly set, and database connections configured.
Build Two-Way SMS with Sinch, Next.js, and NextAuth
Learn how to build a Next.js application that receives and processes inbound SMS messages using Sinch webhooks with NextAuth authentication. This comprehensive tutorial covers webhook security with HMAC-SHA256 verification, E.164 phone number validation, user authentication, and production deployment.
You'll create a secure web application where authenticated users receive SMS messages sent to a dedicated Sinch phone number, automatically linked to their account via their registered phone number.
What you'll build:
Table of Contents
Project Overview and Goals
Your application features:
Why receive inbound SMS with Next.js and Sinch?
Traditional web applications can't directly receive SMS messages from users. This guide shows you how to programmatically receive and process SMS messages through Sinch webhooks, linking them to authenticated user accounts within a modern Next.js framework. Use this foundation for:
Technologies Used:
next-auth@beta(v5.0.0-beta.25), now branded as Auth.js. While feature-complete and widely used, beta versions may contain bugs or breaking changes. For maximum stability in production, consider using the latest stable v4 release or carefully test v5 before deploying. NextAuth v5 requires Next.js 14.0 or higher.)create-next-app).System Architecture:
Prerequisites:
opensslcommand line tool for generating secrets. (Alternatives for Windows include Git Bash, Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL), or online generation tools – use trusted tools for security-sensitive secrets).Final Outcome:
A deployed Next.js application where users can register and login with phone number authentication. Incoming SMS messages sent to the configured Sinch number are securely received, verified via HMAC-SHA256, associated with the correct user based on their registered phone number (using consistent E.164 format), and stored in the PostgreSQL database.
1. Set Up Your Next.js Project
Initialize your Next.js application and install the necessary dependencies for receiving inbound SMS.
1.1 Create Next.js Application
Open your terminal and create a new Next.js project:
Enable TypeScript, ESLint, Tailwind CSS, the
src/directory, and the App Router when prompted. These options create a production-ready project structure with modern Next.js features.1.2 Install Required Dependencies
Install authentication, database, and Sinch-related packages:
Package explanations:
next-auth@beta(v5.0.0-beta.25) – Authentication library, now branded as Auth.js@next-auth/prisma-adapter– Connects NextAuth to your Prisma databaseprismaand@prisma/client– ORM for type-safe database accesspg– PostgreSQL driver required by Prismabcryptjsand@types/bcryptjs– Secure password hashing (10 salt rounds)zod– Runtime validation for credentials, webhooks, and phone numbers@sinch/sdk-core– Optional Sinch SDK for sending replies (not required for receiving)1.3 Initialize Prisma
Set up Prisma in your project:
This creates a
prismadirectory withschema.prismaand a.envfile at your project root.1.4 Configure Environment Variables
Open the
.envfile created by Prisma and add these configuration variables. Never commit this file to version control – it contains sensitive credentials.Security requirements:
AUTH_SECRET– Generate withopenssl rand -base64 32. Never use a weak or hardcoded value. This protects all user sessions.SINCH_WEBHOOK_SECRET– Generate withopenssl rand -base64 32. You create this secret and configure it in both your code and the Sinch dashboard. Sinch uses it to sign webhook requests.DATABASE_URL– Use SSL in production: add?sslmode=requireto your connection string.NEXTAUTH_URL– Must match your deployment URL exactly, including protocol (http:// or https://).1.5 Define Database Schema
Open
prisma/schema.prismaand define your data models. Store phone numbers in E.164 format (+15551234567) for consistent international number handling.Key design decisions:
1.6 Apply Database Migrations
Sync your Prisma schema with your PostgreSQL database:
This command creates all tables, indexes, and constraints defined in your schema. Use
db pushfor rapid development iteration.For production deployments, use Prisma's migration system for version control:
Migrations provide:
1.7 Project Structure Overview
Your
srcdirectory structure:2. Implement User Authentication
Set up NextAuth.js (Auth.js v5) for secure user registration and login with email, password, and phone number validation.
2.1 Create Prisma Client Instance
Create a singleton Prisma client to prevent connection exhaustion in development:
Why use a global variable? Next.js hot-reloading in development creates new module instances on each save. Without the global variable, you'd create dozens of database connections, eventually exhausting your connection pool.
2.2 NextAuth Base Configuration (
auth.config.ts)Define basic configurations like custom pages and the authorization callback used by the middleware.
2.3 NextAuth Main Configuration (
auth.ts)This file includes the provider logic (Credentials), database interactions, and password handling.
2.4 Middleware for Route Protection
Create the middleware file to protect routes based on authentication status using the
authorizedcallback defined inauth.config.ts.2.5 Server Actions for Auth (
actions/auth.ts)Create Server Actions for handling sign-up and login form submissions.
2.6 UI Components (Login and Sign Up Forms)
Create basic form components. Note: These examples assume you have basic
Button,Input, andLabelcomponents. Install shadcn/ui for pre-built components: