Glossary

Definitions of key terms and concepts used throughout the Sent platform and documentation.

A

API Key

Authentication token used to access Sent's API endpoints. Two types exist:

• Admin API Key: Provides access to all customer data through the x-api-key header
• Customer API Key: Scoped access requiring both x-api-key and x-sender-id headers

Authentication Message

WhatsApp message category for OTP codes, verification messages, and login confirmations. Usually has the lowest cost per message.

Available Channels

Comma-separated list of messaging channels (e.g., "sms,whatsapp") that can reach a specific contact based on their phone number validation.

B

Balance

Customer account credit amount used for message payments. Tracked via CustomerBalance with detailed transaction history.

Business Account

WhatsApp Business Account (WABA) identifier required for WhatsApp messaging integration.

C

Channel

Communication method used to deliver messages:

• SMS: Traditional text messaging via Telnyx
• WhatsApp: Business messaging via Meta's WhatsApp Business API

Channel Provider

Service integration handling specific messaging channels (e.g., WhatsappChannelProvider, SmsProvider).

Contact

A phone number recipient in your messaging system, including validation data, available channels, and formatting information.

Contact ID

Unique UUID identifier for a contact within a customer's account.

Customer

Primary entity representing a business account in the Sent platform. Contains messaging configuration, API keys, and channel settings.

Customer ID

Unique UUID identifier for a customer account.

D

Default Channel

Preferred messaging channel for a contact, determined by phone number validation and regional settings.

Delivery Status

Message state indicating current status: PENDING, SENT, DELIVERED, or FAILED.

E

E.164 Format

International phone number standard (e.g., +1234567890) used as the canonical format throughout the platform.

Endpoint

API route handling specific operations (e.g., /v2/contacts/id, /v2/messages/phone).

F

FastEndpoints

.NET framework used for building API endpoints with built-in validation and documentation.

Formatting

Phone number representations in various formats:

• E.164: +1234567890 (canonical)
• International: +1 234-567-890 (human-readable)
• National: (234) 567-890 (country-specific)
• RFC 3966: tel:+1-234-567-890 (URI format)

I

InstantiatedPhones

Phone numbers available in the system for customer assignment, managed for SMS messaging.

K

KYC (Know Your Customer)

Compliance data including business information, contact details, and use case descriptions required for messaging services.

M

Marketing Message

WhatsApp message category for promotional content and campaigns. Typically has higher cost per message and requires opt-in.

Message Activity

Event tracking for message processing including channel selection, sending status, and delivery confirmation.

Message Body

Final rendered content of a message after template variable substitution.

Message Template

Pre-approved message format for WhatsApp or reusable content for SMS, supporting variable substitution.

Messaging Profile

Telnyx configuration for SMS messaging, containing webhook URLs and delivery settings.

P

Pagination

Result set structure with items, totalCount, page, pageSize, and totalPages for handling large data sets.

Phone Number Validation

Process determining if a phone number is valid, possible, and identifying its type (mobile, fixed-line, etc.).

Pricing

Cost structure for messages varying by channel, region, and message category (especially for WhatsApp).

R

Region Code

ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 country code (e.g., "US", "CA") used for pricing and channel availability.

Repository Pattern

Data access layer using Dapper for database operations with async/await patterns.

S

Sender ID

Customer identifier used in conjunction with API keys for request authentication and data scoping.

SMS

Short Message Service - traditional text messaging delivered via Telnyx integration.

System User Access Token

Long-lived WhatsApp API authentication token for business messaging operations.

T

Template

Pre-defined message format supporting variable substitution:

• WhatsApp Template: Must be approved by Meta before use
• SMS Template: Can be used immediately without approval

Template Category

Classification for WhatsApp templates:

• AUTHENTICATION: OTP and verification messages
• MARKETING: Promotional content requiring opt-in
• UTILITY: Transactional messages and confirmations

Template Status

WhatsApp template approval state: PENDING, APPROVED, or REJECTED.

Telnyx

Third-party service provider for SMS messaging and phone number management.

Transaction

Financial record tracking balance changes from message costs, payments, or refunds.

U

Unified Messaging Intelligence

Sent's system for automatically selecting the optimal messaging channel based on contact validation, availability, and cost.

UUID (Universally Unique Identifier)

128-bit identifier format used for all entity IDs throughout the platform.

Utility Message

WhatsApp message category for transactional content like order confirmations and delivery notifications.

V

Validation

Process of verifying phone number format, reachability, and available messaging channels.

Variable Substitution

Process of replacing placeholder values (e.g., {{1}}, {{name}}) in message templates with actual content.

W

Webhook

HTTP callback URL for receiving real-time message status updates and delivery confirmations.

WhatsApp Business API

Meta's business messaging platform integrated for professional messaging capabilities.

WhatsApp Template

Pre-approved message format required by Meta for business messaging, supporting rich media and interactive elements.

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