Testing SMS verification in the Sandbox: the code comes back in the response

The short answer: with a sandbox_ key, the verification API does everything except send: it checks the data, creates the code and returns it in the code field of the response. No SMS goes out and no credits are used. That lets you test your system's checks, errors, expiry and resends without a phone in your hand. When everything works, swap the key for a prod_ one: the address and the requests stay the same.

Before you start

1	Activate SMS on the SMS page in My MozOut, if you have not yet. The verification API needs the SMS service to be active.

2	Create a Sandbox key on the API page in My MozOut, with sms:write (send and check) and, if you want to read statuses and rules, sms:read. The key is shown only once.

3	Make the first send and find the code in the response.

curl https://api.mozout.com/v1/sms/otp \
-H "Authorization: Bearer sandbox_..." \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-H "Idempotency-Key: signup-7f3a9c" \
-d '{"number": "841234567"}'

The response includes "simulated": true, "mode": "sandbox" and the code, plus the X-API-Simulated: true header. Now check it:

curl https://api.mozout.com/v1/sms/otp/otp_3f9a1c.../verify \
-H "Authorization: Bearer sandbox_..." \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{"code": "482913"}'

Tests worth running

Test	How	What you should see
Right code	Send the code from the response	valid: true, status verified
Wrong code	Send other digits	valid: false and attempts_left going down
Attempts used up	Keep getting it wrong, with a low max_attempts	Status failed; the right code no longer works
Expired code	Send with expires_in set to 1 and wait a minute	valid: false, status expired
Resend	POST /v1/sms/otp/{id}/resend	A new code in the response; the old one stops working
Replaced code	Request two codes in a row for the same number	The first becomes cancelled
Double click	Repeat the send with the same Idempotency-Key	The same response, no new code

Never pass the code to the browser, not even in the Sandbox. Read it in your server logs or your test program. A code that travels to the page “just for testing” ends up forgotten in Production, and then anyone can confirm any number. In Production the code field simply is not there.

Moving to Production without surprises

Create a prod_ key with the same permissions and swap it on the server. To make sure a program never runs with the wrong key, send the X-API-Mode header with sandbox or production: if it does not match the key's mode, the request is refused with invalid_request and the reason mode_mismatch. Send and check each code with the same key.

Rather try it without writing code? Every operation in the API documentation has a Playground button: pick the operation, paste the Sandbox key and see the response in your browser. The key stays only in the page's memory.

Want to try SMS verification without using credits? Create your Sandbox key.

See the API page

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