Package Information
Available Nodes
Documentation generating…
Documentation
n8n-nodes-smstunnel
An n8n community node for SMSTunnel — send SMS through your own Android phone, using your own SIM card.
Instead of paying per message to an SMS provider, SMSTunnel relays messages through a phone you already own. Useful when you want predictable costs, or when the message content should not pass through a third-party gateway.
Installation
Community Nodes (recommended)
- In n8n, go to Settings → Community Nodes.
- Select Install.
- Enter
n8n-nodes-smstunnel. - Agree to the risks of using community nodes and select Install.
Manual installation
# in your n8n installation directory
npm install n8n-nodes-smstunnel
For Docker-based deployments, add the package to your custom image or mount it into ~/.n8n/custom.
Credentials
You need an SMSTunnel API key:
- Pair your Android phone with SMSTunnel (scan the QR code in the app).
- In your SMSTunnel dashboard, create an API key.
- Give it the
sms:sendpermission (addsms:readif you want to read statuses or received messages).
In n8n, create new SMSTunnel API credentials:
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| API Key | The key you generated. Sent as the X-API-Key header. |
| Base URL | https://smstunnel.io by default. Change it only for a self-hosted instance. |
Use Test to verify the credentials before saving.
Operations
Message
| Operation | Description |
|---|---|
| Send | Send an SMS to one recipient. |
| Send Bulk | Send the same message to up to 100 recipients in one request. |
| Send 2FA Code | Send a one-time code. Uses the separate 2FA quota. |
| Get Status | Look up the delivery status of a message by its ID. |
| Get Received | List SMS messages received by the paired device. |
Account
| Operation | Description |
|---|---|
| Get Usage | Current quota and consumption. |
Device
| Operation | Description |
|---|---|
| Get Many | List the devices paired with the account. |
Additional fields
- Default Country Code — e.g.
+40. Prepended to numbers that don't already start with+or00, so you can pass local numbers. - Device ID — send through one specific phone. Leave empty to let the server pick.
Notes and limits
- Rate limit: the send endpoints allow 30 requests per minute per account. For larger volumes use Send Bulk rather than looping Send.
- Bulk size: maximum 100 recipients per request. The node fails fast with a clear message if you pass more, so split them into batches.
- Message length: up to 1600 characters (10 concatenated SMS). 2FA messages are limited to 320 characters.
- 2FA validation: the server checks that the message actually contains a verification code pattern and rejects it otherwise. Include the code in the text, e.g.
Your code is 12-345678. - Errors: enable Continue On Fail on the node if you want failed items to produce an
errorfield instead of stopping the workflow.
Example: alert when a workflow fails
Add an Error Trigger node.
Add this SMSTunnel node, resource Message, operation Send.
Set To to your number and Message to something like:
Workflow {{$json["workflow"]["name"]}} failed: {{$json["execution"]["error"]["message"]}}
Because the message leaves from your own phone, this keeps working even when the destination has no internet connection.
Responsible use
SMSTunnel is designed for low-volume, transactional messaging — appointment reminders, alerts, verification codes, order updates. Sending unsolicited bulk marketing from a consumer SIM generally violates mobile carrier terms of service. Please make sure your usage complies with your carrier's terms and with local regulations (in the EU, that includes GDPR and ePrivacy rules on electronic communications).