# Quickstart: Send Your First Message

This guide walks you through sending your first message with the SendSeven API. You'll be up and running in under 5 minutes.

## Prerequisites

- A [SendSeven account](https://app.sendseven.com) (free trial includes 100 messages)
- At least one channel connected (WhatsApp, Telegram, etc.)

## Step 1: Create an API token

1. Log in to [SendSeven](https://app.sendseven.com)
2. Go to **[Settings > API Tokens](https://app.sendseven.com/settings/api-tokens)**
3. Click **Create Token**
4. Name it (e.g., "My First Integration")
5. Select scopes: `messages:create`, `conversations:read`, `contacts:read`
6. Click **Create** and copy the token

:::warning
The token is only shown once. Copy it immediately and store it securely.
:::

## Step 2: Set up your credentials

Save the token as an environment variable:

```bash
export SENDSEVEN_TOKEN="s7_api_your_token_here"
```

:::info
API tokens have your tenant embedded - no separate Tenant ID is needed.
:::

## Step 3: List your conversations

Verify your credentials by listing conversations:

```bash
curl -s "https://api.sendseven.com/api/v1/conversations?page_size=5" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $SENDSEVEN_TOKEN" | python3 -m json.tool
```

You should see a JSON response with your conversations.

## Step 4: Send a message

Pick a `conversation_id` from the response above and send a message:

```bash
curl -X POST "https://api.sendseven.com/api/v1/messages" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $SENDSEVEN_TOKEN" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "conversation_id": "PASTE_CONVERSATION_ID_HERE",
    "text": "Hello from the API!",
    "message_type": "text"
  }'
```

### Response

```json
{
  "id": "msg_abc123",
  "conversation_id": "conv_xyz789",
  "direction": "outbound",
  "text": "Hello from the API!",
  "message_type": "text",
  "status": "queued",
  "created_at": "2026-02-10T15:00:00Z"
}
```

The message status starts as `queued` and progresses to `sent` > `delivered` > `read`.

## Step 5: Send to a contact directly

You can also message a contact without knowing the conversation ID. Pass the `contact_id` and `channel_id` in the request body:

```bash
curl -X POST "https://api.sendseven.com/api/v1/messages" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $SENDSEVEN_TOKEN" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "contact_id": "CONTACT_ID",
    "channel_id": "CHANNEL_ID",
    "text": "Your order has shipped!",
    "message_type": "text"
  }'
```

SendSeven will automatically find or create a conversation for this contact on the specified channel.

## What's next?

Now that you've sent your first message, explore these guides:

- [**Authentication**](authentication) - Scopes, OAuth2 apps, and token management
- [**Send Media Messages**](../guides/messaging/send-media-message) - Send images, documents, and videos
- [**Interactive Messages**](../guides/messaging/interactive-messages) - Buttons and list menus
- [**Webhooks**](../guides/webhooks/setup) - Receive real-time notifications when messages arrive
- [**WhatsApp Templates**](../guides/whatsapp/templates) - Required for initiating WhatsApp conversations

---

Source: https://docs.sendseven.com/getting-started/quickstart