5-minute quickstartHow to start sending messages with Rule
Rule is a privately held communications platform based in Stockholm, Sweden (EU). This guide takes you from zero to a delivered SMSin about five minutes — no sales call required.
- A Rule account — sign up here.
- Your API credentials from the dashboard.
- A phone number capable of receiving SMSs for testing.
Step 1 — Create your account
- Sign up. Head to www.rule.io and create an account. Onboarding is self-service, so you can start immediately.
- Grab your keys. Open the dashboard and copy your credentials. Rule uses API key sent as a Bearer token in the Authorization header (also accepted as an apikey query parameter or request-body field).
Step 2 — Send your first SMS
The fastest path is a single API call. Drop in your credentials and a destination number, then run this from your terminal:
curl -X POST "https://app.rule.io/api/v2/transactionals" \
-H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR-API-KEY" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{
"transaction_type": "text_message",
"sendout_type": "transactional",
"from": {"name": "Rule"},
"to": {"phone_number": "+46123456789"},
"content": "Hello, world!"
}'The request hits https://app.rule.io/api/v2. A 2xx response means Rulehas accepted your message for delivery — you should see it arrive within seconds.
Step 3 — Go native with an SDK
Once the raw call works, switch to an official SDK for retries, typing and error handling.Rule ships SDKs for Node.js, PHP, and Node.js is a great place to start.Full reference lives in the Rule documentation.
What's next
- Add more channels. Rule also supports RCS, Email — reuse the same account and credentials.
- Mind compliance. Rule is GDPR aligned, with EU and no US data residency options.
- Compare before you commit. See how Rule stacks up on the provider table or in a head-to-head comparison.
Values in this guide come from Rule's public documentation. Always check the official docs for the latest details.