# Prepare your sender strategy

During the "Prepare your sender strategy" milestone of the Programmable Messaging API onboarding guide, you will:

* Create and configure the parent Twilio account that owns all sub-accounts and messaging resources.
* Select the sender type (for example, A2P 10DLC, Toll-Free number, short code, or alphanumeric Sender ID) that fits your use case, geography, and feature requirements.
* Start any mandatory verification or regulatory registration for the selected sender.

Choosing an unsuitable sender can delay launches and create avoidable costs, so follow the recommendations in this guide.

Who are your stakeholders at this stage?

* **Business team**: Ensure that your initial decisions on sender types align with your organization's long-term goals for marketing and growth.
* **Finance team**: Proactively agree on the expected upfront and monthly costs associated with your chosen sender types to avoid billing-related setbacks in the future.

> \[!NOTE]
>
> The steps appear in a logical sequence, but you can complete many of them in parallel.

Each action in this guide is labeled **required**, **recommended**, or **optional**.

## Step 1: Create and configure your account

Configure the parent account before provisioning senders. Complete the following tasks in the Twilio Console or referenced documentation:

1. [Create an account](https://www.twilio.com/try-twilio) (**required**).
2. [Turn on two-factor authentication](https://help.twilio.com/hc/en-us/articles/223136307-Enable-Two-Factor-Authentication-on-your-Twilio-Account) (**required for paid accounts**). You can enforce 2FA at every login or every 30 days; decide with your security team.
3. [Add users](https://help.twilio.com/hc/en-us/articles/223135847-Add-Remove-or-Modify-Users-with-Your-Twilio-Account) (**optional**). Assign the minimum necessary [roles](https://help.twilio.com/hc/en-us/articles/223136227-What-s-the-Difference-Between-User-Roles-Owner-Administrator-Developer-Billing-Manager-and-Support-) and configure [notification preferences](https://help.twilio.com/hc/en-us/articles/8129113686171-How-to-Manage-Your-Own-Notification-Preferences-on-Twilio) for each user.
4. [Create API keys](/docs/glossary/what-is-an-api-key) (**recommended**). Use API keys instead of the primary Account SID and Auth Token to authenticate requests.

Your account is now ready to scale.

## Step 2: Choose and begin to provision your sender

The sender (sometimes called the "from" number) determines throughput, available features, and regulatory obligations. Answer these questions to narrow the options:

1. **What is your [use case](https://www.twilio.com/messaging/programmable-messaging-api)?** Throughput and feature needs depend on whether you send one-time passwords, notifications, marketing messages, or two-way conversational traffic.
2. **Where are your recipients located?** Geography defines regulatory requirements and available sender options.
3. **What behavior do you expect?** Decide whether you need one-way, two-way, or high-volume messaging features.

Select the path that matches your primary sending region.

### Sending to North America

1. [Set Geo Permissions](https://console.twilio.com/us1/develop/sms/settings/geo-permissions?frameUrl=%2Fconsole%2Fsms%2Fsettings%2Fgeo-permissions%3Fx-target-region%3Dus1) (**required**)
2. [Evaluate sender types](https://help.twilio.com/hc/en-us/articles/360038173654-What-are-the-differences-between-long-codes-A2P-10DLC-short-codes-and-Toll-Free-numbers-for-messaging-to-US-Canada-) (**required**)
3. [Provision the selected sender](https://help.twilio.com/hc/en-us/articles/360038173654-What-are-the-differences-between-long-codes-A2P-10DLC-short-codes-and-Toll-Free-numbers-for-messaging-to-US-Canada-) (**required**)
4. [Port existing numbers](https://help.twilio.com/hc/en-us/articles/223179348-Porting-a-Phone-Number-to-Twilio) (**optional**)

North American senders require verification or registration:

* **A2P 10DLC**: Register both your Brand and Campaign in Twilio Trust Hub. See [How to register for A2P 10DLC](https://help.twilio.com/hc/en-us/articles/1260800720410-What-is-A2P-10DLC-#h_01EX7FVW9HN00SZ0JGBPV7Q2KK).
* **Toll-Free numbers**: Complete Toll-Free verification in Trust Hub before sending. See [How to verify a Toll-Free number](https://help.twilio.com/hc/en-us/articles/5377174717595-Toll-Free-Message-Verification-for-US-Canada).
* **Short codes**: Submit a short-code application; approval typically takes 8–10 weeks. See [Starting a Short Code Application](https://help.twilio.com/hc/en-us/articles/223182028-Starting-a-Short-Code-Application).

### Sending to countries outside North America

If SMS is restricted or heavily regulated in a target country, consider [WhatsApp](/docs/whatsapp) as an alternative.

1. [Review country-specific SMS guidelines](https://www.twilio.com/en-us/guidelines/sms) (**required**)
2. [Check international number capabilities](https://help.twilio.com/hc/en-us/articles/223183068-Twilio-international-phone-number-availability-and-their-capabilities) (**recommended**)
3. [Assess alphanumeric Sender ID](https://help.twilio.com/hc/en-us/articles/223181348-Alphanumeric-Sender-ID-for-Twilio-Programmable-SMS) (**recommended**)
4. [Set Geo Permissions](https://console.twilio.com/us1/develop/sms/settings/geo-permissions?frameUrl=%2Fconsole%2Fsms%2Fsettings%2Fgeo-permissions%3Fx-target-region%3Dus1) (**required**)
5. [Identify required regulatory documents](https://www.twilio.com/en-us/guidelines/regulatory) (**required**)
6. [Submit regulatory bundles](/docs/phone-numbers/regulatory/getting-started/console-create-new-bundle) (**required**)

You can also [port an international number](https://help.twilio.com/hc/en-us/articles/115000781088-International-Porting-Process) if that better serves your use case.

[Next: Build your account](/docs/messaging/onboarding/build-your-account)