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Getting Started with Blocx

Welcome to Blocx — a unified API for SMS, email, and 2FA. This article walks you through the essentials so you can send your first message within the hour. Each step links to the page in the dashboard where it happens.

1. Create your account

Sign up at app.otterblocx.com/auth/register with your work email and a strong password. We'll email you a verification link — click it within 24 hours to activate the account.

After verifying your email, you'll be asked to confirm your phone number with a one-time code at auth/verify-phone. This number protects your account and is used for sensitive operations like card changes and team-role escalations.

If you already have an account, sign in at app.otterblocx.com/auth/login.

2. Set up your organization

Once your identity is verified, you'll land on auth/setup-org where you'll choose your organization name — this is what your team and invoices will display.

You can rename later from Settings → General. For a deeper walkthrough, see Setting Up Your Organization.

3. Invite your team

Open Team and click Invite member. Each invite is scoped to a role, so you can grant access without sharing credentials. See Inviting Team Members for a full breakdown of roles, permission sets, and best practices.

4. Choose a plan

Before sending traffic, pick a plan at Billing → Plans or visit the dedicated Choose Plan page. You can change plans at any time. If you're not sure which to pick, see Choosing the Right Plan.

5. Add a payment method

Open Billing → Payment Methods and click Add card. You'll need a saved card before purchasing numbers, registering brands, or topping up your balance. The full walkthrough lives in Adding a Payment Method.

6. Pick a channel and follow its quick-start

SMS

  1. Register a brand at Brand Registry → New.
  2. Create a 10DLC campaign at Campaigns → New.
  3. Buy a phone number at Numbers → Buy.
  4. Create a messaging profile at Messaging Profiles and assign your number.
  5. Send your first SMS.

Email

  1. Verify a sending domain at Email → Domains → New.
  2. Send via the API once DKIM/SPF/MAIL FROM records are green.
  3. Optionally set up inbound mailboxes at Email → Mailboxes.

2FA

  1. Create a 2FA template at 2FA → Templates.
  2. Call POST /twofa/verifications to deliver a passcode and POST /twofa/verifications/{id}/check to confirm it.

7. Get an API key

Head to API Keys and create a key for each environment (e.g., production-backend, staging). You'll get an access key ID and a secret access key — the secret is shown only once. Store both in your secret manager. See Managing API Keys.

8. Install the SDK

npm install @otterlabs/blocx

import { createBlocxClient, Messaging } from '@otterlabs/blocx'

const { client } = createBlocxClient({
  accessKeyId:     process.env.BLOCX_ACCESS_KEY_ID!,
  secretAccessKey: process.env.BLOCX_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY!,
})

await Messaging.sendMessage({
  client,
  body: {
    from: '+15551234567',
    to:   '+15557654321',
    body: 'Hello from Blocx!',
    type: 'SMS',
  },
})

Full API reference: api.otterblocx.com/docs. Package on npm: @otterlabs/blocx.

9. Wire up webhooks (optional but recommended)

You'll want to know when messages are delivered, emails bounce, or you receive inbound traffic. Configure endpoints at Developer → Webhooks — see Configuring Webhooks.

10. Turn on 2FA for your own account

Before going to production, enable two-factor authentication at Profile → Security. It takes 30 seconds and dramatically reduces the risk of account compromise. See Two-Factor Authentication.

What's next

Need help?

Use the in-app help button on any page, browse the rest of this help center, or contact support from inside the dashboard.