This video is a complete step-by-step walkthrough of Vapi's new native SMS integration, a feature that enables real-time communication between your AI voice agent and a user via text message. Presented by Brendan Jawat of Inflate AI, the video explains how this new capability allows for a more "omnichannel" approach to AI agents, combining voice and text for more reliable and accurate data collection.
The video highlights that this integration is a massive time-saver in the development process and is easier to set up than most people think. It demonstrates the agent's ability to:
- Send and receive texts live on a call.
- Process a text-based request from a user to perform an action.
- Switch from voice to text in a single conversation.
The tutorial walks through the entire setup process, including:
- Building the AI Agent: The video shows how to create a basic real estate agent from a blank Vapi template, focusing on the system prompt and its role in guiding the AI.
- Connecting the SMS Tool: A step-by-step guide to creating and configuring Vapi's new "send text" tool and connecting it to a Twilio number.
- Phone Number Setup: Instructions on how to import a Twilio number and an important note that this feature is currently only compatible with Twilio numbers, not Vapi's free numbers.
- Prompting for Success: The video reveals a key best practice for getting the SMS integration to work smoothly: explicitly prompting the AI agent that it has the ability to send and receive text messages.
Key Timestamps:
- 0:00 - Intro to Vapi's SMS Integration & Demo
- 1:37 - Building the Vapi AI Voice Agent
- 3:02 - The Importance of the System Prompt
- 4:09 - Connecting the SMS Function to the Agent
- 8:17 - Creating the Native Send Text Tool
- 10:50 - Adding a Prompt to Enable SMS
- 11:57 - Live Demo: Real-time Voice and Text Conversation
