Twilio Engage Premier Onboarding Guide

Twilio Engage brings Segment, Twilio, SendGrid, and WhatsApp together to help you create and send email, SMS, and WhatsApp campaigns to your customers.

Before sending your first Engage campaign, though, you’ll need to configure and connect accounts with all four platforms.

This guide lists all required onboarding steps and walks you through Engage setup. By the end of the onboarding process, you’ll be ready to send your first campaign.

Before you begin: overview and task checklist

You’ll set up Twilio Engage in four stages:

1. Configure Engage identifiers in Unify.
2. Create and configure a SendGrid account.
3. Create and configure Twilio SMS services.
4. Create and configure Twilio WhatsApp services.

The following table shows a high-level checklist of tasks you’ll need to complete in each platform:

Platform	Tasks
Segment	1. Verify Engage identifiers in your Segment workspace. 2. Add any missing identifiers.
SendGrid	1. Create a SendGrid account. 2. Upgrade your account to a Pro plan. 3. Configure an IP. 4. Create a SendGrid subuser. 5. Authenticate your domain. 6. Enable subscription tracking. 7. Enable an event webhook. 8. Generate API credentials, then copy them into Engage settings. 9. Warm up your IP. 10. Contact SendGrid support.
Twilio	1. Create a Twilio account. 2. Purchase phone number(s). 3. If necessary, register phone number(s). 4. Create a messaging service. 5. Generate an API key, then copy it into the Engage settings. 6. Configure an event webhook.
WhatsApp	1. Register a Twilio number with WhatsApp. 2. Connect your Facebook account. 2. Create the WhatsApp messaging service.

Several onboarding steps require copying and pasting information between Segment and SendGrid or Twilio. To streamline setup, open your Segment workspace in one browser tab and open two others for tasks you’ll carry out in SendGrid and Twilio.

Continue reading for a detailed, step-by-step breakdown of each onboarding stage.

Stage 1: Configure Engage Identifiers in Unify

Through identity resolution, Segment uses the phone and email traits to identify users who can receive your Engage campaigns. To begin using Engage, you’ll need to verify that these identifiers exist in your workspace and add them if they don’t.

Follow these steps to configure the traits:

1. In your Segment workspace, navigate to Unify > Unify settings > Identity resolution.
2. Under the Identity resolution configuration table, verify that phone and email appear under the Identifier column. If so, the Engage identifiers are configured correctly; skip to create and configure a SendGrid account.
3. If either identifier is missing, click the Add identifier button, then click Custom identifiers.
4. In the New Custom Identifier modal, add the first missing trait (phone or email) in the Trait/Property key field, then click Add Identifier.
5. If both traits were missing, repeat Step 4 and add the other missing trait (phone or email). Finish by clicking Add New Identifier.

Your Segment workspace is now configured for Engage. Next, you’ll create a SendGrid account and connect it to Segment.

Stage 2: Create and configure a SendGrid account

SendGrid powers delivery of your Engage email campaigns. During this stage of onboarding, you’ll create and set up a SendGrid Pro account. You’ll then configure SendGrid and Engage to enable both subscription tracking and an event webhook.

Create your SendGrid Pro account

Start by creating a SendGrid account and then upgrading to the SendGrid Pro Plan:

1. Visit the SendGrid website and sign up for an account.
2. Within your SendGrid space, navigate to Settings > Account Details > Your Products.
3. Under the Email API section, select Change Plan.
4. On the Email API Plans page, select a Pro option that fits your anticipated sending needs.
5. Add the Pro option to your cart, and complete checkout.

Create a subuser and check the dedicated IP address

Next, you’ll create a SendGrid subuser and ensure that a dedicated IP has been assigned:

1. In your SendGrid space, navigate to Settings > Subuser Management, then click Create New Subuser.

2. In the Create New Subuser window, create a username for the subuser, then add an email address and password. Your SendGrid subuser username must begin with the prefix twilio_engage_app_. Add a unique identifier to the end of the prefix, for example, twilio_engage_app_someusername.

   

3. In the same window, click the checkbox next to the dedicated IP address you’ll user for the subuser. Segment recommends that you choose an IP address that you’ll only use for Engage.
4. Fill out the remaining fields in the window, then click Create Subuser.
5. Using SendGrid’s documentation, warm up the IP address.

Authenticate your domain

Now, you’ll authenticate your domain with SendGrid and your DNS provider and enable link branding. Domain authentication protects your sending reputation by showing email providers that you’ve given SendGrid permission to send email campaigns for you.

To authenticate your domain, you’ll copy CNAME records given to you by SendGrid and paste them into your DNS provider. Before you begin, verify that you have the necessary permissions to add CNAME records to your DNS. If you’re not sure if you have the right permissions, reach out to your organization’s IT department.

You’ll authenticate your domain using the SendGrid platform and your DNS provider:

1. From your SendGrid parent account, follow SendGrid’s domain authentication guide.
2. During the authentication process, SendGrid asks if you would like to brand links for your domain. Select Yes.
3. SendGrid provides you with five CNAME records. Add them to your DNS host.
4. Return to SendGrid and verify your DNS.

Complete authentication by setting up reverse DNS:

1. From your SendGrid parent account, follow SendGrid’s reverse DNS (rDNS) documentation.
2. SendGrid provides you with one A record. Add it to your DNS host, along with the five CNAME records from the previous steps.
3. Return to SendGrid and verify your DNS.

Enable subscription tracking

You’ll also need to enable subscription tracking, which keeps records of users who unsubscribe from your email campaigns:

1. Within your SendGrid space, navigate to Settings > Tracking.
2. On the Tracking Settings page, click Subscription Tracking in the Settings column.
3. At the end of the Subscription Tracking window, toggle Setting State to enabled. Click Save.

Enable event webhook

You’ll now need to enable event webhooks, which trigger webhook notifications for campaign-related events like clicks and opens:

1. Within your SendGrid subuser space, navigate to Settings > Mail Settings.
2. Click the pencil edit icon next to Event Webhook.
3. On the Event Webhook page, set authorization method to none.
4. Copy and paste the following URL, depending on your region, into the HTTP Post URL field:
   • US: https://engage-ma-webhook-api.engage.segment.com/sendgrid
   • EU:https://engage-ma-webhook-api.euw1.engage.segment.com/sendgrid

   

5. Check Select All under both Deliverability Data and Engagement Data.
6. Toggle the Event Webhook Status to Enabled. Click Save.

Generate an API key

Now, you’ll generate an API key and API Key ID within SendGrid. With your SendGrid account open in one tab, open your Segment workspace open in another. You’ll need both open to copy and paste the API credentials into your Engage settings.

1. Within your SendGrid subuser space, navigate to Settings > API Keys.
2. Click the Create API Key button.
3. In the Create API Key window, name your API key using the prefix twilio_engage_app_, with a suffix of your choice added to the end, like twilio_engage_app_somekey.
4. Under API Key Permissions, select the Full Access radio button, then click Create & View.
5. SendGrid displays your API Key. Click the API key to copy it to your computer’s clipboard, then select Done.
6. SendGrid returns you to the API Keys page; leave this tab open.

To finish linking the API credentials to your Segment account, follow these steps:

1. Switch to the browser tab with your Segment workspace open.
2. Navigate to Engage > Engage settings > Channels. Under Email Service with SendGrid, select the Get Started button.
3. In the Set up and validate your SendGrid account window (shown below), enter the subuser username you previously created into the Subuser Name field.
4. Paste the Subuser API Key you just copied from SendGrid into the Subuser API Key field. Leave this tab open.
5. Return to the tab showing your SendGrid API Keys. Copy the key displayed after API Key ID.
6. Return to the tab with your Segment workspace. Paste the copied API Key ID into the Subuser API Key ID field.
7. Click Verify.

Warm up your IP

To finish configuring your SendGrid account for usage with Twilio Engage, you’ll warm up your IP. Depending on when you created your SendGrid account, you’ll either warm up your IP manually or use SendGrid’s automated IP warmup process.

As a best practice, only warm up your IP when you’re ready to begin sending campaigns.

Manual IP warmup

If your SendGrid account is new, you’ll need to warm up your IP manually. For details on the manual warmup process, view SendGrid’s manual IP warmup documentation.

Automated IP warmup

If you’ve already warmed up an IP with your SendGrid account in the past, you can enable automated IP warmup by following these steps:

1. Within your SendGrid space, navigate to Settings > IP Addresses.
2. On the Dedicated IP Addresses page, click the pencil edit button next to your Engage IP address.
3. Under Additional options, check Use Automated IP warmup and Allow my subusers to send mail using this IP address. Click Save.

Your SendGrid account is now fully configured and ready to use with Engage. You’re ready to move to Stage 3 and configure Twilio SMS.

Stage 3: Create and configure Twilio SMS services

To add the ability to send SMS campaigns in Engage, you’ll now create a Twilio account, generate an API key, set up a phone number and messaging service, and configure event webhooks.

Create a Twilio account and generate an API key

Start by creating your Twilio account and getting an API key for Engage:

1. Visit the Twilio website and sign up for a paid account. Trial accounts generate sending errors.
2. In your Twilio console, select the Account dropdown menu, then API keys & tokens.
3. On the Auth tokens & API keys page, click Create API key.
4. Enter a name for the API key in the Friendly name field.
5. Set the region to United States (US1) - Default and key type to Main.
6. Click Create API Key.

7. Copy and save both the SID and Secret field contents.

   

8. Return to the API keys & tokens page. In the Live credentials section, copy the Account SID credentials.

   

9. Switch to the browser tab with your Segment workspace.
10. Navigate to Engage > Engage settings > Channels. Under SMS Service with Twilio, click the Get Started button. The Set up and validate your Twilio account page appears.
11. Under Enter your Twilio API Key information (shown below), paste the Account SID, API Key SID, and API Key Secret you copied above into their corresponding fields.
12. Click Verify, then click Save Twilio Account.

Set up a Twilio Messaging Service

Once you’ve identified the type of phone number you’ll use with Twilio Engage, follow these steps to create a Twilio Messaging Service:

1. Purchase a phone number within your Twilio Console. If necessary, register the number.
2. In the Twilio Console side menu, navigate to Messaging > Services.
3. On the Messaging Services page, click Create Messaging Service.
4. Enter a name for your Messaging Service.
5. Under the Messaging use dropdown, select Market my services.
6. From the Sender Pool tab, click Add Senders, then select the phone number you purchased in Step 1. Click Step 3: Set up Integration. Leave this tab open.

To finish setting up your Messaging Service, you’ll now configure an event webhook:

1. Switch to the browser tab or window with your Engage workspace.
2. Navigate to Engage > Engage settings > Channels. Under SMS Service with Twilio, click the Get Started button.

3. The Set up and validate your Twilio account overlay appears (pictured below). Click the Copy webhook URL button. Your computer copies the URL to your clipboard.

   

4. Return to the Twilio Messaging Service setup tab. On the Integration page, select the Send a webhook radio button.

5. Paste the URL you copied in Step 3 into the Request URL field (pictured below).

   

6. Verify that the dropdown next to the Request URL field is set to HTTP Post.
7. (If applicable:) Click Step 4: Add compliance info. Finish compliance setup, then click Complete Messaging Service Setup.

Stage 4: Create and configure Twilio WhatsApp services

To send WhatsApp messages in Twilio Engage, you’ll register a Twilio number with WhatsApp, connect your Facebook account, and create a WhatsApp messaging service.

Register a Twilio number with WhatsApp

1. Purchase an SMS-capable phone number within your Twilio Console.
   • For international numbers, view Twilio’s Phone Number Regulations guidelines.
2. From the Twilio side menu, navigate to Messaging > Senders > WhatsApp Senders.
3. Select Create new sender.
4. From the New Sender builder, find Twilio phone number, then choose the phone number you purchased in Step 1. Select Continue.
5. Select Continue with Facebook. A Facebook popup window appears; leave it and the Twilio console open.

Connect your Facebook account

In the Facebook popup from the previous section, carry out these steps:

1. Follow Facebook’s instructions to log in to your Facebook account.
2. When you reach the Fill in your business information page, choose your WhatsApp Business Account or create a new account. Select Next.
3. Create a new WhatsApp Business Profile that follows Meta’s display name guidelines. Fill out all fields, then select Next.
4. In your Twilio console, copy the number shown in the Number to register with WhatsApp field. Paste it into the Phone number field on the Facebook Add a phone number for WhatsApp page, then select Next.
5. Facebook prompts you to verify your phone number. Select the Text message radio button, then select Next.
6. In your Twilio console, copy the code in the Verify via text messages section, then enter it into the Facebook Verification code field. Select Next.
7. Facebook displays You're now ready to chat with people on WhatsApp. Click Finish to close the window.

Create the WhatsApp messaging service

You’ll now create a messaging service to connect your number to Engage:

1. In the Twilio Console side menu, navigate to Messaging > Services.
2. On the Messaging Services page, click Create Messaging Service.
3. Enter a name for your Messaging Service. You must include the word WhatsApp in the messaging service name, for example, My New Service WhatsApp.
4. Under the Messaging use dropdown, select Market my services, then select Create messaging service.
5. From the Sender Pool tab, click Add Senders > Add WhatsApp Numbers > Confirm.
6. Twilio confirms that the WhatsApp number has been assigned to the service.

Your WhatsApp messaging service is now created.

Regional Segment

You can use Engage Premier on Segment’s regional infrastructure in the EU. Twilio Engage ensures data residency in the EU, but the channels you connect to, may not guarantee the same level of data residency. Check directly with the providers of the channels you use for information about data residency in their applications. Native channels like email and SMS, which use Twilio, are not data resident.

Twilio is GDPR compliant, and has Binding Corporate Rules to ensure that data is protected when it’s transferred between countries.

Next steps

With configured accounts and services for all platforms, you’ve completed Engage onboarding and are ready to create and send campaigns to your users.

Not sure where to start? Read the Engage documentation on sending email campaigns, SMS campaigns, and WhatsApp campaigns. To save time when generating Engage campaigns, check out the Engage guides on creating SMS templates, email templates, and WhatsApp templates.

If you’re planning to import contacts to Engage, learn how to update your audiences with a CSV file.