---
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title: Transactional Messaging API Quick Start
collection: developer
version: current
locale: en-us
portal_url: https://docs.salesforce.com/developer/current/en-us/marketing-cloud/guides/mc-apis/transactional-messaging-get-started.md
canonical_url: https://developer.salesforce.com/docs/marketing/marketing-cloud/guide/transactional-messaging-get-started.html
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content_type: documentation
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  - Marketing Cloud Engagement APIs and Programmatic Languages
  - Marketing Cloud
---
# Transactional Messaging API Quick Start

- For transactional emails:

  - In Content Builder, [create the email message content to send](https://help.salesforce.com/articleView?id=mktg.mc_ceb_create_emails.htm).
  - In Email Studio, [apply the recipient details to all subscribers](https://help.salesforce.com/articleView?id=mktg.mc_es_all_subscribers_list.htm).

- For transactional SMS:

  - In MobileConnect, [set up a keyword for your transactional short code](https://help.salesforce.com/articleView?id=mktg.mc_moc_create_a_new_keyword.htm).

- In Installed Packages, [create an API integration](https://developer.salesforce.com/docs/marketing/marketing-cloud/mc-app-development/api-integration.md) to get a client ID and client secret. Use these email permissions settings for the API integration: write, read, and send. Use these SMS permissions settings for the API integration: write, read, and send.

Never hard code client IDs or secrets in client side applications.

**tip:** To save the attributes sent in the API request, [create a triggered send data extension](https://help.salesforce.com/articleView?id=mktg.mc_co_create_triggered_send_data_extension.htm) in Email Studio.

## Send a Transactional Email Message

1. Obtain access credentials. You can create [server-to-server integrations](https://developer.salesforce.com/docs/marketing/marketing-cloud/mc-app-development/integration-s2s-client-credentials.md) and [integrations with web and public apps](https://developer.salesforce.com/docs/marketing/marketing-cloud/mc-app-development/integration-app-auth-code.md). To authenticate all your API requests, use an access token. You can reuse the access token for multiple requests before it expires.
2. [Set up a transactional email send definition](/docs/marketing/marketing-cloud/references/mc_rest_transactional_messaging_email?meta=Create%2Bemail%2Bsend%2Bdefinition). The send definition contains the message template and delivery configuration. Each request to send a transactional email message must include a reference to a send definition.
3. [Send transactional email messages](/docs/marketing/marketing-cloud/references/mc_rest_transactional_messaging_email?meta=Send%2Bemail%2Bmessage%2Bto%2Ba%2Bsingle%2Brecipient) to one or more recipients.
4. [Create an optional subscription](https://developer.salesforce.com/docs/marketing/marketing-cloud/guide/ens-get-started.md). A subscription uses a webhook to send you message analytics in real-time. Analytics data includes information about sends and bounces.

## Send a Transactional SMS Message

1. Obtain access credentials. You can create [server-to-server integrations](https://developer.salesforce.com/docs/marketing/marketing-cloud/mc-app-development/integration-s2s-client-credentials.md) or [integrations with web and public apps](https://developer.salesforce.com/docs/marketing/marketing-cloud/mc-app-development/integration-app-auth-code.md). To authenticate all your API requests, use an access token. You can reuse the access token for multiple requests before it expires.
2. [Set up a transactional SMS send definition](https://developer.salesforce.com/docs/marketing/marketing-cloud/guide/createSMSSendDefinition.md). The send definition contains the message template and delivery configuration. Set up a definition for each messaging use case. For example, create one send definition for two-factor authentication messages and a separate one for order confirmations. Each request to send a transactional SMS message must include a reference to a send definition.
3. [Send transactional SMS messages](https://developer.salesforce.com/docs/marketing/marketing-cloud/guide/sendSMSMessageSingleRecipient.md) to one or more recipients.
4. [Create an optional subscription.](https://developer.salesforce.com/docs/marketing/marketing-cloud/guide/ens-get-started.md) A subscription uses a webhook to send you message analytics in real time. Analytics data includes information about which messages were sent or not sent.