How to automate virtual number release and cleanup after OTP verification using SMSVerifier API scripts?

You can automate virtual number release and cleanup after OTP verification by using SMSVerifier's API to monitor SMS status and trigger release commands programmatically, optimizing resource usage and costs.

Why automate virtual number release and cleanup?

When you use virtual numbers for SMS OTP verification, each number is typically rented and locked to your session until you explicitly release it or it expires. Manually managing releases can lead to unused numbers lingering, wasted funds, and slower workflows. Automating release and cleanup after verification ensures your rented numbers are freed immediately after use, reducing costs and allowing for seamless reuse.

In addition, automated cleanup scripts can handle edge cases like failed verifications or blocked numbers, maintaining a clean pool of active numbers and avoiding unexpected failures in your verification pipeline.

SMSVerifier API endpoints for release and status checking

The SMSVerifier API provides key endpoints to manage your virtual numbers programmatically:

• getStatus: Checks the status of your rented number, including whether an SMS has arrived, the code received, or if the number is blocked.
• setStatus: Allows you to release the number manually by setting its status to "canceled" or "completed," freeing it for reuse and triggering refunds if applicable.

These endpoints form the basis of your automation logic by letting you monitor OTP delivery and release numbers as soon as verification concludes.

Automating release on OTP receipt or timeout

The core of automation lies in your script logic that waits for the OTP and then releases the number. Here is a typical workflow:

• Step 1 — Rent number via API Use the API to get a virtual number for your target service.
• Step 2 — Submit number on target site Provide the rented number to the service requiring OTP verification.
• Step 3 — Poll for OTP Periodically call 'getStatus' to check if the SMS with OTP has arrived.
• Step 4 — Release number Immediately call 'setStatus' to cancel/release the number once OTP is received or timeout is hit.

Setting a reasonable timeout (e.g., 5-10 minutes) ensures your script doesn't wait indefinitely for an OTP and releases resources promptly.

Handling failed and blocked numbers in automation

Sometimes numbers may become blocked, banned by the target service, or fail to receive SMS at all. Your automated scripts should:

• Detect failure or blocked status via the 'getStatus' response.
• Immediately release such numbers with 'setStatus' to avoid further charges.
• Optionally log or blacklist problematic numbers in your own system to avoid reuse.

By proactively managing these cases, you avoid wasting funds and reduce errors in your OTP verification pipeline.

Example scripts for release and cleanup

SMSVerifier offers API documentation and example code snippets to help you automate number release and cleanup. Below are simplified examples in popular languages illustrating the core logic.

# Poll status
curl "https://smsverifier.com/stubs/handler_api.php?api_key=YOUR_API_KEY&action=getStatus&id=ORDER_ID"

# Release number
curl "https://smsverifier.com/stubs/handler_api.php?api_key=YOUR_API_KEY&action=setStatus&status=8&id=ORDER_ID"

import time
import requests

API_KEY = "YOUR_API_KEY"
ORDER_ID = "ORDER_ID"
BASE_URL = "https://smsverifier.com/stubs/handler_api.php"

def get_status():
    params = {"api_key": API_KEY, "action": "getStatus", "id": ORDER_ID}
    r = requests.get(BASE_URL, params=params)
    return r.text

def release_number():
    params = {"api_key": API_KEY, "action": "setStatus", "status": 8, "id": ORDER_ID}
    r = requests.get(BASE_URL, params=params)
    return r.text

timeout = 600  # seconds
start = time.time()

while True:
    status = get_status()
    if "STATUS_OK" in status:
        print("OTP received:", status)
        release_number()
        print("Number released.")
        break
    if time.time() - start > timeout:
        print("Timeout reached, releasing number.")
        release_number()
        break
    time.sleep(10)

const fetch = require('node-fetch');

const API_KEY = 'YOUR_API_KEY';
const ORDER_ID = 'ORDER_ID';
const BASE_URL = 'https://smsverifier.com/stubs/handler_api.php';

async function getStatus() {
  const url = `${BASE_URL}?api_key=${API_KEY}&action=getStatus&id=${ORDER_ID}`;
  const res = await fetch(url);
  return await res.text();
}

async function releaseNumber() {
  const url = `${BASE_URL}?api_key=${API_KEY}&action=setStatus&status=8&id=${ORDER_ID}`;
  const res = await fetch(url);
  return await res.text();
}

async function waitForOtp() {
  const timeout = 600000; // 10 minutes
  const interval = 10000; // 10 seconds
  const start = Date.now();

  while (true) {
    const status = await getStatus();
    if (status.includes('STATUS_OK')) {
      console.log('OTP received:', status);
      await releaseNumber();
      console.log('Number released.');
      break;
    }
    if (Date.now() - start > timeout) {
      console.log('Timeout reached, releasing number.');
      await releaseNumber();
      break;
    }
    await new Promise(r => setTimeout(r, interval));
  }
}

waitForOtp();

Best practices to optimize automation