Core Concepts

Before you start building with Sent, it's important to understand the fundamental concepts that make up our messaging platform. This section will help you build a mental model of how Sent works and why it's designed the way it is.

Learning Path

Platform Overview

Start here to understand the high-level architecture and how Sent fits into your application stack. Read more →

You'll learn:

The components of Sent's architecture
How messages flow through the system
Key benefits for developers and businesses

Unified Messaging

Understand the philosophy behind intent-based messaging and how it differs from traditional channel-specific approaches. Read more →

You'll learn:

Imperative vs declarative messaging
How the decision engine works
Automatic fallback and retry logic

Channels

Learn about the intelligent abstraction layer that handles SMS, WhatsApp, and future messaging channels. Read more →

You'll learn:

How channel selection works
Progressive enhancement principles
Real-time availability detection

Contacts

Understand how Sent's contact system provides intelligent, channel-agnostic communication endpoints. Read more →

You'll learn:

Contact lifecycle and validation
Routing decision engine
Phone number normalization

Templates

Learn about the foundation of unified messaging and how templates adapt across channels. Read more →

You'll learn:

Template anatomy and components
Dynamic content handling
Content adaptation mechanics

Concept Map

Platform Overview

High-level architecture and system components

Unified Messaging

Intent-based delivery and intelligent routing

Channels

Multi-channel abstraction and progressive enhancement

Contacts

Intelligent communication endpoints

Templates

Channel-agnostic message definitions

Key Principles

1. Intent Over Implementation

Sent focuses on what you want to achieve (send a notification) rather than how (SMS vs WhatsApp). This abstraction allows the platform to optimize delivery without your intervention.

2. Progressive Enhancement

Messages are designed to work on the most constrained channel (SMS) and automatically enhance when richer channels are available.

3. Intelligence Through Data

Every message sent through Sent improves the platform for everyone. Delivery patterns, success rates, and routing decisions continuously optimize.

4. Developer Experience First

Complexity is absorbed by the platform, not pushed to developers. You shouldn't need telecom expertise to send messages reliably.

How These Concepts Work Together

Your Application
       ↓
   [Intent] → "Send order confirmation to customer"
       ↓
[Contact] → Intelligent endpoint with channel info
       ↓
[Template] → Channel-agnostic message definition
       ↓
[Decision Engine] → Optimal channel selection
       ↓
[Channel] → SMS, WhatsApp, etc.
       ↓
   Delivery with automatic fallback

Ready to build? Once you understand these concepts, move on to the Quickstart to send your first message, or dive into the Implementation Guides for detailed how-tos.

Common Questions

Do I need to understand all these concepts before using Sent?

No! You can start sending messages with just the Quickstart. These concepts help you build more effectively and troubleshoot issues.

Which concept should I learn first?

Start with Platform Overview for the big picture, then Unified Messaging to understand the core philosophy.

How do concepts relate to the API?

Concepts map directly to API resources:

Contacts → /v3/contacts
Templates → /v3/templates
Messages → /v3/messages

Platform Overview

Unified Messaging

Channels

Contacts

Templates

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