> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://torpedo.co.mz/docs/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Start a verification > Sends a one-time code to a phone number over WhatsApp (default) or SMS and returns a verification. Returns `202 Accepted`; the code is sent in the background. A number can only have one pending verification at a time. Sends are charged from the workspace's WhatsApp balance (or SMS credits for SMS). ## OpenAPI ````yaml /openapi.yaml post /api/v1/verify openapi: 3.0.3 info: title: Torpedo API version: '1.0' description: | Torpedo is a transactional messaging API built for developers. Send emails from your own verified domain, SMS to Mozambican numbers, and WhatsApp verification codes with a single HTTP call. contact: email: hello@torpedo.co.mz license: name: Torpedo API Terms of Service url: https://torpedo.co.mz/terms termsOfService: https://torpedo.co.mz/terms servers: - url: https://api.torpedo.co.mz description: Production security: - ApiKeyAuth: [] paths: /api/v1/verify: post: tags: - Verify summary: Start a verification description: > Sends a one-time code to a phone number over WhatsApp (default) or SMS and returns a verification. Returns `202 Accepted`; the code is sent in the background. A number can only have one pending verification at a time. Sends are charged from the workspace's WhatsApp balance (or SMS credits for SMS). operationId: startVerification parameters: - $ref: '#/components/parameters/IdempotencyKey' requestBody: required: true content: application/json: schema: type: object required: - to properties: to: type: string pattern: ^\+[1-9]\d{7,14}$ description: Recipient phone number in E.164 format example: '+258841234567' channel: type: string enum: - whatsapp - sms default: whatsapp description: SMS only works for Mozambican mobile numbers. fallback: type: string enum: - sms nullable: true description: >- Send the code by SMS if WhatsApp fails. Defaults to the workspace setting. locale: type: string enum: - pt - en description: Template language. Defaults to the workspace setting. code: type: string pattern: ^(?=.*\d)[A-Za-z0-9]{4,10}$ description: >- Your own code. Omit it to let Torpedo generate one. Can't be combined with codeLength. codeLength: type: integer minimum: 6 maximum: 10 description: >- Length of the generated code. Defaults to the workspace setting. template: type: string maxLength: 512 description: Name of an approved WhatsApp authentication template. clientRef: type: string maxLength: 128 description: >- Your own reference, returned on the verification and in webhooks. ip: type: string maxLength: 64 description: The end user's IP address, used for per-IP rate limiting. responses: '202': description: Verification started content: application/json: schema: $ref: '#/components/schemas/VerificationResponse' '401': $ref: '#/components/responses/Unauthorized' '402': description: Not enough WhatsApp balance or SMS credits content: application/json: schema: $ref: '#/components/schemas/Error' '409': description: >- A verification is already pending for this number (VERIFICATION_PENDING) content: application/json: schema: $ref: '#/components/schemas/Error' '422': description: >- Invalid request, suppressed recipient, country not allowed, channel unavailable or no approved template content: application/json: schema: $ref: '#/components/schemas/Error' '429': description: Verify rate limit reached. See the Retry-After header content: application/json: schema: $ref: '#/components/schemas/Error' '503': description: WhatsApp sending is not available content: application/json: schema: $ref: '#/components/schemas/Error' components: parameters: IdempotencyKey: name: Idempotency-Key in: header required: false description: >- Unique key for replaying the original accepted response without sending again. Leading and trailing whitespace is removed; only the first 255 characters are retained. schema: type: string schemas: VerificationResponse: type: object properties: data: $ref: '#/components/schemas/Verification' Error: type: object required: - errors properties: errors: type: array items: type: object required: - code - message properties: code: type: string example: VALIDATION_ERROR message: type: string example: Domain not verified field: type: string example: from Verification: type: object properties: id: type: string format: uuid status: type: string enum: - pending - approved - expired - canceled - max_attempts_reached to: type: string example: '+258841234567' channel: type: string enum: - whatsapp - sms fallback: type: string enum: - sms nullable: true locale: type: string enum: - pt - en codeSource: type: string enum: - generated - custom isTest: type: boolean clientRef: type: string nullable: true example: signup-4821 checkAttempts: type: integer example: 0 maxCheckAttempts: type: integer example: 5 sendCount: type: integer example: 1 maxSends: type: integer example: 5 expiresAt: type: string format: date-time resendAvailableAt: type: string format: date-time nullable: true approvedAt: type: string format: date-time nullable: true createdAt: type: string format: date-time attempts: type: array items: type: object properties: id: type: string format: uuid channel: type: string enum: - whatsapp - sms trigger: type: string enum: - initial - resend - fallback status: type: string enum: - queued - sent - delivered - failed errorCode: type: string nullable: true example: '131026' errorCategory: type: string nullable: true example: recipient_unreachable createdAt: type: string format: date-time responses: Unauthorized: description: Missing or invalid API key content: application/json: schema: $ref: '#/components/schemas/Error' securitySchemes: ApiKeyAuth: type: apiKey in: header name: X-API-Key description: | Prefix `tor_` followed by a base64url-encoded random key. Create and manage API keys from the authenticated Torpedo dashboard. ```` This documentation is built and hosted on [Mintlify](https://mintlify.com), a developer documentation platform.