Before you start sending 2FA codes to your users, you first need to create a Verify application on the Plivo console. An application has several properties:
  • UUID: A unique identifier for your application, automatically generated by Plivo. You must specify the UUID when triggering a request for an OTP.
  • Alias: A friendly name for your application.
  • Supported channels: All applications by default support SMS and voice channels; you can disable voice.
  • Brand name
  • Default template: Plivo lets you select a template for your application from a list of predefined templates for all types of 2FA use cases. A template might look like “Your ${brand} verification code is ${code}.” When you send a code using an application that uses this template, Plivo will replace the variables “brand” and “code” with the brand specified in the application and a code generated with the type and length specified in the application.
  • Code properties: Plivo lets you configure four properties for your application.
    • Length: Indicates the length of the OTP.
    • Expiry: Indicates an expiry interval for each OTP, after which the code will be considered expired.
    • Attempts: Indicates the maximum number of attempts to make to a recipient within the expiry period. Setting a limit on attempts can be helpful in keeping your costs down by avoiding multiple SMS or voice calls to a number that’s inactive or unresponsive.
  • Android AppHash: You can configure your Android app’s hash string to a verify application. This will enable automatic SMS verification in your Android app, eliminating the need for your user to manually copy and paste. To calculate your hash, follow Google’s instructions for computing your app’s hash string.

​
Things to keep in mind while creating an application

Most businesses will need to create just one application, as 2FA codes for a business tend to be uniform except for the code itself. However, you might want to use four-digit OTPs for your login experience and six-digit OTPs for your checkout experience, or vice versa. Similarly, you might want to use only SMS for logins but SMS and voice channels for payments.