How to Connect Telnyx to Gemini via MCP

💡 No install? Use cloud.anythingmcp.com directly. Sign in, click Connectors → Telnyx, paste your credentials, mint an MCP API key and you're done. No Docker, no git clone, no local server.

Telnyx + Gemini

Let your AI work with Telnyx: check balance and usage, list and search phone numbers, send SMS and MMS, place calls that speak a message, read call recordings and detail records, look up numbers, send and check one-time codes with Verify, and review your AI assistants.

Prerequisites

See the full setup instructions baked into the connector (visible in the in-app store when you select the connector). The required environment variables for this connector are:

TELNYX_API_KEY

Step 1 — Get credentials

1. Sign in to the Mission Control Portal at https://portal.telnyx.com.
2. Open Account settings → Keys & Credentials → API Keys and click Create API Key. The key starts with KEY, and Telnyx shows it only once.
3. Paste it into TELNYX_API_KEY as Telnyx shows it, without the word Bearer, and install the connector. The key is sent only to api.telnyx.com.
4. Check the setup with telnyx_get_balance: it is free and shows your balance, credit limit and currency.

Who sees what: the key acts for the whole Telnyx account, balance included. Share the MCP server only with people who may spend money on it.

Costs money and reaches real people, so the AI asks first: Telnyx bills telnyx_send_message (SMS and MMS), telnyx_dial_call (per minute), telnyx_speak_text (text to speech) and telnyx_send_verification (per verification). Before each of them the AI shows you the recipient, the sender and the content and waits for your yes. telnyx_lookup_number is billed per lookup, so the AI tells you before it looks up many numbers. Sending, calling and buying need a funded account.

Switched off at install: telnyx_order_phone_numbers, which buys numbers with an upfront price and a monthly fee per number. An administrator turns it on deliberately; the AI then shows every number with its costs and buys only after you confirm. Searching for numbers with telnyx_search_available_numbers is free.

SMS: a number sends SMS only when it is assigned to a messaging profile (telnyx_list_messaging_profiles shows the profiles and the countries each one may send to). A new message starts as queued; telnyx_get_message shows the delivery status per recipient later. Media links turn a message into an MMS (US and Canada).

Calls need a Call Control application: set one up in the Mission Control Portal and assign the number you call from to it. telnyx_list_call_control_applications gives the connection_id that telnyx_dial_call needs. The AI dials, checks with telnyx_get_call_status until the call is answered, speaks your message with telnyx_speak_text and ends the call with telnyx_hangup_call. A time limit on the dial caps the cost. Call events go to the application's webhook URL, which this connector does not receive. Recordings: telnyx_list_recordings and telnyx_get_recording (download links expire after a few minutes).

Verify: create a Verify profile once in the portal under Verify; telnyx_list_verify_profiles lists it. telnyx_send_verification sends a code by SMS, voice call or WhatsApp, and telnyx_check_verification_code checks what the person typed.

Usage and cost: telnyx_search_detail_records lists single messages and calls with their cost; telnyx_get_usage_report_options and telnyx_get_usage_report give totals per product for up to 31 days. AI assistants are read-only: telnyx_list_ai_assistants and telnyx_get_ai_assistant.

Numbers: always in E.164, that is +, the country code and the number without spaces (+4915112345678).

Common errors: 401 (10009): the key is wrong, deleted or was pasted with a prefix; create a new one in the portal. 403: the account may not use this feature yet (for example sending to a country or buying numbers before account verification), or the key lacks permission. 404 (10005): no such resource on this account. 422: a parameter is invalid, for example the sender has no messaging profile, the call is not answered yet or a number is not in E.164. 429: too many requests; wait and retry.

The connector does not cover number porting, number configuration and release, SIP trunking, TeXML, conferences, fax, WhatsApp templates, 10DLC brand and campaign registration, creating or changing AI assistants, or webhooks.

Step 2 — Install the adapter

curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/HelpCode-ai/anythingmcp/main/docker-compose.quickstart.yml -o docker-compose.yml
printf 'JWT_SECRET=%s\nENCRYPTION_KEY=%s\n' "$(openssl rand -hex 32)" "$(openssl rand -hex 32)" > .env
docker compose up -d

Step 3 — Add the connector in Gemini

Your server URL: in AnythingMCP, open MCP Servers → the server this connector is on, and copy its URL (https://cloud.anythingmcp.com/mcp/…). Use it wherever this guide shows YOUR_SERVER_ID.

Gemini CLI reads MCP servers from ~/.gemini/settings.json (on Windows %USERPROFILE%\.gemini\settings.json). Add:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "anythingmcp": {
      "httpUrl": "https://cloud.anythingmcp.com/mcp/YOUR_SERVER_ID",
      "headers": { "X-API-Key": "YOUR_MCP_API_KEY" }
    }
  }
}

1. Create an MCP API key in AnythingMCP under MCP Servers → your server → API keys, and paste it in place of YOUR_MCP_API_KEY.
2. Save the file and restart gemini.
3. Run /mcp inside Gemini CLI (or gemini mcp list in your shell): anythingmcp should show as connected.
4. Start prompting: Gemini CLI can now call the Telnyx tools.

Available tools

Example prompts

• "What is our Telnyx balance, and how much did we spend on messaging this month, by country?"
• "Send an SMS from our Berlin number to +4915112345678 saying the order is ready for pickup. Show me sender, recipient and text before you send it."
• "Call +4915112345678 from our support line, say that the technician arrives at 3 pm, then hang up. Keep the call under one minute."
• "Find three mobile numbers in Germany that can send SMS and show me the upfront and monthly cost of each."
• "Which of yesterday's messages were not delivered? Check the detail records and show status and cost."

FAQ

Where does Gemini CLI look for MCP servers? In ~/.gemini/settings.json for your user, or in .gemini/settings.json inside a project. gemini mcp list shows each server and whether it connects.

Next steps

• Connector landing page
• Connect to Claude
• Connect to ChatGPT