A receive SMS API captures inbound text messages and makes them available to your applications through polling or webhooks.
For and use cases, the key is deterministic event handling and retry-safe routing.
Quick answer
A robust receive SMS API stack includes:
- number provisioning with inbound capability
- webhook and polling retrieval options
- deduplication and retry handling
- sender validation and spam controls
- traceable message lifecycle events
Inbound SMS architecture
1) Provision inbound-ready numbers
Use numbers that support two-way messaging in your target regions.
2) Capture events reliably
- accept inbound message payloads by webhook
- support replay and retry without duplicate side effects
- log receipt timestamps and route outcomes
3) Route to workflows
Send inbound replies to:
- verification state machines
- support systems and ticketing
- customer-routing pipelines
Receive SMS implementation checklist
- Validate inbound payload schema and signature handling.
- Test webhook retries and duplicate-delivery paths.
- Route messages into staging workflows before production cutover.
- Add queue and dead-letter handling for failed downstream systems.
- Track ingest latency and callback success rates.
Related pages
Operational release gates
Use these controls before shipping:
- validate auth and notification journeys in Email Sandbox
- enforce inbound assertions in Email Integration Testing
- route failures with Email Automation Routing
- monitor delivery state via Email Webhooks
FAQ
What is a receive SMS API?
It is an API workflow for collecting inbound SMS messages and processing them in your applications.
Should I use webhook or polling for inbound SMS?
Use webhooks for low-latency processing and polling as a controlled fallback for replay or diagnostics.
How do I prevent duplicate inbound processing?
Use message IDs, deduplication keys, and idempotent handlers in downstream systems.