# Two-way SMS · Inbound webhooks, replies, STOP handling

## Turn incoming texts  into useful replies.

Receive texts on an eligible number. Reply from your app,  or connect the steps in a Bird automation.

  Acknowledge an incoming SMS Automations
Published
 One message. Every step connected.

- 01
Message received

“Is my order ready?”

Bird event
Received
- 02
Recognize sender

Match by phone number

List contacts → Branch
Waiting
- 03
Send a reply

Personal acknowledgement

Set values → Send SMS
Waiting
- 04
Confirm delivery

Wait for the SMS receipt

Wait for event → Exit
WaitingOther paths No match, failures & timeout

No contact found Continue with a generic greeting.

Lookup failed or multiple matches Exit and record the reason.

Send failed Classify the failure.

No receipt within 10 minutes Record delivery as unconfirmed.

 Incoming SMS

Is my order ready to collect?

Received

 [Incoming SMS events](/docs/guides/sms/events#the-event-envelope)
[Explore Automations](/docs/get-started/automations)
 Illustrative SMS reply workflow. Send acceptance is followed by a carrier delivery receipt, not a read receipt. No messages are sent from this page.

[Explore SMS two-way sms →](/docs/guides/sms/events#the-event-envelope)

[Senders Choose a sending identity that works for the destination. →](/sms-api/features/numbers)

[Webhooks React to incoming texts and delivery changes. →](/docs/guides/sms/events)

[Automations Receive a text, find the customer, and send the next reply. →](/docs/get-started/automations)

[Explore SMS →](/sms-api)

## Scale without  losing control.

Organize teams in workspaces, control API access, and trace changes through audit logs.

Harbor Organization
Workspaces Production Sandbox

### Delivery agent

API key · Customer operations team
Active
Permissions Access
Email Read & write
SMS Read & write
WhatsApp Read Read & write
AL Alex Lee Admin  Permissions updated

### Audit log

Production
 API key updated Alex Lee · 09:42:18 UTC

Workspace
Production

Resource
Delivery agent

WhatsApp
Read Read & write

Succeeded

 [Workspaces](/docs/guides/workspaces)[Team roles](/docs/guides/users-teams-roles)[API authentication](/docs/guides/authentication)
[Explore Enterprise](/enterprise)

## Start with SMS. Build across channels with Bird.

[Get started](/dashboard/signup?returnTo=%2Fdashboard%2Fw%2Fsms%2Fonboarding) · [Contact Sales](/demo?product=sms)

[Email](/email-api) · [SMS](/sms-api) · [WhatsApp](/whatsapp-api) · [Apple Messages](/apple-messages-api) · [Voice](/voice-api)



## Related resources

- [One-way and two-way SMS](/explained/sms/what-is-the-difference-between-one-way-and-two-way-sms) (answer)
- [Build your first integration](/learn/paths/integration) (course)

[Get an implementation brief](/learn/workspace?topic=sms-replies)