Forward Incoming SMS Messages

Overview

This guide shows how to forward incoming SMS messages from a Plivo phone number to another number using Plivo APIs and Node.js.

How it works

When Plivo receives an SMS on your Plivo number, it makes an HTTP request to the “Message URL” configured in your Plivo application. Your server receives this request and must respond with an XML document that contains instructions for Plivo. In this case, the XML instructs Plivo to send a new message containing the original text to a different destination number.

Prerequisites

To get started, you need a Plivo account — sign up if you don’t have one. You’ll also need a Plivo phone number that supports SMS. If you’re new to Plivo APIs, follow our instructions to set up a Node.js development environment.

Create an Express server to forward messages

Create a file named forward_sms.js and paste this code into it. Remember to replace the <destination_number> placeholder with the actual number you want to forward messages to, in E.164 format (e.g., +12025551234).

const plivo = require('plivo');
const express = require('express');
const bodyParser = require('body-parser');
const app = express();

app.use(bodyParser.urlencoded({ extended: true }));

app.all('/forwardsms/', (request, response) => {
    const to_number = request.body.To || request.query.To;
    const text = request.body.Text || request.query.Text;

    const r = plivo.Response();
    const params = {
        'src': to_number, // The Plivo number the original message was sent to
        'dst': "<destination_number>", // The number to forward the message to
    };

    r.addMessage(text, params);

    response.type('application/xml');
    response.end(r.toXML());
});

app.listen(3000, () => {
    console.log('Node app is running on port 3000');
});

Create and configure a Plivo application

Create an Application: Go to Messaging > Applications in the Plivo console and click Add New Application.
Configure the URL: Give the application a name (e.g., Forward SMS). In the Message URL field, enter your server URL (e.g., https://<yourdomain>.com/forwardsms/) and set the method to POST. Click Create Application.
Assign a Number: Navigate to the Numbers page and select the phone number you want to use. In the “Application Type” dropdown, select XML Application, and in the “Plivo Application” dropdown, select the app you just created. Click Update Number.

Test it out

Send a text message to your Plivo number. The content of your message should be forwarded to the destination number you specified in the code.

Overview

This guide shows how to forward incoming SMS messages from a Plivo phone number to another number using Plivo APIs and Ruby on Rails.

How it works

When Plivo receives an SMS on your Plivo number, it makes an HTTP request to the “Message URL” configured in your Plivo application. Your server receives this request and must respond with an XML document that contains instructions for Plivo. In this case, the XML instructs Plivo to send a new message containing the original text to a different destination number.

Prerequisites

To get started, you need a Plivo account — sign up if you don’t have one. You’ll also need a Plivo phone number that supports SMS. If you’re new to Plivo APIs, follow our instructions to set up a Ruby development environment.

Create a Rails controller to forward messages

In your project directory, generate a controller and then add the forwarding logic. Remember to replace the <destination_number> placeholder with the actual number you want to forward messages to, in E.164 format (e.g., +12025551234).

include Plivo
include Plivo::Exceptions
include Plivo::XML

class PlivoController < ApplicationController
  skip_before_action :verify_authenticity_token
  def forwardsms
    to_number = params[:To]
    text = params[:Text]

    response = Response.new
    params = {
      src: to_number, # The Plivo number the original message was sent to
      dst: "<destination_number>", # The number to forward the message to
    }
    response.addMessage(text, params)
    xml = PlivoXML.new(response)

    render xml: xml.to_xml
  end
end

Create and configure a Plivo application

Create an Application: Go to Messaging > Applications in the Plivo console and click Add New Application.
Configure the URL: Give the application a name (e.g., Forward SMS). In the Message URL field, enter your server URL (e.g., https://<yourdomain>.com/forwardsms/) and set the method to POST. Click Create Application.
Assign a Number: Navigate to the Numbers page and select the phone number you want to use. In the “Application Type” dropdown, select XML Application, and in the “Plivo Application” dropdown, select the app you just created. Click Update Number.

Test it out

Send a text message to your Plivo number. The content of your message should be forwarded to the destination number you specified in the code.

Overview

This guide shows how to forward incoming SMS messages from a Plivo phone number to another number using Plivo APIs with Python and Flask.

How it works

When Plivo receives an SMS on your Plivo number, it makes an HTTP request to the “Message URL” configured in your Plivo application. Your server receives this request and must respond with an XML document that contains instructions for Plivo. In this case, the XML instructs Plivo to send a new message containing the original text to a different destination number.

Prerequisites

To get started, you need a Plivo account — sign up if you don’t have one. You’ll also need a Plivo phone number that supports SMS. If you’re new to Plivo APIs, follow our instructions to set up a Python development environment.

Create a Flask server to forward messages

Create a file called forward_sms.py and paste into it this code. Remember to replace the <destination_number> placeholder with an actual phone number in E.164 format (e.g., +12025551234).

from flask import Flask, request, Response
from plivo import plivoxml

app = Flask(__name__)

@app.route('/forwardsms/', methods=['GET', 'POST'])
def forward_sms():
    to_number = request.values.get('To')
    text = request.values.get('Text')

    response = plivoxml.ResponseElement()
    response.add(
        plivoxml.MessageElement(
            text,
            src=to_number,  # The Plivo number the original message was sent to
            dst="<destination_number>" # The number to forward the message to
        )
    )
    return Response(response.to_string(), mimetype='application/xml')

if __name__ == '__main__':
    app.run(host='0.0.0.0', debug=True)

Create and configure a Plivo application

Create an Application: Go to Messaging > Applications in the Plivo console and click Add New Application.
Configure the URL: Give the application a name (e.g., Forward SMS). In the Message URL field, enter your server URL (e.g., https://<yourdomain>.com/forwardsms/) and set the method to POST. Click Create Application.
Assign a Number: Navigate to the Numbers page and select the phone number you want to use. In the “Application Type” dropdown, select XML Application, and in the “Plivo Application” dropdown, select the app you just created. Click Update Number.

Test it out

Send a text message to your Plivo number. The content of your message should be forwarded to the destination number you specified in the code.

Overview

This guide shows how to forward incoming SMS messages from a Plivo phone number to another number using Plivo APIs with PHP.

How it works

When Plivo receives an SMS on your Plivo number, it makes an HTTP request to the “Message URL” configured in your Plivo application. Your server receives this request and must respond with an XML document that contains instructions for Plivo. In this case, the XML instructs Plivo to send a new message containing the original text to a different destination number.

Prerequisites

To get started, you need a Plivo account — sign up if you don’t have one. You’ll also need a Plivo phone number that supports SMS. If you’re new to Plivo APIs, follow our instructions to set up a PHP development environment.

Create a server to forward messages

Create a file and paste this code into it. Remember to replace the <destination_number> placeholder with an actual phone number in E.164 format (e.g., +12025551234).

<?php
require 'vendor/autoload.php';
use Plivo\XML\Response;

$to = $_REQUEST["To"];
$text = $_REQUEST["Text"];

$response = new Response();
$params = array(
    'src' => $to, // The Plivo number the original message was sent to
    'dst' => "<destination_number>" // The number to forward the message to
);

$response->addMessage($text, $params);

Header('Content-type: text/xml');
echo($response->toXML());

Create and configure a Plivo application

Create an Application: Go to Messaging > Applications in the Plivo console and click Add New Application.
Configure the URL: Give the application a name (e.g., Forward SMS). In the Message URL field, enter your server URL (e.g., https://<yourdomain>.com/forwardsms/) and set the method to POST. Click Create Application.
Assign a Number: Navigate to the Numbers page and select the phone number you want to use. In the “Application Type” dropdown, select XML Application, and in the “Plivo Application” dropdown, select the app you just created. Click Update Number.

Test it out

Send a text message to your Plivo number. The content of your message should be forwarded to the destination number you specified in the code.

Overview

This guide shows how to forward incoming SMS messages from a Plivo phone number to another number using Plivo APIs with .NET MVC.

How it works

When Plivo receives an SMS on your Plivo number, it makes an HTTP request to the “Message URL” configured in your Plivo application. Your server receives this request and must respond with an XML document that contains instructions for Plivo. In this case, the XML instructs Plivo to send a new message containing the original text to a different destination number.

Prerequisites

To get started, you need a Plivo account — sign up if you don’t have one. You’ll also need a Plivo phone number that supports SMS. If you’re new to Plivo APIs, follow our instructions to set up a .NET development environment.

Create an MVC controller to forward messages

In your controller, add an action to handle the incoming message. Remember to replace the <destination_number> placeholder with an actual phone number in E.164 format (e.g., +12025551234).

using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc;

namespace Forwardsms.Controllers
{
    public class ForwardsmsController : Controller
    {
        [HttpPost]
        public IActionResult Index()
        {
            String to_number = Request.Form["To"];
            String text = Request.Form["Text"];

            Plivo.XML.Response resp = new Plivo.XML.Response();
            resp.AddMessage(text, new Dictionary<string, string>()
            {
                {"src", to_number}, // The Plivo number the original message was sent to
                {"dst", "<destination_number>"}, // The number to forward the message to
            });

            return this.Content(resp.ToString(), "text/xml");
        }
    }
}

Create and configure a Plivo application

Create an Application: Go to Messaging > Applications in the Plivo console and click Add New Application.
Configure the URL: Give the application a name (e.g., Forward SMS). In the Message URL field, enter your server URL (e.g., https://<yourdomain>.com/forwardsms/) and set the method to POST. Click Create Application.
Assign a Number: Navigate to the Numbers page and select the phone number you want to use. In the “Application Type” dropdown, select XML Application, and in the “Plivo Application” dropdown, select the app you just created. Click Update Number.

Test it out

Send a text message to your Plivo number. The content of your message should be forwarded to the destination number you specified in the code.

Overview

This guide shows how to forward incoming SMS messages from a Plivo phone number to another number using Plivo APIs with Java and Spring.

How it works

When Plivo receives an SMS on your Plivo number, it makes an HTTP request to the “Message URL” configured in your Plivo application. Your server receives this request and must respond with an XML document that contains instructions for Plivo. In this case, the XML instructs Plivo to send a new message containing the original text to a different destination number.

Prerequisites

To get started, you need a Plivo account — sign up if you don’t have one. You’ll also need a Plivo phone number that supports SMS. If you’re new to Plivo APIs, follow our instructions to set up a Java development environment.

Create a Spring application to forward messages

Use Spring Initializr to create a project. In your main application file, paste this code to handle requests. Remember to replace the <destination_number> placeholder with an actual phone number in E.164 format (e.g., +12025551234).

package com.example.Plivo.SMS;

import com.plivo.api.exceptions.PlivoXmlException;
import com.plivo.api.xml.Message;
import com.plivo.api.xml.Response;
import org.springframework.boot.SpringApplication;
import org.springframework.boot.autoconfigure.SpringBootApplication;
import org.springframework.web.bind.annotation.RequestMapping;
import org.springframework.web.bind.annotation.RestController;

@RestController
@SpringBootApplication
public class PlivoSmsApplication {

    public static void main(String[] args) {
        SpringApplication.run(PlivoSmsApplication.class, args);
    }

    @RequestMapping(value = "/forwardsms/", produces = {"application/xml"})
    public String forwardSms(String To, String Text) throws PlivoXmlException {
        Response res = new Response().children(
                new Message(Text, To, "<destination_number>")); // text, src, dst
        return res.toXmlString();
    }
}

Create and configure a Plivo application

Create an Application: Go to Messaging > Applications in the Plivo console and click Add New Application.
Configure the URL: Give the application a name (e.g., Forward SMS). In the Message URL field, enter your server URL (e.g., https://<yourdomain>.com/forwardsms/) and set the method to POST. Click Create Application.
Assign a Number: Navigate to the Numbers page and select the phone number you want to use. In the “Application Type” dropdown, select XML Application, and in the “Plivo Application” dropdown, select the app you just created. Click Update Number.

Test it out

Send a text message to your Plivo number. The content of your message should be forwarded to the destination number you specified in the code.

Overview

This guide shows how to forward incoming SMS messages from a Plivo phone number to another number using Plivo APIs with Go.

How it works

When Plivo receives an SMS on your Plivo number, it makes an HTTP request to the “Message URL” configured in your Plivo application. Your server receives this request and must respond with an XML document that contains instructions for Plivo. In this case, the XML instructs Plivo to send a new message containing the original text to a different destination number.

Prerequisites

To get started, you need a Plivo account — sign up if you don’t have one. You’ll also need a Plivo phone number that supports SMS. If you’re new to Plivo APIs, follow our instructions to set up a Go development environment.

Create a Go server to forward messages

Create a file called forward_sms.go and paste this code into it. Remember to replace the <destination_number> placeholder with an actual phone number in E.164 format (e.g., +12025551234).

package main

import (
	"fmt"
	"net/http"
	"[github.com/plivo/plivo-go/v7/xml](https://github.com/plivo/plivo-go/v7/xml)"
)

func forwardSms(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
	tonumber := r.FormValue("To")
	text := r.FormValue("Text")

	response := xml.NewResponse()
	message := xml.NewMessage()
	message.SetText(text)
	message.SetSrc(tonumber) // The Plivo number the original message was sent to
	message.SetDst("<destination_number>") // The number to forward the message to

	response.Add(message)

	xmlBytes, _ := response.ToXML()
    w.Header().Set("Content-Type", "application/xml")
	fmt.Fprint(w, string(xmlBytes))
}

func main() {
	http.HandleFunc("/forwardsms/", forwardSms)
	http.ListenAndServe(":8080", nil)
}

Create and configure a Plivo application

Create an Application: Go to Messaging > Applications in the Plivo console and click Add New Application.
Configure the URL: Give the application a name (e.g., Forward SMS). In the Message URL field, enter your server URL (e.g., https://<yourdomain>.com/forwardsms/) and set the method to POST. Click Create Application.
Assign a Number: Navigate to the Numbers page and select the phone number you want to use. In the “Application Type” dropdown, select XML Application, and in the “Plivo Application” dropdown, select the app you just created. Click Update Number.

Test it out

Send a text message to your Plivo number. The content of your message should be forwarded to the destination number you specified in the code.

Getting Started

SMS Concepts

WhatsApp Concepts

Use Case Guides

API Reference

XML Reference

10DLC

Troubleshooting

​Overview

​How it works

​Prerequisites

​Create an Express server to forward messages

​Create and configure a Plivo application

​Test it out

​Overview

​How it works

​Prerequisites

​Create a Rails controller to forward messages

​Create and configure a Plivo application

​Test it out

​Overview

​How it works

​Prerequisites

​Create a Flask server to forward messages

​Create and configure a Plivo application

​Test it out

​Overview

​How it works

​Prerequisites

​Create a server to forward messages

​Create and configure a Plivo application

​Test it out

​Overview

​How it works

​Prerequisites

​Create an MVC controller to forward messages

​Create and configure a Plivo application

​Test it out

​Overview

​How it works

​Prerequisites

​Create a Spring application to forward messages

​Create and configure a Plivo application

​Test it out

​Overview

​How it works

​Prerequisites

​Create a Go server to forward messages

​Create and configure a Plivo application

​Test it out

Overview

How it works

Prerequisites

Create an Express server to forward messages

Create and configure a Plivo application

Test it out

Overview

How it works

Prerequisites

Create a Rails controller to forward messages

Create and configure a Plivo application

Test it out

Overview

How it works

Prerequisites

Create a Flask server to forward messages

Create and configure a Plivo application

Test it out

Overview

How it works

Prerequisites

Create a server to forward messages

Create and configure a Plivo application

Test it out

Overview

How it works

Prerequisites

Create an MVC controller to forward messages

Create and configure a Plivo application

Test it out

Overview

How it works

Prerequisites

Create a Spring application to forward messages

Create and configure a Plivo application

Test it out

Overview

How it works

Prerequisites

Create a Go server to forward messages

Create and configure a Plivo application

Test it out