> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://plivo.com/docs/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Forward Incoming SMS Messages > Forward incoming SMS messages from a Plivo number to another number ## Overview This guide shows how to receive SMS text messages on a Plivo phone number — something you might want to do to acknowledge a request from a customer, handle opt-ins and opt-outs, or implement an autoresponder application. You can reply to SMS messages either by using our PHLO visual workflow builder or our APIs. Follow the instructions in one of the tabs below. Here’s how to use Plivo APIs to forward incoming SMS text messages.

How it works

Forward SMS

Prerequisites

To get started, you need a Plivo account — [sign up](https://cx.plivo.com/signup) with your work email address if you don’t have one already. To receive incoming messages, you must have a Plivo phone number that supports SMS; you can rent numbers from the [Numbers](https://cx.plivo.com/phone-numbers) page of the Plivo console or by using the [Numbers API](/docs/numbers/). If this is your first time using Plivo APIs, follow our instructions to set up a Python development environment and a web server and safely expose that server to the internet.

Create a Flask server to forward messages

Create a file called `forward_sms.py` and paste into it this code. ```py theme={null} from flask import Flask, request, make_response, Response from plivo import plivoxml app = Flask(__name__) @app.route('/forwardsms/', methods=['GET', 'POST']) def forward_sms(): from_number = request.values.get('From') to_number = request.values.get('To') text = request.values.get('Text') print('Message received - From: {}, To: {}, Text: {}'.format(from_number,to_number,text)) response = plivoxml.ResponseElement() response.add( plivoxml.MessageElement( text, src=to_number, dst="")) print(response.to_string()) # Prints the XML # Returns the XML return Response(response.to_string(), mimetype='application/xml') if __name__ == '__main__': app.run(host='0.0.0.0', debug=True) ``` Replace the destination number placeholder with an actual phone number in [E.164 format](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E.164) (for example, +12025551234). Add a route for the forwardsms function and expose your local server to the internet.

Create a Plivo application to forward messages

Associate the Flask server you created with Plivo by creating a Plivo application. Visiting Messaging > [Applications](https://cx.plivo.com/xml-applications) and click **Add New Application**. You can also use Plivo's [Application API](/docs/account/api/application/#create-an-application). Give your application a name — we called ours `Forward SMS`. Enter the server URL you want to use (for example `https://.com/forwardsms/`) in the `Message URL` field and set the method to `POST`. Click **Create Application** to save your application. Create Application Create Application Navigate to the [Numbers](https://cx.plivo.com/phone-numbers) page and select the phone number you want to use for this application. From the Application Type drop-down, select `XML Application`. From the Plivo Application drop-down, select `Forward SMS` (the name we gave the application). Click **Update Number** to save. Assign Phone Number to Forward SMS App

Test

Send a text message to the Plivo number you specified using any phone. The message should be forwarded to the destination number you specified.