Inbound SMS: what they are and how they are used
Inbound SMS are the messages you receive from your recipients, as a reply to an SMS you sent them or as a new message to a number. If bulk sending is one-way, inbound messages turn it into a conversation.
When they are useful
- Confirming an appointment or a delivery. The customer replies with a short “YES” or “NO” and the reply reaches the business without a phone call.
- Quick surveys and polls. A question with fixed answers (for example 1–5) gives immediate feedback.
- Customer service. The customer can write a question or ask to be contacted.
- Unsubscribing from lists. The recipient can say in a reply that they don't want more messages.
- Taking part in contests and offers, where entering takes one message.
What to keep in mind
- A sender name does not accept replies. When an SMS goes out under a name (for example the business name) instead of a number, the recipient can't reply. To receive a reply, the message must be sent in a way that allows it.
- Say clearly what you expect. A message that says “Reply YES to confirm” gets clean answers. An open “Tell us what you think” gets answers that are hard to process.
- Replies have to end up somewhere. Think in advance about who reads them, how quickly, and whether a person or your information system will process them.
- Consent still matters. For what applies in Greece to consent for promotional SMS, see our article Frequently asked questions about bulk SMS in Greece (in Greek).
Inbound messages and connecting other systems
When there are many replies, reading them by hand is not enough. Then the replies pass automatically to another system (for example a CRM or the business's own application), so that a record is updated or a request is opened. For how the connection works when sending, see the article What to ask of an API for sending SMS (in Greek).
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