Two-Way SMS Messaging
Set up Twilio for inbound SMS, view conversation threads, and reply to customers from within Kontrol™.
What is two-way SMS?
By default, Kontrol™ sends one-way SMS notifications (status updates, approval requests, etc.). Two-way SMS lets customers reply to those messages, and their replies appear directly in Kontrol™ as a conversation thread. You can then respond from the app — no need to check a separate texting platform.
Step 1 — Verify your Twilio setup
Two-way SMS requires a Twilio phone number with messaging capability. If you have not connected Twilio yet, go to Settings > Integrations > Twilio and enter your Account SID, Auth Token, and phone number. Make sure your Twilio number supports both sending and receiving SMS.
- 1Go to Settings > Integrations > Twilio
- 2Confirm your Account SID, Auth Token, and phone number are entered
- 3Verify the phone number supports inbound SMS in your Twilio Console
Step 2 — Configure the Twilio webhook
For Kontrol™ to receive inbound messages, you need to point your Twilio number's webhook to your Kontrol™ instance.
- 1Log in to console.twilio.com
- 2Go to Phone Numbers > Manage > Active Numbers
- 3Click on the phone number you use with Kontrol™
- 4Under Messaging > 'A Message Comes In', enter: https://yourdomain.com/api/webhooks/twilio/inbound
- 5Set the HTTP method to POST
- 6Click Save
If you use a custom domain, replace 'yourdomain.com' with your actual domain. If you are on the default Vercel deployment, use your Vercel URL.
Do not share your webhook URL publicly. Kontrol™ validates the Twilio request signature on every inbound message to prevent spoofing, but keeping the URL private adds an extra layer of security.
Step 3 — View conversation threads
Once the webhook is configured, inbound messages appear automatically. Each customer with SMS enabled gets a conversation thread showing the full message history — both sent and received messages in chronological order.
- 1Go to Customers > [Customer Name] > SMS tab
- 2View the full conversation history
- 3Type a reply in the message box at the bottom and hit Send
- 4Your reply is sent immediately via Twilio
Step 4 — Reply from the app
Replying is as simple as typing in the message box at the bottom of the conversation thread and pressing Send. Your reply goes out through your Twilio number, so the customer sees it as coming from the same number they originally received the notification from. You can also use shortcodes like {{job_number}} and {{portal_url}} in your replies for quick personalization.
Unrecognized numbers
If someone texts your Twilio number and their phone number does not match any customer record, the message lands in an unassigned SMS inbox. You can review these messages in Communication > Messages and manually assign them to a customer or dismiss them.