How to receive and respond to replies with your Twilio number
You’ve sent your messages with Twilio Blaster. Job done, right? Almost.
Then someone replies—and now you’re thinking: “Wait… where do I actually read that?”
Let’s break it down in simple terms.
Note: Everything in this guide applies whether you're using Twilio for SMS or WhatsApp. Twilio Blaster supports both, and replies work the same way behind the scenes.
1. View Replies in the Twilio Dashboard
Twilio saves all replies in your account under Messaging → Logs. Think of it as a basic message history. You can open it anytime to see:
Who replied
When they replied
What they said
You can view your logs directly here: https://console.twilio.com/us1/monitor/logs/sms
This works fine if you only get a few replies now and then. But there’s no notification system or chat view—it’s just a list you have to check manually.
2. Get Replies Sent to You Automatically (Webhooks)
If you don’t want to check the dashboard all the time, you can set up a webhook.
In plain terms: you tell Twilio, “Whenever someone replies, forward the message to this link.” That link could send the message to:
A Google Sheet
An internal tool
A backend system
Or anything that can receive and handle data
Important to know: Webhooks are flexible, but they do require setup. You’ll need a public URL that can accept incoming data. If that sounds too technical, you can use tools like:
Pabbly Connect* (great if you're looking for a one-time purchase)
These platforms let you connect Twilio to other services without writing code.
*I use Pabbly Connect myself to run all backend operations on my website, so if you’ve got any questions, feel free to reach out.
3. Automatically Reply or Forward Messages (Twilio Studio)
Want replies to trigger something automatically? Twilio Studio is built just for that. It’s a drag-and-drop tool where you set up what should happen when someone replies.
Example flows:
“When someone replies, send a thank-you message.”
“If they reply YES, forward the message to my phone or CRM.”
No coding needed. Just connect the pieces in the Twilio Studio builder, and your automation is ready.
It does take a bit of trial and error to get used to, but everything happens inside your Twilio account—no third-party tools required.
4. Trigger Small Scripts with Twilio Functions (Optional)
If you want something more flexible than Studio, but still want to stay inside Twilio, there’s another option: Twilio Functions.
These are small scripts (written in JavaScript) that run when a message comes in. Think of them as mini webhooks hosted by Twilio.
For example, you could write a Function that:
Sends a custom auto-reply
Stores incoming messages in a simple database
Checks if the sender is already in your contacts
It’s more advanced and does require some coding—but unlike webhooks, you don’t need to set up any external server. Twilio hosts it all for you.
If you're curious, you can explore this here: https://www.twilio.com/docs/runtime/functions
And If You Want to Reply Back...
You can respond to anyone who messages your Twilio number. How you do that depends on what works best for you:
From the dashboard: Go to Messaging → Try it Out → Send an SMS, paste the number, and send a reply manually.
With Twilio Blaster: Just copy the sender’s number into your Excel sheet and send the message like you normally would.
Automatically: Use Twilio Studio to send an auto-response based on what the person said.
Via Webhook setup: If you’ve set up a webhook and are collecting replies, your system can respond on its own—though this setup is more advanced.
Final Thoughts
Twilio doesn’t behave like WhatsApp or your phone’s messages app. There’s no chat window. But everything is there—you just have to decide how you want to work with it.
Here’s a simple way to think about it:
Just want to read replies? Use the dashboard.
Want to be notified or collect replies automatically? Use a webhook.
Want to respond without lifting a finger? Use Studio.
Want full control with a bit of code? Try Twilio Functions.
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