Receiving and Routing Messages
Inbound messaging receives replies and unprompted messages and processes them with configurable actions — the same shape e-mail inboxes already use.
Where to find it
Architect Panel → Communication:
- Inbound Messaging — the rules and actions applied to what arrives
- Received Messages — what has come in
You need a real number
An alphanumeric sender ID cannot receive. If replies matter, provision a number that can, and expect people to reply whether or not you invited them to.
Rules and actions
Rules decide which messages get which treatment, matching on the sender, the content or the number it arrived at. Actions decide what happens: file against a record, create one, notify somebody, run a workflow.
Match on the number it arrived at where you can. Using a distinct number per service is the most reliable routing you will get, and far more robust than parsing message text.
Matching to a record
Inbound messages are matched to records by phone number, which is why the number index exists. Numbers arrive in inconsistent formats — with and without country codes, with spaces and brackets — so normalisation matters. The Phone Number Index Rebuild task keeps that index current; it ships disabled and runs daily.
The tasks involved
- Inbound Message Drain — processes what has arrived. Every minute.
- Inbound Message Poll (GOV.UK Notify) — fetches from providers that do not push. Every five minutes.
- Phone Number Index Rebuild — keeps number matching working. Daily.
All ship disabled.
Unmatched messages
Decide what happens to a message from a number you do not recognise. Discarding it silently is the worst option — somebody replied to you and you did not read it. Route it to a queue a person actually looks at.