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Documentation Index

Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://developers.vfbulk.ie/llms.txt

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To receive inbound SMS messages, you need a dedicated longcode (mobile number) purchased from Vodafone Bulk Text. Contact bulktext.ie@vodafone.com to get one set up.
When a recipient replies to your dedicated longcode, the Vodafone Bulk Text gateway relays the inbound message to a URL you provide via HTTP POST.

Receiving opt-outs

Even without a dedicated longcode, all Vodafone Bulk Text customers can receive opt-out messages at their inbound relay URL. Opt-outs are always sent to the shared shortcode 50123 — when a recipient texts STOP or OPTOUT to 50123, the relay fires to your endpoint with SMS-To=50123. You do not need a longcode to handle opt-outs. See Opt-out payloads below.

Setup

To receive inbound messages, contact bulktext.ie@vodafone.com to purchase a dedicated longcode. Once provisioned, provide your relay URL to bulktext.ie@vodafone.com. The endpoint must:
  • Accept HTTP POST requests
  • Support up to TLS 1.2
  • Return a 200 OK response

Relay parameters

ParameterExampleDescription
SMS-TypeAuthCodeMessage type — see SMS-Type values below
SMS-ContentTest replyFull message body
SMS-KeyphraseCONFIRM or *First word of the message, used for keyword routing. * means no specific keyword was matched
SMS-Network272/1Network code in MCC/MNC format — may be empty
SMS-From353871111111Sender’s mobile number (GSM format)
SMS-To353877777777The number the message was sent to (GSM format)
SMS-NotifyIdorder-001The notifyId from the original outbound message, if one was set — otherwise empty
SMS-Verify9db038748b3088971d913616c13e769bMD5 hash for payload verification — see below
SMS-TimeStamp2026-04-09 16:03:11Gateway receipt time (yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm:ss)
SMS-AuthCodeAUTH:reply/1450707Legacy. Routing code used by older integrations — ignore in new builds
SMS-GroupCodeAUTH:G353870934726/*Legacy. Group routing code used by older integrations — ignore in new builds

SMS-Type values

ValueMeaning
AuthCodeStandard inbound relay message
TextPlain text message — seen in some legacy configurations

Example relay payload

Example relay payload
SMS-Type=AuthCode
SMS-Content=Test reply
SMS-Keyphrase=*
SMS-Network=
SMS-From=353896073106
SMS-To=353870934726
SMS-NotifyId=
SMS-Verify=5b49b61a65520226f3da14764f7c182b
SMS-TimeStamp=2026-04-09 16:03:11
SMS-AuthCode=AUTH:reply/1450707
SMS-GroupCode=AUTH:G353870934726/*
URL-encode the POST body before sending. Some field values may contain characters that break unencoded requests.

Verifying the payload

The SMS-Verify field is an MD5 hash to confirm the relay genuinely came from Vodafone Bulk Text. The formula follows the same pattern as DLR verification. Contact bulktext.ie@vodafone.com for your specific verification key.
curl -X POST https://example.com/sms/inbound \
  -H "Content-Type: application/x-www-form-urlencoded" \
  -d "SMS-From=353861234567&SMS-Content=Test%20reply&SMS-Verify=EXPECTED_MD5_HASH"

Correlating replies with notifyId

Inbound relay payloads include an SMS-NotifyId field. When the gateway can link the inbound reply to an outbound message that had a notifyId set, this field will be populated with that value. If no link can be made, it will be empty. For cases where SMS-NotifyId is empty, use SMS-From (the sender’s mobile number) to look up the record in your system. If you stored the notifyId alongside the phone number when you sent the original message, a single lookup gives you the full context. See notifyId for end-to-end flow examples showing outbound, webhook, DLR, and inbound reply all tied together.

Opt-out payloads

Opt-out messages arrive at your relay URL like any other inbound message. You can identify them by SMS-To=50123 — this is always the destination for opt-outs regardless of your longcode or sender ID.
Opt-out relay payload
SMS-Type=AuthCode
SMS-Content=Optout
SMS-Keyphrase=*
SMS-Network=
SMS-From=353896073106
SMS-To=50123
SMS-NotifyId=
SMS-Verify=5b49b61a65520226f3da14764f7c182b
SMS-TimeStamp=2026-04-09 16:31:52
SMS-AuthCode=AUTH:reply/177157
SMS-GroupCode=AUTH:G50123/*
When you receive a payload with SMS-To=50123, add SMS-From to your suppression list immediately and do not send further marketing messages to that number.

Keyword routing

The SMS-Keyphrase contains the first word of the inbound message. A value of * means the message did not match a specific keyword. Use the keyphrase to route messages to different handlers in your application:
curl -X POST https://example.com/sms/inbound \
  -H "Content-Type: application/x-www-form-urlencoded" \
  -d "SMS-Keyphrase=CONFIRM&SMS-From=353861234567&SMS-Content=CONFIRM"

Network codes (SMS-Network)

When present, SMS-Network uses MCC/MNC format. For Irish numbers, MCC is always 272:
MNCCarrier
1Vodafone
2O2
3Meteor
This field may be empty depending on the network and message type.
Last modified on May 6, 2026