How to set up an SMS MCP server to receive SMS in Chatbox
This guide walks you through retrieving incoming SMS messages in Chatbox using the Ozeki SMS MCP server. By following this tutorial, you will learn how to enable the MCP server in a new chat, instruct the AI model to list incoming messages in plain language, and confirm the transaction through the gateway logs.
What is an MCP tool call?
An MCP (Model Context Protocol) tool call is how an AI model communicates with external systems. When the AI needs to retrieve data such as incoming SMS messages, it sends a structured request to the appropriate MCP server, which processes it and returns the result back to the model.
Example prompt
List all incoming SMS messages.
Steps to follow
We assume Ozeki SMS Gateway is already installed on your system, you have created an MCP user account with an API key, and you have already configured the Ozeki SMS MCP server in Chatbox.
- Start a new chat and enable the MCP server
- Use the list incoming messages tool
- Check the SMS in the SMS Gateway logs
Video tutorial
The following video shows how to retrieve incoming SMS messages in Chatbox using the Ozeki SMS MCP server step-by-step.
Step 1 - Start a new chat and enable the MCP server
Open Chatbox and start a new conversation. Before sending your prompt, make sure the Ozeki SMS MCP server is enabled for the current chat (Figure 1).
Step 2 - Use the list incoming messages tool
In the chat input, type your request in plain language and press the Send button. The AI model will interpret the request and invoke the appropriate MCP tool to retrieve the messages from the gateway inbox (Figure 2).
List all incoming SMS messages.
The result will appear in the chat, displaying the list of incoming messages. Each entry includes the sender number, recipient number and the message text (Figure 3).
Step 3 - Check the SMS in the SMS Gateway logs
Open Ozeki SMS Gateway in your browser and navigate to the MCP user details page by clicking on the MCP user entry in the Users and applications panel (Figure 4).
In the MCP user event log, you should see an entry for the incoming message retrieval request as well as the response, confirming that the API key authentication, tool call, and data retrieval were all processed correctly by the gateway (Figure 5).
Final thoughts
You have successfully retrieved incoming SMS messages in Chatbox using the Ozeki SMS MCP server. The AI model running in Chatbox can now list incoming messages from your gateway simply by being asked to do so in plain language, making it easy to add SMS inbox access to any Chatbox workflow.