Zapier connects 7,000+ apps. With Fwrdly’s webhook feature, your iPhone SMS becomes a trigger for any Zapier automation — send texts to Notion, update a CRM, trigger Slack alerts, log to Airtable, or fire a custom workflow.
How It Works
- Fwrdly detects an incoming SMS on your iPhone
- Sends the message as a webhook (HTTP POST) to Zapier
- Zapier runs your automation — any of 7,000+ actions
All processing starts on your device. Zapier handles the rest.
Quick Setup (5 Minutes)
Step 1: Create a Zap with Webhook Trigger
- Go to zapier.com → Create Zap
- Trigger: search for Webhooks by Zapier → Catch Hook
- Click Continue → Copy the webhook URL
Step 2: Add the Webhook to Fwrdly
- Open Fwrdly on your iPhone
- Tap Add destination → Webhook / API
- Paste the Zapier webhook URL
- Save and send a test SMS to your iPhone
Step 3: Configure the Zapier Action
Go back to Zapier. It should detect the test payload with fields like from, body, and received_at. Now add your action — the possibilities are endless.
Automation Ideas
SMS → Notion Database
Log every customer text to a Notion database with sender, message, and timestamp columns. Great for solo founders managing customer communication.
SMS → Airtable
Build a structured SMS log in Airtable. Add views to filter by sender, keyword, or date range. Perfect for operations teams.
SMS → Slack Notification
Post incoming texts to a Slack channel with custom formatting. Use Zapier’s formatter to add emojis, bold the sender, or tag a team member.
SMS → HubSpot/Salesforce CRM
When a new number texts you, create or update a contact in your CRM. Attach the message as a note on the contact timeline.
SMS → Google Calendar
When you receive an appointment reminder via SMS, parse the date and create a calendar event automatically.
SMS → Email Digest
Collect SMS throughout the day and send a single email digest every evening with all messages received. Uses Zapier’s Digest feature.
SMS → Twilio (Auto-Reply)
Trigger an automatic SMS reply when you receive a specific keyword — “HOURS” gets your business hours, “MENU” gets a link to your menu.
SMS → Webhook Chain
Forward to another webhook for multi-step processing — validate the message, enrich with external data, then route to the final destination.
Filtering Before Zapier
Use Fwrdly’s keyword and sender filters to control which messages reach Zapier:
- Forward only messages containing “order” to your order tracking Zap
- Forward only messages from a specific number to your CRM Zap
- Use schedule filters to only forward during business hours
This saves Zapier tasks (and money) by not sending irrelevant messages.
Webhook Payload Reference
When Fwrdly sends a webhook to Zapier, the payload looks like this:
{
"from": "+14155550123",
"from_name": "John Smith",
"body": "Your order #1234 has shipped",
"received_at": "2026-03-20T14:30:00Z"
}All fields are available as variables in Zapier’s action steps.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a paid Zapier plan? The free plan includes 100 tasks/month and single-step Zaps. For multi-step automations or higher volume, you’ll need a paid plan.
How fast is the automation? Typically 5-15 seconds from SMS received to Zapier action completed.
Can I use Make (Integromat) instead of Zapier? Yes — Fwrdly webhooks work with any service that accepts HTTP POST. Make, n8n, Pipedream, and custom servers all work.
What if Zapier is down? Fwrdly retries failed webhook deliveries. If Zapier is temporarily unavailable, the message will be retried.
