sms-keyword-rules

Create an SMS keyword rule

Creates a workspace keyword rule. Use it to replace the default opt-out, opt-in, or help reply for one country, or to add a custom keyword.

Your rule takes precedence over the default for the same country and keeps default keywords unless you add more. Opt-out and opt-in keywords cannot be assigned to another operation.

post/v1/sms/keyword-rules

Request

  • Base URL: https://us1.platform.bird.com
  • URL: https://us1.platform.bird.com/v1/sms/keyword-rules
  • Auth: one of:
    • HTTP bearer
    • API key in cookie bird_session

Headers

Idempotency-Keystring

Client-supplied key. On operations supporting request deduplication, a retained response is replayed for duplicate requests with the same key within the idempotency window (3 hours by default). This protection requires a workspace, organization, or staff-account scope. User-only and unscoped unauthenticated operations, streams, and operations with a separate replay contract do not use this response replay.

On a supported operation, if idempotency protection is unavailable before execution, the API returns 503 IdempotencyUnavailable (E01033) without executing this attempt. Retry with backoff using the same key and request. An operation that takes effect before its response is retained can still execute again on retry.

Two distinct 409 errors signal misuse:

  • request_in_progress (E01004): The same key is currently being processed by a concurrent request. Wait briefly and retry. The lock expires within 30 seconds.
  • idempotency_key_reuse (E01005): The same key has already completed against a different request body or method. Generate a new key.

Recommended key format is <event-type>/<entity-id> (for example welcome-user/usr_abc123).

X-Workspace-Idstring

Workspace context for the request. Required for dashboard authentication and master keys. Workspace keys and access tokens already identify their workspace; send that workspace or omit the header. A different one is rejected.

X-Organization-Idstring

Organization context for the request. Required for dashboard authentication. An API key or access token carries its own organization, so send either that organization or no header at all; a different one is rejected.

Request body

operationstring required

What Bird does when an inbound message matches the rule.

  • stop unsubscribes the sender from further messages.
  • start resubscribes them.
  • help replies with your support information.
  • info replies with your program information. It behaves exactly as help does and is separate so a country whose INFO answer must differ from its HELP answer can carry both. Where Bird ships no info rule for a country, INFO is one of that country's help keywords and answers with the help reply.
  • confirm marks a double opt-in reply. It sends nothing today, so answer it from your own handler.
  • custom replies with the text you configured and has no other effect.

Bird's built-in rules fix the operation for stop, start and help; you can change their reply but not what they do. The same holds for info in any country where Bird ships an info rule. This is an open enum. Accept unrecognized values.

countrystring nullable

The country this rule applies in, as an ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 code. It matches a message two ways: one received on any of your numbers in this country, and one sent by a subscriber whose own number is in it, wherever they text you. Rules for the country a message arrives in always outrank rules for the country its sender is in; within each, your rule wins over Bird's keywords for that country. To confine a rule to one of your numbers, set number instead. Required for stop, start and help, because those replace what Bird ships for one country and a worldwide rule would replace every country's. Omit it only for custom, which then applies everywhere you send. Derived from number when you supply an E.164 number and leave this out; a short code carries no country, so a rule for one must name it.

languagestring nullable

Which language this rule replaces, in countries where Bird ships keywords in more than one. Required there and rejected elsewhere. Listing the country's rules shows whether it applies and which languages are available.

numberstring nullable

Narrows the rule to one number you hold, in E.164 format or as a short code. Omit to cover every number you hold in the country. The number must be one of yours and able to receive messages.

keywordsstring[]

Extra keywords to match, on top of the ones Bird already ships for this operation and country. Omit to keep Bird's keywords and change only the reply, including keywords Bird adds later. You cannot remove one of Bird's keywords, and a keyword Bird has bound to another operation cannot be reused here. Required for custom, which inherits none.

replystring nullable

The message to send back when a keyword matches, except on a confirm rule, which never sends one whatever this is set to. Set it to null together with confirmed_self_managed to send nothing at all.

confirmed_self_managedboolean

Set this with reply: null to confirm you send this reply from your own system, which switches Bird's auto-reply off for the rule. Required to send no reply, and rejected when a reply is given, so the two can never disagree.

Example request

{
  "operation": "stop",
  "country": "NL",
  "language": "fr",
  "number": "+18005551234",
  "keywords": [
    "pizza",
    "menu"
  ],
  "reply": "You have been unsubscribed and will receive no further messages.",
  "confirmed_self_managed": true
}

Response

The created rule.

idstring required

Identifier of a keyword rule. An sks_ id is one of Bird's defaults, which you can read but not change; an skw_ id is a rule your workspace created.

scope'system' | 'workspace' required

Whether the rule is one of Bird's defaults (system) or one your workspace created (workspace). A workspace rule takes precedence over Bird's default for the same country, so it is how you replace a reply without losing the keywords Bird ships.

operationstring required

What Bird does when an inbound message matches the rule.

  • stop unsubscribes the sender from further messages.
  • start resubscribes them.
  • help replies with your support information.
  • info replies with your program information. It behaves exactly as help does and is separate so a country whose INFO answer must differ from its HELP answer can carry both. Where Bird ships no info rule for a country, INFO is one of that country's help keywords and answers with the help reply.
  • confirm marks a double opt-in reply. It sends nothing today, so answer it from your own handler.
  • custom replies with the text you configured and has no other effect.

Bird's built-in rules fix the operation for stop, start and help; you can change their reply but not what they do. The same holds for info in any country where Bird ships an info rule. This is an open enum. Accept unrecognized values.

countrystring nullable

The country the rule applies in, as an ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 code. A rule for NL covers messages received on your Dutch numbers, and messages from a subscriber whose own number is Dutch whichever of your numbers they text. Rules for the country a message arrives in always outrank rules for the country its sender is in; within each, your rule wins over Bird's keywords for that country. number confines a rule to one number. Null means the rule applies worldwide, which is allowed for custom operations only.

languagestring nullable

The language this rule covers, in countries where Bird ships keywords in more than one. Canada has separate English and French rules, so a Canadian rule names which one it replaces and the other keeps Bird's reply. Null in countries with a single set.

numberstring nullable

Narrows the rule to one of your numbers in E.164 format, instead of every number you hold in the country. Null means it applies to all of them.

keywordsstring[] required

The keywords this rule adds. For one of Bird's defaults this is the full set Bird ships. For a rule you created it is only what you added on top. It never restates or removes Bird's keywords, so effective_keywords is what actually matches.

effective_keywordsstring[] required

Every keyword that matches this rule: Bird's keywords for the same operation, country and language, plus the ones you added. This is what an inbound message is compared against. Keywords Bird adds later join it without you changing anything.

replystring nullable

The message sent back when one of the keywords matches, except on a confirm rule, which never sends one. Null when the auto-reply is switched off, which reply_disabled_at distinguishes from a rule that has not been given one.

reply_suffixstring nullable

Text appended to your reply that you cannot change: the rates and opt-out wording carriers require on a help response. Your reply is sent in front of it, and both count against the length a single message allows. Null when the operation carries none.

reply_disabled_atstring date-time nullable

When the auto-reply for this rule was switched off, or null if it is on. Switching it off records that you send this reply from your own system, which is what Bird points to if a carrier asks why no reply went out.

mandatoryboolean required

Whether what this operation does is fixed. When true you can change the reply but not the behavior. An opt-out keyword always unsubscribes the sender, whichever rule matched it, because carriers and regulators require it.

created_atstring date-time required

When the rule was created.

updated_atstring date-time required

When the rule was last changed. On one of Bird's defaults this is when Bird last changed the keywords or the reply for that country.

Example response

{
  "id": "skw_01krdgeqcxet5s7t44vh8rt9mg",
  "operation": "stop",
  "country": "NL",
  "language": "fr",
  "number": "+18005551234",
  "keywords": [
    "pizza",
    "menu"
  ],
  "effective_keywords": [
    "stop",
    "stoppen",
    "afmelden"
  ],
  "reply": "You have been unsubscribed and will receive no further messages.",
  "reply_suffix": "Msg&data rates may apply. Reply STOP to unsubscribe.",
  "reply_disabled_at": "2026-08-12T09:00:00Z",
  "mandatory": true,
  "created_at": "2026-08-12T09:00:00Z",
  "updated_at": "2026-08-12T09:00:00Z"
}

Changes

No recorded changes to this operation across all 2 revisions of this API.