How to send SMS through SMPP from OpenClaw
This guide explains how to connect OpenClaw to Ozeki SMS Gateway's built in SMS MCP server, enabling the AI assistant to send and receive SMS messages through your own on-premises SMS gateway. You will learn how to install Ozeki SMS Gateway, create an MCP user account, generate an API key, register the MCP endpoint in OpenClaw, and verify the setup by sending a test message.
Solution: How to send SMS from OpenClaw
OpenClaw connects to the SMPP SMS MCP Server through the MCP protocol, where OpenClaw acts as the MCP client and Ozeki SMS Gateway acts as the MCP server. Ozeki SMS Gateway is installed on your local machine or server and connects to the SMS service provider over the internet using an SMPP client connection. When an SMS is sent, it first travels from OpenClaw to the Ozeki SMS Gateway as an MCP tool call, and the gateway forwards it to the SMS service provider over SMPP, which delivers it to the recipient's mobile phone.
What is OpenClaw?
OpenClaw is an open-source, autonomous AI agent designed to run locally on your computer, managing tasks by interacting directly with applications, files, and messaging apps like Telegram or Discord. Launched in late 2025, it acts as a personal AI assistant with persistent memory, capable of executing shell commands, browsing the web, and running automated "skills".
What is an SMPP SMS MCP Server?
An SMPP SMS MCP Server is a standardized software bridge that uses the Model Context Protocol to connect AI assistants (like Claude) to an SMS gateway system such as Ozeki SMS Gateway, which in turn delivers messages to the mobile network over an SMPP client connection. It exposes tools like "send_message" or "list_incomings" that an AI can autonomously call to perform real-world texting tasks without custom coding. This allows users to simply ask an AI to "send John a reminder text" and have the AI securely execute the action through the server. The SMS MCP Server built into Ozeki SMS Gateway also makes receiving SMS messages possible.
Download Ozeki SMS Gateway
To use this solution you need to install the SMS Gateway on your system.
Download the software: SMS Gateway
https://ozeki-sms-gateway.com/p_727-download-sms-gateway.html
Steps to follow
You will need OpenClaw installed on your system. If you have not set it up yet, follow our OpenClaw installation guide.
- Install Ozeki SMS Gateway
- Setup the SMPP SMS connection
- Create an MCP user account
- OpenClaw SMS MCP Server Config
- Add the SMS MCP Server config to OpenClaw
- Send a test SMS
- Check the SMS in the SMS Gateway logs
Install Ozeki SMS Gateway
For a full tutorial on installing Ozeki SMS Gateway, check out our How to install Ozeki SMS Gateway on Windows guide.
Before you can use the SMS MCP Server, you need to install Ozeki SMS Gateway on your Windows machine or server. Download the installer zip file from the website, extract it, and run the executable to complete the installation. Once installed, the gateway will start automatically and its web-based management interface will be accessible from your browser.
Setup the SMPP SMS connection
For a full tutorial on setting up an SMPP Client connection, check out our SMPP Client Connection guide.
Before creating the MCP user, you need to connect Ozeki SMS Gateway to the mobile network by setting up an SMPP client. In the Connections panel, select Add new connection, and install a new SMPP client connection. Enter the host, port, and credentials provided by your SMS service provider, then save and activate the connection to bring the gateway online.
Create an MCP user account
For a full tutorial on creating an MCP User, check out our Create an MCP User guide.
Click Add new user/application, and select the MCP user type from the list. Enter a username and password for the account, then open the Advanced tab to generate an API key. Copy this key and store it in a safe location, as you will need it in the next steps.
OpenClaw MCP server configuration
# OpenClaw configuration file location:
C:\Users\{User}\.openclaw\openclaw.json
# Add the following block inside the "mcp" property in openclaw.json
# Replace the URL with your Ozeki SMS Gateway address and the Bearer token with your API key
"ozeki": {
"url": "http://{address}:9529/mcp",
"transport": "streamable-http",
"headers": {
"Authorization": "Bearer your-bearer-token"
}
}
}
Example prompt
Send an SMS to +36301234567, the message should be "Hello from OpenClaw".
Add the SMS MCP Server config to OpenClaw
The following video shows how to add the Ozeki SMPP SMS MCP Server to OpenClaw step-by-step.
Navigate to your user directory at C:\Users\{User}\ and open the
.openclaw\openclaw.json file in a text editor such as Notepad.
This file stores all OpenClaw configuration, including any MCP servers that
OpenClaw should connect to on startup.
Inside the file, locate the mcp property and add the Ozeki SMS
Gateway entry with the correct URL pointing to your Ozeki SMS Gateway address
and the Bearer token set to your API key. Save the file after making the
changes so OpenClaw can load the updated configuration.
"ozeki": {
"url": "http://{address}:9529/mcp",
"transport": "streamable-http",
"headers": {
"Authorization": "Bearer your-bearer-token"
}
}
}
Open a new PowerShell window by searching for PowerShell in the Start menu and clicking on the application.
Check the MCP server connection status using openclaw mcp list to verify
that the Ozeki SMS Gateway appears and is successfully connected.
Send a test SMS
The following video shows how to send an SMS message from OpenClaw using the Ozeki SMPP SMS MCP server step-by-step.
Open a terminal window, navigate to your working directory and launch the
application by typing openclaw in the terminal (Figure 5).
By default, OpenClaw may start with a restricted or coding-focused agent. To ensure full access to MCP tools, switch to the normal agent mode. This allows OpenClaw to utilize all available MCP servers, including the Ozeki SMS MCP server (Figure 6).
In the OpenClaw prompt, type your SMS request in plain language and press Enter. OpenClaw will interpret the request and select the appropriate MCP tool to fulfill it (Figure 7).
Send an SMS to +36301234567, the message should be "Message from OpenClaw".
Once the tool has been executed, OpenClaw will display the result returned by the Ozeki SMS MCP server. A successful response confirms that the message was submitted to the gateway and handed off for delivery (Figure 8).
Check the SMS in the SMS Gateway logs
The following video shows how to check the SMS in the logs in Ozeki SMS Gateway step-by-step.
Open Ozeki SMS Gateway in your browser and navigate to the event log of your MCP user. You should see an entry for the outgoing message, including the recipient number and message text, confirming that it was successfully processed by the gateway (Figure 9).
Final thoughts
In this guide, you have learned how to connect OpenClaw to Ozeki SMS Gateway's built-in SMS MCP Server and use it to send SMS messages directly from the terminal. By installing the gateway, setting up an SMPP connection to the mobile network, creating an MCP user account, and registering the MCP endpoint in OpenClaw, you now have a fully functional on-premises SMS integration that your AI agent can use to communicate with any mobile phone.