VirtualSMS MCP Server — SMS Verification for AI Agents

VirtualSMS MCP Server is a Model Context Protocol server that gives AI agents access to a complete SMS verification API. Get a virtual phone number, receive SMS online, and extract verification codes — all without leaving your AI workflow.

Powered by VirtualSMS.io — a phone verification service running on own infrastructure across 200+ countries.

Quick Start

npx virtualsms-mcp

Or install globally:

npm install -g virtualsms-mcp

Get your API key at virtualsms.io.

What is VirtualSMS?

VirtualSMS.io is a temporary phone number API for SMS verification. Unlike resellers that aggregate other providers, VirtualSMS operates its own modem infrastructure — giving you direct access to real SIM cards across 200+ countries.

Use it to verify accounts on WhatsApp, Telegram, Google, Instagram, and 500+ other services — programmatically, via API or MCP.

Why VirtualSMS?

• Own infrastructure — Not a reseller. Real SIM cards on our own hardware.
• 200+ countries — Find the cheapest number for any service worldwide.
• Real-time delivery — WebSocket push means your agent gets the code in seconds, not minutes.
• Competitive pricing — Starting from $0.02 per number.
• Simple REST + WebSocket API — Clean, documented, agent-friendly.
• 12 MCP tools — Everything from price discovery to one-step code retrieval.

Migrating from SMS-Activate?

If you're moving away from SMS-Activate, VirtualSMS is a straightforward alternative with comparable service coverage, competitive pricing, and a modern API built for programmatic use.

Just swap your API key and update the base URL — the concepts (buy number → wait for SMS → get code) are identical.

👉 Sign up at VirtualSMS.io and get started in minutes.

Configuration

Claude Desktop

Edit ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json (macOS) or %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json (Windows):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "virtualsms": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["virtualsms-mcp"],
      "env": {
        "VIRTUALSMS_API_KEY": "vsms_your_api_key_here"
      }
    }
  }
}

Cursor

Edit ~/.cursor/mcp.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "virtualsms": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["virtualsms-mcp"],
      "env": {
        "VIRTUALSMS_API_KEY": "vsms_your_api_key_here"
      }
    }
  }
}

Environment Variables

| Variable | Required | Default | Description | |----------|----------|---------|-------------| | VIRTUALSMS_API_KEY | Yes (for auth tools) | — | Your VirtualSMS API key | | VIRTUALSMS_BASE_URL | No | https://virtualsms.io | API base URL |

Tools (12 total)

Discovery Tools (no auth required)

list_services

Get all available SMS verification services.

list_services()
→ [{code: "telegram", name: "Telegram"}, ...]

list_countries

Get all available countries for phone verification.

list_countries()
→ [{iso: "US", name: "United States"}, ...]

check_price

Check price and availability for a service + country combination.

check_price(service: "telegram", country: "US")
→ {price_usd: 0.15, available: true}

find_cheapest

Find cheapest countries for a service, sorted by price.

find_cheapest(service: "telegram", limit: 5)
→ {cheapest_options: [{country: "PK", price_usd: 0.05, ...}], total_available_countries: 23}

search_service

Find the right service code using natural language.

search_service(query: "uber")
→ {matches: [{code: "uber", name: "Uber", match_score: 1.0}]}

Account Tools (API key required)

get_balance

Check your account balance.

get_balance()
→ {balance_usd: 5.00}

active_orders

List your active orders. Essential for crash recovery.

active_orders()
active_orders(status: "pending")
→ {count: 2, orders: [{order_id: "abc123", phone_number: "+14155552671", status: "pending", ...}]}

Optional status filter: "pending", "sms_received", "cancelled", "completed"

Order Management Tools (API key required)

buy_number

Purchase a virtual phone number for a specific service and country.

buy_number(service: "telegram", country: "US")
→ {order_id: "abc123", phone_number: "+14155552671", expires_at: "...", status: "pending"}

check_sms

Check if an SMS verification code has arrived.

check_sms(order_id: "abc123")
→ {status: "sms_received", phone_number: "+14155552671", sms_code: "12345", sms_text: "Your code is 12345"}

cancel_order

Cancel an order and request a refund (only if no SMS received yet). 2-minute minimum wait after purchase.

cancel_order(order_id: "abc123")
→ {success: true, refunded: true}

swap_number

Swap a phone number on an existing order. Gets a new number for the same service and country without additional charge. Use when the current number isn't receiving SMS. 2-minute minimum wait after purchase.

swap_number(order_id: "abc123")
→ {order_id: "def456", phone_number: "+628...", service: "telegram", country: "ID", status: "waiting"}

wait_for_code ⭐ Recommended

One-step tool: buys a number AND waits for the SMS code. Uses WebSocket for instant delivery with automatic polling fallback.

wait_for_code(service: "telegram", country: "US")
wait_for_code(service: "whatsapp", country: "PK", timeout_seconds: 180)
→ {
    success: true,
    phone_number: "+14155552671",
    sms_code: "12345",
    sms_text: "Your Telegram code: 12345",
    order_id: "abc123",
    delivery_method: "websocket",
    elapsed_seconds: 8
  }

On timeout, returns order_id for recovery:

→ {success: false, error: "timeout", order_id: "abc123", phone_number: "...", tip: "Use check_sms..."}

Number Rentals (Coming Soon)

Need to keep the same phone number for days or weeks? VirtualSMS supports number rentals for recurring verifications — perfect for long-running automations, dev testing, and accounts that require re-verification with the same number.

Rental tools (rent_number, extend_rental, list_rentals) are coming in v1.1. Stay tuned for updates.

How It Works

WebSocket vs Polling

wait_for_code uses a two-tier delivery system:

1. WebSocket (instant) — connects to wss://virtualsms.io/ws/orders?order_id=xxx&api_key=your_key immediately after purchase. When the SMS arrives, the server pushes it in real-time. Typical delivery: 2–15 seconds.

2. Polling fallback — if WebSocket fails to connect or disconnects, automatically falls back to polling GET /api/v1/order/{id} every 5 seconds.

The delivery_method field in the response tells you which was used.

Architecture

AI Agent (Claude / Cursor / any MCP client)
    │
    ▼ MCP stdio protocol
VirtualSMS MCP Server (this package)
    │
    ├──► REST API: https://virtualsms.io/api/v1/
    │        buy_number, check_sms, cancel_order, get_balance ...
    │
    └──► WebSocket: wss://virtualsms.io/ws/orders
             real-time SMS push delivery

Typical Workflows

Simple: Get a Telegram verification code

wait_for_code(service: "telegram", country: "US")

Budget: Find cheapest option first

find_cheapest(service: "telegram", limit: 3)
# → picks cheapest country
wait_for_code(service: "telegram", country: "PK")

Manual: Step by step

buy_number(service: "google", country: "GB")
# → order_id: "abc123", phone: "+447911123456"
# Use the number to trigger the SMS, then:
check_sms(order_id: "abc123")
# Number not working? Swap for a new one (no extra charge):
swap_number(order_id: "abc123")
# or cancel if no longer needed:
cancel_order(order_id: "abc123")

Crash Recovery

If your session is interrupted mid-verification:

1. Restart the MCP server
2. List active orders: active_orders(status: "pending")
3. Check for codes: check_sms(order_id: "abc123")
4. Cancel if not needed: cancel_order(order_id: "abc123")

wait_for_code always returns order_id even on timeout — use it to recover.

License

MIT — See LICENSE

Built with ❤️ by VirtualSMS.io — virtual phone numbers for SMS verification, built on own infrastructure.