# "How to Connect Clickatell SMS to On-Chat"

> "On-Chat integrates with Clickatell, a leading global SMS gateway, so your team can manage high-volume SMS customer conversations in a shared inbox with full automation support."

URL: https://on-chat.live/guides/how-to-connect-clickatell-sms-to-on-chat/
Last updated: 2026-11-14

## Introduction
Clickatell is one of the world's leading SMS gateway providers, delivering billions of messages globally for enterprises and businesses. With Clickatell integrated into On-Chat, your support team can manage inbound and outbound SMS conversations at scale — all from a single shared inbox with automation, routing, and reporting features.

**SEO Keywords:** Clickatell SMS integration, Clickatell On-Chat, SMS gateway helpdesk, Clickatell API customer support, enterprise SMS support, Clickatell two-way SMS

## Prerequisites
- An active Clickatell account with SMS API access
- Clickatell API key (from the Clickatell portal)
- On-Chat account with admin privileges
- A dedicated Clickatell long number or short code for two-way SMS
- Webhook URL support enabled in your Clickatell account

## Step 1: Retrieve Your Clickatell API Key
Log in to your Clickatell portal at portal.clickatell.com. Navigate to **My Apps** and select your application, or create a new SMS API app. Copy your **API Key** — this is what On-Chat will use to authenticate and send outbound SMS messages through Clickatell.

## Step 2: Obtain a Two-Way SMS Number
In Clickatell, ensure you have a long number or short code that supports inbound (two-way) SMS messaging. This number is what your customers will text. Navigate to **Numbers** in the portal and note your dedicated number.

## Step 3: Create an SMS Inbox in On-Chat
In On-Chat, go to **Settings** → **Inboxes** → **New Inbox** and select **SMS**. Choose **Clickatell** as the provider. Enter your API Key and the dedicated phone number. Save to generate your On-Chat webhook URL for inbound messages.

## Step 4: Configure the Inbound Webhook in Clickatell
In your Clickatell portal, go to your SMS application settings and find the **Incoming Message URL** or callback configuration. Set it to your On-Chat webhook endpoint. Clickatell will POST all incoming customer SMS messages to this URL.

## Step 5: Assign Agents and Configure Routing
In On-Chat, navigate to **Settings** → **Inboxes** → select your Clickatell inbox → **Collaborators**. Add agents who will handle SMS support. Configure conversation routing — round-robin, manual, or based on team availability — to ensure SMS messages are handled promptly.

## Step 6: Set Up Automation and Canned Responses
Create canned responses for common SMS queries. Set up On-Chat automation rules to auto-reply to customers when no agents are online, or to tag conversations by keyword. This keeps response times low even during high-volume SMS periods.

## Step 7: Test and Monitor the Integration
Send a test SMS to your Clickatell number and verify it appears in On-Chat. Reply from an agent and confirm the customer receives the reply. Monitor delivery reports in Clickatell's analytics dashboard alongside conversation data in On-Chat.

## Best Practices
- Keep SMS replies under 160 characters where possible to avoid multi-part message charges
- Use On-Chat labels to categorize Clickatell SMS conversations by issue type
- Review Clickatell delivery reports weekly to monitor message success rates
- Combine Clickatell SMS with On-Chat's CSAT surveys to measure SMS support quality

## Keep reading

- [How to Build a WhatsApp Chatbot Without Code](https://on-chat.live/guides/how-to-build-a-whatsapp-chatbot/): A step-by-step tutorial for building a dynamic WhatsApp chatbot in a visual flow builder, from your first message to live data and agent handoff.
- [Chatbot Flow Design: 12 Best Practices](https://on-chat.live/guides/chatbot-flow-design-best-practices/): Practical rules for designing chatbot conversation flows that customers finish: branching, fallbacks, personalisation, handoff and testing.
- [Make Your Chatbot Dynamic with Webhooks](https://on-chat.live/guides/dynamic-chatbot-webhooks/): Connect your chatbot flows to live data. Learn how webhooks, expressions and splits turn a scripted bot into one that answers with real information.