"getting-started"
"How to Connect SMSCentral to On-Chat"
"Connect SMSCentral to On-Chat and manage two-way customer SMS conversations in a shared inbox with automation, routing, and conversation management for Australi"
Introduction
SMSCentral is an Australian SMS gateway provider that delivers reliable, high-throughput SMS messaging for businesses across Australia and New Zealand. By integrating SMSCentral with On-Chat, support teams can receive and respond to inbound customer SMS in a shared inbox, enabling efficient two-way communication with routing, automation, and full conversation history — all in one platform.
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Prerequisites
- An active SMSCentral account with API access
- SMSCentral API username and password or API key
- A virtual number or dedicated shortcode enabled for inbound SMS
- On-Chat account with admin access
- Ability to configure delivery reports and inbound message webhooks in SMSCentral
Step 1: Retrieve Your SMSCentral API Credentials
Log in to your SMSCentral account portal. Navigate to the API settings or integration section and copy your API username and password (or API key). Note the API base URL for the SMSCentral REST API. These credentials will be used by On-Chat to authenticate outbound SMS requests.
Step 2: Provision an Inbound SMS Number
In SMSCentral, ensure you have a dedicated virtual number or shortcode configured for receiving inbound messages. If you don't have one, contact SMSCentral support to request a number suitable for two-way SMS customer support.
Step 3: Create an SMS Inbox in On-Chat
In On-Chat, go to Settings → Inboxes → New Inbox and select SMS. Choose SMSCentral as the provider. Enter your API credentials, the SMSCentral API endpoint, and your virtual number. Save the inbox — On-Chat will generate an inbound webhook URL.
Step 4: Set the Inbound Webhook in SMSCentral
In your SMSCentral account, navigate to your number settings and configure the inbound message callback URL to point to the webhook URL On-Chat generated. Set the method to HTTP POST. SMSCentral will now forward all incoming customer SMS to On-Chat, automatically opening new conversations.
Step 5: Add Agents and Configure Routing
In On-Chat, go to Settings → Inboxes → select your SMSCentral inbox → Collaborators. Add agents who will manage SMS conversations. Enable auto-assignment so new conversations are distributed evenly across available agents using round-robin or load-based assignment.
Step 6: Send a Test Message and Verify
Send a test SMS to your SMSCentral number. Confirm the message appears as a new conversation in On-Chat. Reply from an agent and verify the customer receives the outbound SMS. Check SMSCentral's delivery reports and On-Chat's conversation logs to ensure end-to-end success.
Best Practices
- Use On-Chat automation to send immediate auto-replies confirming receipt of customer SMS via SMSCentral
- Take advantage of SMSCentral's delivery reporting to monitor outbound message success rates
- Label conversations in On-Chat by issue type to track trends and improve team performance
- Configure On-Chat business hours to send automated away messages outside of support hours