# "How to Connect YO! SMS to On-Chat"

> "On-Chat integrates with YO! SMS so your team can receive and reply to inbound SMS from Ugandan and East African customers in a centralized inbox with routing, automation, and conversation tracking."

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

## Introduction
YO! is a Ugandan SMS gateway provider offering reliable mobile messaging services for businesses operating in Uganda and East Africa. By integrating YO! with On-Chat, support teams can receive and respond to inbound SMS from local customers in a shared inbox, with agent routing, automated responses, and conversation management — enabling efficient, two-way customer support across the region.

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## Prerequisites
- An active YO! account with SMS API access
- YO! API credentials (username, password, or API key)
- A YO! shortcode or virtual number enabled for inbound SMS
- On-Chat account with admin access
- Ability to configure inbound message webhooks in YO!

## Step 1: Obtain Your YO! API Credentials
Log in to your YO! account or contact YO! support to access your API credentials. Obtain your **API username** and **password** (or API key), along with the YO! API endpoint URL. Also note your sender ID or shortcode that customers will use. Keep these credentials secure.

## Step 2: Provision an Inbound SMS Number or Shortcode
Verify with YO! that your account has a shortcode or virtual number configured for receiving inbound SMS. If two-way messaging is not yet enabled, contact YO! business support to provision the right number for your customer support use case in Uganda or East Africa.

## Step 3: Create an SMS Inbox in On-Chat
In On-Chat, go to **Settings** → **Inboxes** → **New Inbox** and select **SMS**. Choose **YO!** as the provider. Enter your YO! API credentials, endpoint URL, and shortcode or virtual number. Save the inbox — On-Chat will generate the inbound webhook URL for the next step.

## Step 4: Configure the Inbound Webhook in YO!
In your YO! account settings or via YO! support, configure the **inbound message delivery URL** to the On-Chat webhook URL you generated. Set the HTTP method to POST. YO! will now forward all incoming customer SMS to On-Chat as new conversations automatically.

## Step 5: Add Agents and Set Up Routing
In On-Chat, go to **Settings** → **Inboxes** → select your YO! inbox → **Collaborators**. Add agents who will handle YO! SMS conversations. Enable auto-assignment so On-Chat routes new conversations to available agents based on availability and workload.

## Step 6: Test the Integration
Send a test SMS to your YO! shortcode or virtual number. Verify the message appears in On-Chat as a new conversation. Reply from an agent and confirm the customer receives the outbound SMS via YO!. Review message logs and On-Chat conversation history for accuracy.

## Best Practices
- Use On-Chat automation to send immediate auto-replies in local languages when customers first message via YO!
- Assign the YO! inbox to agents with East African regional expertise for culturally appropriate support
- Apply On-Chat conversation labels to categorize and analyze SMS support trends across Uganda and the region
- Monitor YO! message delivery regularly to identify and resolve delivery failures quickly

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- [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.
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