Receive your first customer message

Connect one customer channel and prove that a real message reaches Onlo Inbox.

For: Workspace owners and administrators connecting customer support
Needs: Complete this in Onlo. Start with Web chat if you want a no-code path.
Time: 5 minutes active · None for Web chat; provider approval may take longer waiting

Before you start

An Onlo workspace with access to Inbox channels
A customer-facing channel or controlled test surface where you can send one message

Why connect a channel?

A channel is where customers contact your team. Connecting one channel is enough to prove the complete path before you add more.

Choose the easiest channel to test

Open Inbox channels. Each channel card shows whether you can Connect it, Manage an existing connection, need to Upgrade, or must wait because it is Coming soon.

Web chat is built in and is usually the fastest controlled test. Choose another channel when that is where your first real support conversations will arrive.

Connect and test the channel

Step 1
Open Inbox channels
In Onlo, open Inbox channels and select the channel you want to test first.
Expected resultThe channel card shows its current availability and connection action.
Step 2
Complete the connection
Select Connect and finish the provider flow. For Web chat, open its Manage screen and use the customer-facing test surface.
Expected resultThe channel card shows Connected or Manage.
Step 3
Send a unique message
From the customer-facing side, send a short message you can recognize, such as “First Onlo channel test”.
Expected resultThe message is accepted by the connected channel.
Step 4
Open the conversation
Open Inbox → Chats and find the message you just sent.
Expected resultA conversation contains the exact test message.
Step 5
Reply once
Send a short reply from Onlo and confirm it appears on the customer-facing channel.
Expected resultThe reply stays in the same conversation.

Send one new identifiable message from the customer-facing channel, then open Inbox → Chats.

Expected result

The message appears in one conversation and a reply from Onlo returns through the same channel.

If you don't see this

Return to Inbox channels and confirm the card still shows Connected or Manage.
Confirm you sent the message to the same account, page, address, or widget connected to this workspace.
Retry with Web chat to separate Onlo setup from an external provider problem.

Customer questions

Do I need to connect every channel now?

No. Prove one complete conversation first. Add other channels after the first path works.

Can I start without provider credentials?

Yes. Use the built-in Web chat path for the quickest controlled test.

Why does a channel say Upgrade or Coming soon?

Upgrade means the current plan does not include that connection. Coming soon means the provider path is not available for this workspace yet.

Common mistakes

Connecting several providers before proving one complete conversation.
Testing a different provider account or customer entry point from the one connected to Onlo.
Assuming a Connected badge proves message delivery without sending a real test message.

You have completed this guide when

The selected channel shows Connected or is available as the built-in Web chat channel.
A unique test message appears in Inbox → Chats.
You can reply from the same conversation in Onlo.

Troubleshooting

The channel card never shows Connected.

Likely cause: The provider flow did not finish, the plan does not include the channel, or the channel is unavailable.
Recovery: Reopen the card and follow the displayed Connect, Upgrade, or Coming soon state.

The channel is connected but the message never appears.

Likely cause: The message was sent through a different provider account or customer entry point.
Recovery: Confirm the exact account, page, address, or widget connected to this workspace, then send a unique test message.

Customers receive no reply.

Likely cause: The inbound message arrived, but the outbound provider path or conversation selection is wrong.
Recovery: Open the exact conversation in Inbox, send a plain-text reply, and confirm the provider connection remains active.