# Receive your first customer message

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

- **Audience:** Workspace owners and administrators connecting customer support
- **Intent:** Connect something
- **Active work:** 5 minutes
- **Waiting:** None for Web chat; provider approval may take longer
- **Where this happens:** Complete this in Onlo. Start with Web chat if you want a no-code path.

Canonical page: https://onlo.ai/docs/guides/get-started/connect-first-channel

## 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

1. **Open Inbox channels.** In Onlo, open Inbox channels and select the channel you want to test first.
   - **Expected result:** The channel card shows its current availability and connection action.
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 result:** The channel card shows Connected or Manage.
3. **Send a unique message.** From the customer-facing side, send a short message you can recognize, such as “First Onlo channel test”.
   - **Expected result:** The message is accepted by the connected channel.
4. **Open the conversation.** Open Inbox → Chats and find the message you just sent.
   - **Expected result:** A conversation contains the exact test message.
5. **Reply once.** Send a short reply from Onlo and confirm it appears on the customer-facing channel.
   - **Expected result:** The reply stays in the same conversation.

### Expected result

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

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

**If you do not 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.

## Related pages

- [Teach Onlo from your knowledge](https://onlo.ai/docs/guides/get-started/add-knowledge): Add one trusted source and wait until Onlo can use it to answer customer questions.