OTP is not the same as a promo blast
When a user is logging in or confirming a payment, the SMS must arrive in seconds on MTN, Airtel, and other local networks. Marketing campaigns can wait; one-time passwords cannot.
Yoola SMS exposes a REST API so your app can send OTP traffic programmatically, with delivery reports and the same account you use for bulk campaigns.
Basic flow
- Your backend generates a short code and stores it with expiry (e.g. 5–10 minutes).
- Call the Yoola
sendAPI with the user phone and message body. - User enters the code; your backend verifies it.
- Optional: listen to delivery webhooks so you know if the SMS failed.
Message template tips
Your verification code is 482191. Valid for 10 minutes. Do not share it.
- Keep codes numeric and short
- State expiry
- Never put the code in a URL query string in the SMS if you can avoid it
- Rate-limit requests per phone to block abuse
Why local routing matters
International OTP routes can be slower or more expensive for Uganda numbers. A Uganda-focused provider with Mobile Money top-up and local network routing is usually a better fit for products whose users are on MTN and Airtel.
Integrate in minutes
Create an account, copy your API key from the dashboard, and follow the samples in PHP, Python, JavaScript, and more:
Roadmap note for product teams
If you only need “send this string by SMS,” the send API is enough. If you want Yoola to own generation, expiry, and check endpoints end-to-end, that is the direction of verification-as-a-service — still built on the same delivery engine.
Start testing
3 free SMS on signup. No card required. Top up with MoMo when you go live.
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