YakChat

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Revision as of 14:26, 11 August 2022

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Previously called Chatabox, YakChat was the first solution to enhance Skype for Business with interactive SMS. And now they’re the world-leader of integrated SMS functionality for Microsoft Teams and Microsoft 365.

With over 25 years’ experience in the communications industry, they’re pretty skilled at what they do, and feel passionately that 2-way SMS should be as easy for business as picking up the phone.

Enhancing and extending the communication and collaboration power of Microsoft Teams with interactive SMS, they’re proud to unleash maximum value for customers and partners.

Contents 1 Connecting YakChat to your VoIP.ms DID 1.1 Pre-requisites 1.2 1. Enabling the VoIP.ms API 1.3 2. Enable SMS and SMS URL callback for your DID 1.4 3. Send the API details to YakChat 2 Installing YakChat into MS Teams 2.1 1. Download YakChat 2.2 2. Install the file into MS teams 2.3 3. Sign in using Microsoft Credentials 2.4 4. Provide Microsoft Admin Consent (Admin user in MS Teams) 2.5 5. Provide Microsoft Admin Consent (Non-Admin user in MS Teams) 2.6 6. Sign into the YakChat Messaging App 2.7 7. Sign in for Teams Notifications 2.8 8. Sign in Expired 3 Guide Links

Connecting YakChat to your VoIP.ms DID

Pre-requisites

The YakChat service can connect with your VoIP.ms telephony service in 3 easy steps:

1. Enable the VoIP.ms API
2. Add SMS and YakChat callback URL to the DID number(s)
3. Send API information to YakChat at [email protected]

The YakChat team then will test the connection for you and confirm when everything is set up.

1. Enabling the VoIP.ms API

In the Customer Portal head to “Main Menu” and click on the menu “SOAP and REST/JSON API”.

On this page, you must create a password for your API (make sure to take note of it) and click on the “Save API Password”.

Then, click on the button “Enable/Disable API”.

Then add the following IP Address by copying and pasting it into the Enable IP Addresses box: 13.89.246.147. If you are already using the API from another IP address you can add this separated by a comma (,). Then click on the button “Save IP addresses”.

2. Enable SMS and SMS URL callback for your DID

In the Customer Portal, head to the option “DID numbers” and click on “Manage DIDs”. On this page, select the number you will use with YakChat and click on the edit button of this (the pencil icon).

Once you have done this, head to the bottom of the page and locate the SMS settings. There, check the boxes next to “Message Service”, “SMS URL Callback” and “URL Callback Retry”.

On “SMS URL Callback” you also have to enter the following URL: https://services.yakchat.com:2200/message?to={TO}&from={FROM}&message={MESSAGE}&id={ID}&date={TIMESTAMP}&media={MEDIA}

Click on Apply changes once everything is set.

3. Send the API details to YakChat

Once everything is properly set in the VoIP.ms Customer portal, the YakChat team must activate the service for you.

To do so, send the following details to [email protected]

1. Portal User ID (email address associated with your VoIP.ms account)
2. API Password
3. The DID number you want to use with YakChat

Make sure you’re sending the VoIP.ms API Password (please do not send your Portal password) in the same email or, if preferred, text the password to (425) 385-0385.

You could also go to the following link and use the form that is at the end of the page to send the API details: https://www.yakchat.com/help/voip_ms/

Installing YakChat into MS Teams

Important: The .zip file must be uploaded into Microsoft Teams intact. Do not extract any files contained in the .zip file or the installation process will fail, even if the files are re-compressed into a new .zip file.

Safari browsers are often set to automatically extract .zip files. This setting must be disabled. You can find instructions on how to do that here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZ2han_Er0w

1. Download YakChat

Firstly, download YakChat App for Microsoft Teams into your default download folder.

You can do it from any of the links below:

• (Direct download link) https://yakchat.com/installation
• https://www.yakchat.com/choose-your-yakchat-application-2/

As has been noted, you must ensure the .zip file is not unpacked. The whole .zip file must be uploaded into Microsoft Teams.

2. Install the file into MS teams

Now open Microsoft Teams. Then click on the “Apps” icon from the toolbar on the left.

Click on “Manage your apps”. You can find it at the bottom of the Store menu in Microsoft Teams.

Click on “Publish an app” that is located at the top.

Then click on “Upload a customized app” in the pop-up window.

Important: If the Upload a customized app option is not displayed, then click on Submit and app to your org and after adding the app, contact your Microsoft Teams administrator to approve the app using the Teams Administration Portal. Once approved, you will need to sign out and back into Teams and go to Step 3.

Select “YakChat.zip” file in your browser’s default download folder.

Then click “Open”.

The Microsoft Teams Manifest window will be displayed.

Now click the “Add” button to add the YakChat app into Microsoft Teams.

3. Sign in using Microsoft Credentials

Microsoft Teams will provide a notification window requesting additional permissions.

Click “Continue”.

Microsoft’s authentication window will now be displayed.

Simply sign-in with your Microsoft Teams email and password. You will also use these to login to YakChat.

4. Provide Microsoft Admin Consent (Admin user in MS Teams)

Microsoft’s permission window will be displayed requesting your consent to access the YakChat App.

Click “Accept” to continue.

To connect your Microsoft 365 tenant with YakChat requires permission from your Microsoft Teams or Azure administrator.

If you are an administrator, then you can approve yourself by clicking on the “Accept” button.

To approve for another user, tick the option: “Consent on behalf of your organization”. Then skip to Step 6.

5. Provide Microsoft Admin Consent (Non-Admin user in MS Teams)

If you are not the Microsoft Teams or Azure administrator, you will now be presented with a similar Microsoft permission request window but without the Consent on behalf of your organization option.

Click on the “Accept” button for a link that your administrator can use to provide admin approval.

6. Sign into the YakChat Messaging App

If you are the Microsoft administrator and registered with YakChat the YakChat app will now be displayed.

If you are not the Microsoft administrator, you will need to refresh the app and click Sign in.

You may need to logout and back into Teams if this fails.

7. Sign in for Teams Notifications

Just a few more steps to enable YakChat to provide you with new message notifications.

Click on the Chat tab, then click on the Type your questions here text box and type “Sign in” or use the “What I can do?” menu.

Another Microsoft’s authentication window will be displayed.

Sign-in with your Microsoft Teams Account email and password.

8. Sign in Expired

The ‘bot’ sign in adaptive cards expire after about 10 minutes, which will result in the message “The sign in code was was not found or expired message box”.

If this message is displayed, type “signout” into the Type your questions here text box or select from the "What I can do?" menu and repeat step 7.

Guide Links

YakChat guide : Send your first text from MS Teams

Configuring YakChat with VoIP.ms : YakChat & VoIP.ms

Help center: YakChat Help Center