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SMS OTP API

Verify users at sign-up, login and checkout with one-time passwords delivered by SMS. Connect Media’s SMS OTP API sends codes to subscribers across Kenyan networks, with delivery receipts so you know whether each code arrived.

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Common OTP use cases

  • Phone number verification at account sign-up
  • Two-factor authentication on login
  • Transaction and payment confirmation, including SMS banking flows
  • Password reset and account recovery

How it works

  1. Your application generates a short random code and stores it with an expiry time.
  2. Your server sends the code to the user’s number through the Connect Media API.
  3. The user enters the code in your app or website, and your server checks it matches and hasn’t expired.

The request format and response codes are in the developer documentation.

OTP best practices

  • Keep codes short-lived — a few minutes is enough, and expired codes should be rejected.
  • Limit attempts — lock verification after a small number of wrong guesses.
  • Use a registered sender ID — customers trust codes that come from your brand name, and it makes phishing messages easier to spot.
  • Never put the code in a link — and remind users that your staff will never ask for it.
  • Have a fallback — offer a voice call through IVR for users whose SMS doesn’t arrive.

Why delivery reports matter for OTP

A login code that arrives late is as bad as one that never arrives. Delivery receipts for every message let you see failures as they happen, spot problem numbers, and trigger a fallback instead of leaving a user stuck on the verification screen.

Get started

Create an account, generate API credentials and send a test code to your own phone. For high-volume authentication traffic, email info@connectmedia.co.ke. See also our Bulk SMS API.

Frequently asked questions

How long should an OTP be valid?

A few minutes is usually enough. Your application sets the expiry and should reject expired codes.

What if the SMS does not arrive?

Delivery receipts show failures as they happen, so you can offer a resend or a voice call through IVR as a fallback.

Which networks are supported?

OTP messages reach subscribers on Kenyan mobile networks, including Safaricom, Airtel and Telkom.