Channel: what it means and which channels AI Chatbot supports
A channel is a place where your AI assistant talks to your customers: a chat widget on your website, your Facebook Page inbox (Messenger), your Telegram bot or, in Vietnam, a Zalo Official Account. Every channel shares one knowledge base and one Inbox, so a customer gets the same answer about price and policy wherever they ask.
What does each channel cover, and what does it leave out?
| Channel | The assistant answers | Not covered |
|---|---|---|
| Website chat widget | Visitors chatting on the websites you list | Websites that are not on the list |
| Facebook Messenger | Messages in your Facebook Page inbox | Comments under posts and livestreams; personal Facebook accounts |
| TikTok Shop chat | Coming soon | Comments during livestreams |
| Zalo Official Account (Vietnam) | Messages sent to the Official Account | Personal Zalo accounts; needs a verified OA on Zalo's Growth+ plan (Tăng trưởng+) |
| Telegram | Private messages to your own bot made with BotFather | Group chats; personal Telegram accounts |
Instagram, Lazada, WhatsApp and Viber are not available. Shopee chat is not answered, because Shopee does not allow chatbot replies in buyer chat. The connection requirements for each channel are on the integrations page.
How do channels relate to the Inbox and your team?
- Messages from every channel land in one shared Inbox, where your team takes over and replies whenever the assistant hands a chat off.
- If a channel's access expires, the dashboard shows that it needs to be reconnected, and the assistant resumes once you grant access again.
- Beyond the built-in channels, you can build your own chat interface on the public chat API using your workspace's API keys.
For example, a customer asks "do you have this in medium?" on your website at noon and on Messenger in the evening. Both times the assistant answers from the same product catalog.
To decide which channel to switch on first, read the overview ecommerce chat. To connect your first channel, follow the getting started guide. For the Facebook channel in detail, read the article on the Messenger chatbot.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a limit on the number of channels?
No plan limits the number of channels. Plans limit monthly messages, conversations and knowledge sources.
Can the assistant answer on a personal Zalo, Instagram or WhatsApp?
No. Zalo support covers a verified Zalo Official Account only (a Vietnam channel). Instagram, Lazada, WhatsApp, Viber and personal Facebook or Telegram accounts are not available, and Shopee chat is not answered because Shopee does not allow chatbot replies.
Does the assistant reply to comments under Facebook posts?
No. The Messenger channel is your Facebook Page inbox only. Comments under posts and livestream comments stay with you.
Can one Facebook Page or Official Account connect to several workspaces?
No. Each Page or Official Account connects to one workspace at a time, so two systems never answer the same customer.