Connect Your Channels
Operator AI makes it easy to connect all your communication channels and manage conversations from a single dashboard.
π Supported Channels
You can connect any or all of the following:
Web Chat
Add a live chat widget to your website.
SMS (via Twilio)
Handle customer conversations over text.
WhatsApp Business API (via Twilio)
Offer support and marketing via WhatsApp.
Instagram DMs
Manage direct messages from Instagram followers.
Facebook Messenger
Support users directly from your Facebook page.
Telegram Bot
Chat with users inside Telegram apps.
Slack
Route conversations into Slack for internal teams.
Email (IMAP/POP3)
Receive and reply to customer emails inside Operator AI.
Connect with users in China and Asia-Pacific.
β Operator AI supports simultaneous multi-channel communication β no switching between platforms.
π οΈ How to Connect a Channel
Go to your Operator AI Dashboard.
Navigate to Settings.
Choose the channel you want to connect.
Follow the on-screen authentication steps (API keys, OAuth approvals, credentials).
Test the connection by sending a sample message.
β Most channels can be connected in less than 5 minutes.
π Requirements by Channel
Web Chat
Website access to install a JavaScript snippet.
SMS
Twilio account and SMS-enabled number.
Twilio WhatsApp Business API access.
Business Instagram account linked to Facebook.
Facebook Messenger
Facebook Business Page and Facebook App permissions.
Telegram
Telegram Bot created via BotFather.
Slack
Slack App OAuth token and channel permissions.
IMAP/POP3 credentials (host, port, username, password).
Official WeChat Business Account credentials.
β Minimal technical setup required for most channels.
π Best Practices for Connecting Channels
Connect your highest-traffic channels first
Maximizes your initial engagement.
Test each channel after setup
Ensure message delivery and user experience.
Personalize welcome messages per channel
Tailor the tone for SMS vs Web Chat vs Instagram.
Set Business Hours by channel if needed
Control offline behavior for each channel individually.
β Smart channel setup = faster, smoother customer conversations.
π± SMS (via Twilio)
Requirements:
SMS-enabled phone number
Steps:
Log into Operator AI Dashboard.
Go to Settings β Notifications β Text Message Notifications.
Enter your:
Account SID
Auth Token
Messaging Service SID (or Sender number)
Click Save.
β Done! You can now receive and send SMS through Operator AI.
π² WhatsApp
π Option 1: Twilio WhatsApp Business API
β
Requirements:
Twilio account
WhatsApp-enabled phone number
π§ Setup Steps:
Go to Settings β Channels β WhatsApp.
Choose Connect via Twilio.
Enter your:
Twilio SID
Auth Token
Phone Number SID
Click Save to verify your connection.
β You can now send and receive WhatsApp messages via Operator AI.
βοΈ Option 2: WhatsApp Cloud API (Meta)
π Automatic Sync Mode
Recommended for most users
Go to Settings β Channels β WhatsApp and click Synchronize Now.
Follow the Facebook Business verification steps.
After syncing:
All numbers are added automatically.
You can delete or disable numbers from Settings β WhatsApp β Cloud API Numbers.
If SMS verification doesn't work, enter the most recent PIN code you received.
π οΈ Troubleshooting:
If you're not receiving messages, click Reconnect and re-authenticate.
β Youβre all set for real-time message syncing via WhatsApp Cloud API.
π§βπ» Manual Sync Mode (Advanced)
Step-by-Step Setup:
Create a new app (choose Other β Business).
Link the app to your Business Manager account.
In Operator AI β Settings β WhatsApp β Cloud API, generate a Secret Key.
Go back to your Meta app:
Add WhatsApp as a product.
In WhatsApp > Configuration, paste:
Webhook URL from Operator AI
Verify Token = Secret Key from earlier
Enable the messages field under Webhook fields.
Verify integration:
Go to API Setup in your app.
Send a test message using your Phone Number ID and Temporary Token.
π Permanent Token Setup:
Go to Business Settings β Users β System Users
Create or select a system user and grant Full Control to your WhatsApp app.
Go to System Users β Generate New Token.
Select your app, enable the following permissions:
whatsapp_business_management
whatsapp_business_messaging
business_management
Set expiration to Never, generate, and copy the token.
Paste it into: Operator AI β Settings β WhatsApp β Cloud API Numbers β Token
β Adding Additional Phone Numbers
In your app, go to WhatsApp > API Setup and click Add Phone Number.
After verification, copy the Phone Number ID and paste it into Operator AI.
β οΈ Important Notes
Using your current WhatsApp Business number with Operator AI will disconnect it from the WhatsApp Business App.
π© Facebook Messenger
Requirements:
Facebook Business Page
Admin access to Facebook Business Manager
Steps:
Go to Settings β Channels β Messenger.
Click Connect Facebook Page.
Grant Operator AI the required permissions:
pages_manage_metadata
pages_messaging
pages_read_engagement
Select your Facebook Page.
Save.
β Done! You can now handle Messenger conversations inside Operator AI.
πΈ Instagram Direct Messaging
Requirements:
Instagram Business Account linked to Facebook Business Manager
Steps:
Go to Settings β Channels β Instagram.
Click Connect Instagram Business Account.
Authorize Operator AI.
Select the Instagram account you want to sync.
β Done! Operator AI can now reply to Instagram DMs.
βοΈ Telegram
Requirements:
Create a Telegram Bot via BotFather
Steps:
Talk to @BotFather in Telegram.
Create a new bot and get your Bot Token.
Go to Settings β Channels β Telegram in Operator AI.
Enter your Bot Token.
Save.
β Done! Messages sent to your Telegram bot will now appear in Operator AI.
π¦ Twitter (Direct Messages)
Requirements:
Twitter Developer Access
Steps:
Create an App.
Get:
Consumer Key
Consumer Secret
Access Token
Access Token Secret
In Operator AI Dashboard β Settings β Channels β Twitter, enter the above details.
Save.
β Done! You can now handle Twitter DMs via Operator AI.
π¨π³ WeChat
Requirements:
WeChat Official Account
Steps:
Go to WeChat Official Accounts Platform.
Get:
App ID
App Secret
Token
In Operator AI, go to Settings β Channels β WeChat.
Enter your credentials.
Save.
β Done! WeChat messages are now routed to Operator AI.
π Slack
Requirements:
Slack Workspace
Slack App credentials
Steps:
Create a Slack App or use an existing one.
Authorize it for your workspace.
Get:
OAuth Token
In Operator AI β Settings β Channels β Slack, paste the OAuth Token.
Map Slack channels to Operator AI departments if needed.
β Done! You can now handle Slack conversations inside Operator AI.
π§ Email (Email Piping)
Requirements:
IMAP/POP3 email access credentials
Steps:
Go to Settings β Channels β Email.
Enable Email Piping.
Enter:
Email Server Host
Username
Password
Port (typically 993 for IMAP)
Save settings.
β Done! Incoming emails will now appear as conversations.
π Need Help?
See detailed guides inside the Connect Your Channels section.
Book a Channel Setup Call with your Success Manager (available for Growth and Enterprise plans).
β Weβll help you connect every channel easily.
π― Next Step
Once your channels are live, learn how to launch Operator AI and start capturing leads:
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