Channels
What are Channels?
Channels are the way your AI agents connect with users in the outside world. Think of a channel as a bridge that allows people to interact with your agent through their favorite communication platform, whether that's Slack, WhatsApp, Telegram, or other services.
When you set up a channel, you're creating a connection between:
Your AI Agent - The intelligent assistant you've built
A Communication Platform - Where your users already spend their time (like Slack or WhatsApp)
Your Users - People who want to interact with your agent
Once a channel is configured and published, users can start conversations with your agent directly from that platform, and your agent will respond back through the same channel.
How Channels Work
You configure a channel in your project, connecting it to an agent and providing the necessary credentials from the communication platform (like API tokens).
You publish the channel to an environment (like Production or Staging), which makes it active and ready for users.
Users interact with your agent through the channel, sending messages and receiving responses naturally.
Your agent processes the messages, understanding the context and providing intelligent responses, all while maintaining conversation history.
Supported Channels
Stage5 currently supports the following communication channels:
✅ Fully Supported Channels
These channels are fully implemented and ready to use:
Slack - Connect your agent to Slack workspaces. Users can interact with your agent in Slack channels or direct messages.
Telegram - Create Telegram bots that users can chat with individually or in groups.
Twilio WhatsApp - Enable WhatsApp conversations using Twilio's messaging service. Perfect for business communication.
🚧 Coming Soon
These channels are planned for future releases:
API - Programmatic access to your agents via REST API
Web - Embed agents directly into your website or web application
Microsoft Teams - Integration with Teams workspaces
Discord - Connect agents to Discord servers
Facebook Messenger - Enable conversations through Messenger
Instagram Direct Messages - Reach users through Instagram
Intercom - Integration with Intercom for customer support
Line - Connect to Line messaging platform
Viber - Enable Viber messaging capabilities
Common Configuration Options
All channels share some common configuration settings that help you control how users interact with your agent:
Basic Information
Name - A descriptive name for your channel (e.g., "Customer Support Bot")
Description - A brief explanation of what the channel is for
Agent - The agent that will handle conversations through this channel
User Registration
You can control who can interact with your agent through a channel:
Self-Registration for Existing Users - If enabled, users who already have access to your project can start conversations by simply messaging the channel.
Self-Registration for New Users - If enabled, new users can automatically be added to your project when they first message the channel.
Custom Messages - You can customize the messages sent to users when registration is disabled or when they're not allowed to use the channel.
User Status Messages
You can set custom messages for:
Disabled Users - What users see when their account is disabled
Deleted Users - What users see when they try to message after being removed from the project
Getting Started
To set up your first channel:
Choose which communication platform your users prefer (Slack, Telegram, or WhatsApp)
Follow the setup guide for that specific channel:
Setting up a Slack channel
Setting up a Telegram channel
Setting up a Twilio WhatsApp channel
Gather the required credentials from the communication platform (API tokens, webhook URLs, etc.)
Configure the channel in your project and publish it to an environment
Test the channel to make sure everything works correctly
Need Help?
If you encounter any issues while setting up channels or need help deciding which channel is right for your use case, consult the specific channel documentation pages or reach out to support.
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