Table of Contents
Channels Overview
Supported Channels
Respond.io supports the following channels and the platform will continue to support more channels in the future.
Channels Summary
The table below summarizes the connection difficulty level, the time needed, applicable cost and requirements for each channel.
Channels | Icon | Difficulty | Time Needed | Applicable Cost | Requirements |
 | Advanced | 3 to 5 working days* | ✅ | WhatsApp Business API | |
 | Easy | 15 mins | - | Facebook Page | |
 | Easy | 15 mins | - | Instagram Business Account (1,000 to 100,000 followers) | |
 | Moderate | 15 mins | - | Live Website | |
 | Moderate | 15 mins | - | Telegram Bot | |
 | Moderate | 30 mins | ✅ | LINE Official Account | |
 | Moderate | 15 mins | ✅ | Viber Bot | |
 | Advanced | 3 to 5 working days | ✅ | WeChat Official Account | |
 | Advanced | 1 to 2 working days | - | Twitter App | |
 | Moderate | 15 minutes | - | Google Business Profile with verified location | |
 | Moderate | 1 to 2 working days | ✅ | Phone number provisioned by our partners. | |
 | Moderate | 15 mins | - | Gmail or Gmail for Business account. | |
 | Moderate | 15 min | - | Email login credentials. Access to Email Inbox Settings. | |
 | Advanced | 1 to 2 working days | - | Custom Integration Server to handle the incoming and outgoing message between respond.io and Messaging Service Provider. |
*Time needed includes account creation and verification by WhatsApp provider. Account creation varies from minutes to days depending on provider processing speed.
Channel Capabilities
The table below will give you a quick comparison between channels.
Quick Replies | Chat Link & QR Code | Broadcasts Support^ | Contacts Import | Messaging Windowª | Unique Features˘ | Channel Feesº | |
✅* | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | 24 hrs | - | ✅ | |
✅ | ✅ | ✅ | - | 7 days | ✅ | - | |
✅ | ✅ | - | - | 7 days | - | - | |
✅ | ✅ | - | - | - | - | - | |
✅ | ✅ | ✅ | - | - | - | - | |
✅ | ✅ | ✅ | - | - | - | ✅ | |
✅ | ✅ | ✅ | - | 24 hrs | - | ✅ | |
✅* | ✅ | - | - | 48 hrs | - | - | |
✅ | ✅ | ✅ | - | - | - | - | |
✅ | ✅ | - | - | 30 days | - | - | |
- | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | - | - | ✅ | |
✅ | ✅ | - | ✅ | - | - | - | |
✅ | ✅ | - | ✅ | - | ✅ | - | |
Custom Channel (ID type = Phone Number) | ✅ | - | ✅ | ✅ | - | - | º |
Custom Channel (ID type = Custom ID) | ✅ | - | ✅ | - | - | - | º |
* Channel does not support rich UI quick replies, uses numeric system instead.
^ Not all channel partners allow broadcasts.
ª Some channels have a messaging window, replies can only be sent within the messaging window.
˘ Some channels have channel-specific features, you can find out more on the channel page.
º Some channels have additional fees imposed by the channel providers. This might apply to your custom channels.
Message Status Availability
For some channels, we are able to find out the message status whether has it been sent, delivered, read or failed. Refer to the following table on which channel offers message status availability:
Messaging Channel | Sent | Delivered | Read | Failed |
WhatsApp - Cloud API | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
WhatsApp - 360dialog | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
WhatsApp - Twilio | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
WhatsApp - MessageBird | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
WhatsApp - Vonage | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
Facebook Messenger | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | |
Website Chat | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
Telegram | ✅ | - | - | - |
LINE | ✅ | - | - | - |
Viber | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
✅ | - | - | - | |
✅ | - | - | - | |
Google Business Messages | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
SMS - Twilio | ✅ | ✅ | - | ✅ |
SMS - MessageBird | ✅ | ✅ | - | ✅ |
SMS - Vonage | ✅ | ✅ | - | ✅ |
Gmail | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
Other Email | ✅ | ✅ | - | ✅ |
Custom Channel | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
Messaging Window
Some messaging channels have a limited messaging window for the contact to receive a response. The messaging window refreshes every time a message is received from a contact. Refer to the following channel and their respective messaging window:
Channel | Messaging Window |
24 Hours | |
Facebook Messenger | 7 Days |
7 Days | |
48 Hours | |
Viber | 24 Hours |
Google Business Messages | 30 Days |
For WeChat and Instagram, messages can still be sent outside the messaging window but it will not be delivered. There will be a red exclamation mark indicating the message is not delivered along with an error message.
For Viber, messages sent by the bot outside the messaging window will be considered Chatbot-initiated Messages. You'll get an error message with a red exclamation mark on the platform once you've exceeded the monthly free limit.
For Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp, they have a feature that allows users to send a message to the contacts beyond the messaging window.
Broadcast
In respond.io, you may broadcast content to your contacts if the channel is supported. However, there may be a few limitations that need to be considered when broadcasting with a supported channel.
WhatsApp API Channels
If you wish to broadcast to contacts from WhatsApp API Channels, you will need to specify a WhatsApp Message Template as the broadcast content.
Before broadcasting to these contacts, please make sure your WhatsApp Message Template is submitted and approved by WhatsApp.
Facebook Messenger
As for Facebook Messenger, you can specify the content in the broadcast dialog but a Facebook Tag is needed to send the broadcast content.
Rate Limits
A rate limit is the number of API calls an app or user can make within a given time period defined by the channel. For example, a rate limit of 30 requests per second means that in one second, any request that comes after the 30th request will be throttled and fail.
More information on the rate limits for each messaging Channels below:
