Quick Start
What is respond.io?
Setting Up an Account
Connecting Channels
Inviting Your Teammates
Getting Contacts to Message You
Automated Welcome and Away Messages
Responding to Messages
Glossary of Terms
Channels
WhatsApp Business API Quick Start
Getting Ready for Inbound Conversations
Getting Ready for Promotional Messaging
WhatsApp Official Business Account (Green Tick)
Grow your WhatsApp Audience by Maximizing Entry Points
Get WhatsApp API Account for Government Agencies
Meta Business Verification
WhatsApp Message Templates
WhatsApp Pricing
WhatsApp Business API Channel Configuration
WhatsApp Messaging Limits
Change Your WhatsApp Business Display Name
Migrating from WhatsApp Personal or WhatsApp Business App
Phone Number Migration to respond.io WhatsApp Business API
Turn-off WhatsApp Number Two-Step Verification
WhatsApp Cloud API
360dialog WhatsApp
Twilio WhatsApp
MessageBird WhatsApp
Vonage WhatsApp
Phone Number Migration to WhatsApp Cloud API
Facebook Messenger
Facebook Messenger Overview
Facebook Messenger Quick Start
Facebook Chat Plugin
Facebook Private Replies
Facebook Message Tag
LINE
Viber
Telegram
Google Business Messages
Website Chat Widget
Website Chat Widget Overview
Website Chat Widget Quick Start
Install Website Chat Widget on WordPress
Install Website Chat Widget on Shopify
Install Website Chat Widget on Wix
Install Website Chat Widget on Joomla
Install Website Chat Widget on Squarespace
SMS
Custom Channel
Channels Overview
Product
Dashboard & Reporting
Dashboard
Reports Overview
Reports: Conversations
Reports: Responses
Reports: Resolutions
Reports: Messages
Reports: Contacts
Reports: Assignments
Reports: Leaderboard
Reports: Users
Reports: Broadcasts
Messages
Messages Overview
Assignment and Closing a Conversation
Custom Inboxes
Interacting with Respond AI
Using AI Assist
Contacts
Contacts Overview
Contact Details
Merge Suggestions
Contact Activity
Contact Channels
Contact Import
Segments
Broadcasts Module
Workflows
Workflows Overview
Workflow Triggers
Workflow Steps Overview
Step: Send a Message
Step: Ask a Question
Step: Assign To
Step: Branch
Step: Update Contact Tag
Step: Update Contact Field
Step: Open Conversation
Step: Close Conversation
Step: Add Comment
Step: Jump To
Step: Wait
Step: Date & Time
Step: HTTP Request
Step: Add Google Sheets Row
Dynamic Variables
Workspace Settings
Managing a Workspace
Workspace Settings: General
Workspace Settings: Users
Workspace Settings: Teams
Workspace Settings: Channels
Workspace Settings: Contact Fields
Workspace Settings: Integrations
Workspace Settings: Closing Notes
Workspace Settings: Snippets
Workspace Settings: Files
Workspace Settings: Data Export
Workspace Settings: Data Import
Workspace Setting: Respond AI
Workspace Settings: Growth Widgets
Organization Settings
Organization Overview
Organization Settings: General
Organization Settings: Users
Organization Settings: Workspaces
Organization Settings: WhatsApp Fees
Organization Settings: Billing & Usage
User Account
Mobile App
Installing respond.io Mobile App
Messaging From Your Mobile
Managing Notifications On Your Mobile
Configuring Mobile App Settings
Help Menu
Handling Inbound Conversations
Managing Spam
Create Automated Welcome and Away Messages
Get Contacts’ Consent for Personal Data Collection
Create Automated Chat Menus
Collect Contacts’ Emails and Phone Numbers
Route Contacts by Shifts
Route Contacts by Team Functions
Route New & Returning Contacts
Route VIP Contacts
Assignment Strategy: Automatic Contact Distribution & Load Balancing
Assignment Strategy: Unassign Agents after Conversations Closed
Converse with Customers
Understand the Individual: Get a Complete View of the Customers
Collaborate Internally: Simplify Customer Escalation with Automation
Collaborate Internally: Transfer Contacts to the Next Shift Automatically
Respond Intelligently: Optimize Agents’ Productivity in the Messages Module
Support Use Cases
Inbound Support: Identify Contacts by Email and Phone Number
Inbound Support: Enrich Customer Data from a CRM or other Business Software
Inbound Support: Route Customers to the Right Team Automatically
Inbound Support: Auto-Assign Customers to a Team or Dedicated Agent
Send Outbound Support Messages
Support: Closing Conversations
Supervising Your Support Agents
Reporting for Support
Send CSAT to Customer and Save Data in Google Sheets or CRMs
Sales Use Cases
Inbound Sales: Collect Leads' Email and Phone Number
Inbound Sales: Enrich Contact Data and Qualify Leads
Inbound Sales: Routing Leads
Inbound Sales: Auto-Assign Leads to Sales Agents
Sending Outbound Sales Messages
Track Productivity by Closing Conversations
Supervising Sales Agents
Reporting for Sales
Broadcasts Use Cases
Sending a Simple Broadcast
Start a Workflow Based on Broadcast Response
Troubleshooting a Failed Broadcast
Integrations
Dialogflow
Dialogflow Overview
Dialogflow: Connecting to Dialogflow
Dialogflow: Creating a Chatbot
Dialogflow: Managing Intents
Dialogflow: Parameters
Dialogflow: Events
Dialogflow: Response Templates
Dialogflow: Custom Payloads
Dialogflow: Fulfillment Webhook Request
E-Commerce & CRM Integrations
E-Commerce Integration: Shopify
E-Commerce Integration: BigCommerce
E-Commerce Integration: WooCommerce
E-Commerce Integration: Magento
CRM Integration: HubSpot
CRM Integration: Salesforce
CRM Integration: Pipedrive
CRM Integration: ActiveCampaign
Zapier
Make (formerly Integromat)
Developer API
Webhooks
Partnership
We love to hear from you!
Table of Contents
Channels Overview
Updated
by JQ Lee
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 Business API (respond.io WhatsApp BSP) | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
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:
Feeling stuck? Do not fear.
Need assistance? Contact us for support. Help is here!This is the text block that will appear when the button is clicked.
Related Articles
Custom Channel Overview
Get an overview of the Custom Channel and its capabilities.
Workspace Settings: Channels
Under the Channel workspace settings section, you can edit and manage Channels connected to your Workspace.
Contact Channels
View more information on the Channels Contacts are using.