🔌Connect a channel (Web Chat or social)

A channel is where your customers talk to you: your website chat, WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Instagram, SMS, RCS, or email. In OnRaven, each connection is called a campaign. Once a channel is connected, conversations from that channel show up in your Inbox and can be handled by a bot you assign or by you and your team manually.

Want to know what each platform is and what permissions we request? See Channel permissions and setup (by platform) for a per-channel explanation of what we ask for and why (OAuth scopes, webhooks, API keys, etc.).

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Two main ways to connect

Type	What it is	Best for
Web Chat	A chat widget on your website. Visitors type there; you (or your bot) reply in the OnRaven Inbox.	Getting started quickly, capturing website visitors.
Social / messaging	WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Instagram Direct, SMS, RCS, or Email. You connect the account or number; messages flow into OnRaven.	Reaching customers where they already are.

You can use one or both. Many teams start with Web Chat and add WhatsApp or Messenger later. All connected channels are managed from Campaigns (Channel Management) and Integrations.

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Where to start

• Integrations — Lists all available channels (Web Chat, WhatsApp, Messenger, Instagram, etc.). Click Connect on the one you want to start the connection flow.

• Campaigns (or Channel Management) — Shows your connected campaigns, their status (e.g. Active, Pending), and lets you add a new channel (e.g. "Add New Channel") or open settings. "Add New Channel" often takes you to Integrations to pick a platform.

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Option A: Add Web Chat to your website

1. Create the Web Chat campaign

1. Go to Integrations (or Campaigns → Add New Channel).

2. Find Web Chat and click Connect.

3. Give the campaign a name (e.g. "Main website chat").

4. Choose which bot should handle the conversations (or "None" if you only want to reply manually at first).

5. Complete any other required fields and Save.

2. Configure how the widget looks and behaves

1. Go to Web Chat (or Webchat config) in the sidebar.

2. If you have more than one Web Chat campaign, select the one you’re editing.

3. Set:

   • Title — e.g. "Chat with us".

   • Subtitle — e.g. "We typically reply within minutes".

   • Welcome message — First thing the visitor sees when they open the chat, e.g. "Hi there! How can we help you today?"

   • Input placeholder — Text inside the typing box, e.g. "Type a message…".

   • Allowed domains — Your website domain(s), e.g. example.com or *.example.com, so only your site can load the widget. Separate multiple domains with commas.

   • Colors and position — If the app offers them, adjust to match your brand.

4. Save the config.

3. Put the widget on your site

You’ll get a snippet (a short script) or an embed URL. Add it to your website so the chat bubble appears:

• Script snippet — Usually paste it just before the closing </body> tag on every page where you want the widget, or add it via Google Tag Manager / your CMS’s "custom code" or "header/footer" area.

• Embed or iframe — If the app gives an embed code, place it where you want the chat to appear.

After you publish, when someone visits your site and opens the chat, a new conversation will appear in your Inbox and your chosen bot (if any) can reply.

For more detail (embed code, styling, domains), see Web Chat (deep dive).

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Option B: Connect a social or messaging channel

Supported channels typically include:

• WhatsApp Business — Reach customers on WhatsApp with automated flows.

• Facebook Messenger — Reply to Facebook Page messages.

• Instagram Direct (Facebook Page) — When your Instagram is linked to a Facebook Page.

• SMS / RCS — Text messaging (if enabled for your account). Some numbers also support voice (calls); that is configured when the number is provisioned or in campaign settings (voice-capable).

• Email — Send and receive emails from the Inbox (may require email identity/domain setup).

Voice: inbound calls and IVR

If you have an SMS or Voice number with voice enabled:

• Inbound calls can be routed to an IVR Bot (automated phone menu) instead of (or in addition to) SMS. In the campaign settings, set When someone calls this number to forward to a published IVR scenario.

• You may also use a browser softphone for VoIP calls when your workspace supports it.

See IVR, voice numbers & phone calls and What’s new.

General steps (same idea for all)

1. Go to Integrations (or Campaigns → Add New Channel).

2. Click the channel you want (e.g. WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Instagram).

3. Click Connect.

4. Follow the on-screen steps. They differ by channel:

   • Meta (Facebook / Instagram) — You’ll log in with Facebook or Instagram, choose the Page or account, and grant the permissions shown on the consent screen. Those permissions allow us to receive and send messages (and, for some channels, comments and insights). See Channel permissions and setup for a breakdown by platform.

   • WhatsApp — You may need to enter a phone number, business details, or link an existing WhatsApp Business account/API. Business verification and message templates may be required. Follow the prompts; some setups require approval from Meta/WhatsApp.

   • Threads / LinkedIn — You’ll be sent to Threads or LinkedIn to authorize. The consent screen lists the scopes we request (e.g. read/manage replies, organization social). Details are in Channel permissions and setup.

   • SMS / RCS / Email — You’ll enter provider credentials or complete setup (e.g. email domain verification, phone number) as shown in the app. No OAuth; we don’t see your email password.

5. When asked, give the campaign a name and select which bot should handle incoming messages (or leave it unassigned to reply manually).

6. Save. The channel then appears under Campaigns (Channel Management) and new conversations will show in the Inbox.

Disconnecting or reconnecting

• Disconnect — Open the campaign in Campaigns, use the menu or settings, and choose Disconnect or Remove. This usually stops new messages from that channel; existing conversations may remain in the Inbox for history.

• Reconnect — If a channel was disconnected or expired (e.g. token expired), go to Integrations or Campaigns and connect again. You may need to re-authorize (e.g. Facebook login again).

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After you connect

• New conversations from that channel appear in the Inbox. You can reply there; if you assigned a bot, it will reply automatically according to the flow you built.

• You can change the assigned bot or turn the bot off for that campaign anytime from the campaign settings.

• You can edit the bot’s flow in the Workflow Builder; the same bot can be used on multiple campaigns (e.g. Web Chat and WhatsApp).

If you need more detail on the Web Chat widget (embed, styling, domains), see Web Chat (deep dive).