> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.callivox.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Connecting your first channel

> Choose the right channel to start with, connect it, and confirm messages are reaching your inbox.

A **channel** is a way for customers to reach you. Until you connect one, your inbox has nothing to show. This page helps you pick the first one and get it working.

## Which channel should you start with?

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Telegram — fastest" icon="paper-plane" href="/channels/telegram">
    About two minutes. You create a bot and paste one token. Best if you want to see Callivox working end to end today.
  </Card>

  <Card title="WhatsApp — most used" icon="whatsapp" href="/channels/whatsapp">
    The channel most teams actually need. Quickest through **Quick connect with Meta**; the manual route takes longer.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Website widget — no provider" icon="window-maximize" href="/channels/web-widget">
    Style it, copy one line of HTML into your site, done. Nothing to approve, available on every plan.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Email — your support mailbox" icon="envelope" href="/channels/email">
    Connect an existing mailbox with Microsoft, Google, or IMAP and SMTP details.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

Facebook Messenger and Instagram are also available — see [Facebook and Instagram](/channels/facebook-instagram).

<Note>
  Which channel types you can connect depends on your plan. If a type is missing or refuses to connect, check **Settings → Billing**. See [Plans](/billing/plans).
</Note>

## Connect it

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open the channels page">
    Go to **Settings → Channels** and choose **+ Connect channel**. During first-time setup, the wizard shows you the same dialog.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Pick the channel type">
    Choose a tile under **Channel type**. The dialog changes to ask for whatever that channel needs.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Read the setup guide">
    Every channel type has a **Setup guide** button that opens step-by-step instructions, the prerequisites, and links to the provider's own documentation. If you are connecting a channel for the first time, open it — it tells you exactly where each value comes from.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Give it a display name">
    **Display name** is how the channel appears in your inbox and settings — for example "Support WhatsApp" or "Sales Telegram". It is internal; customers never see it.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Finish the connection">
    Enter what the channel asks for and choose **Connect**. Some channels finish immediately. WhatsApp, Instagram and Facebook connected with your own Meta app show you a **Callback URL** and a **Verify Token** to paste into Meta, and tell you which webhook fields to subscribe to.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Check that it works

Send a message to your new channel from your own phone or account, then open the [inbox](/inbox/overview). The message should appear as a new conversation, with a new contact created for you.

* **Chat channels are instant.** If nothing arrives, re-check the connection.
* **Email is polled.** Give it about a minute, and remember that only mail arriving *after* you connected is imported.

## Decide who answers

A newly connected channel does not answer on its own. Each channel row has an **AI auto-reply** toggle:

* **Off** — your team answers everything. This is the safe place to start.
* **On** — the AI agent bound to that channel replies first.

Leave it off until you have created an agent and tested its replies. See [Creating an agent](/ai-agents/creating-an-agent).

## What is next

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="All channel types" icon="comments" href="/channels/overview">
    What each channel needs, and how to manage them once connected.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Work the inbox" icon="inbox" href="/inbox/overview">
    Reply, assign, tag and close conversations as a team.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>