# Channels

## Connect And Verify A Channel

1. Open **Channels** from the agent workspace.
2. Select **Add channel**.
3. Choose the messaging service and finish its authentication flow.
4. Run the connection tests.
5. Set who can message the agent and which actions require approval.

![Channel picker with supported messaging services](https://neotask-marketing-assets-417007889150.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/docs/product/2026-08-13-r1/channel-picker-1120.webp)

## What Are Channels?

Channels are the messaging platforms your agents connect to. By connecting a channel, your agent can listen for incoming messages and respond in real time on that platform.

Neotask supports **20+ messaging platforms** out of the box.

## Supported Channels

### Core Channels (Built-In)

| Channel | Description |
|---------|-------------|
| **WhatsApp** | Personal and business accounts via WhatsApp Web protocol. Groups, reactions, media, threads, edit/unsend, forwarding. |
| **Telegram** | Bot API integration. Groups, channels, threads, reactions, pinning. Optional webhook ingestion. |
| **Discord** | Full server integration. Channels, roles, threads, voice channel awareness, per-server agent binding. |
| **Slack** | Workspace app via OAuth. Channels, threads, reactions, file sharing. |
| **Signal** | Encrypted DMs and groups via Signal protocol. Phone pairing via QR. |
| **Google Chat** | Spaces, threads, reactions, card responses via webhook. |
| **iMessage** | Full SMS/iMessage support via BlueBubbles on macOS. Edit, unsend, effects. |
| **IRC** | Classic IRC with channels, DMs, SASL auth, multi-server support. |

### Plugin Channels

| Channel | Description |
|---------|-------------|
| **Microsoft Teams** | Workspace integration via plugin. |
| **Matrix** | Decentralized messaging protocol. |
| **Nostr** | Decentralized social protocol DMs. |
| **Zalo** | Vietnamese messaging platform (Bot API and personal account). |
| **Feishu/Lark** | Enterprise messaging platform. |
| **LINE** | LINE Messaging API integration. |
| **Nextcloud Talk** | Self-hosted messaging via Nextcloud. |
| **Mattermost** | Open-source team messaging. |
| **Tlon** | Urbit-based messaging. |
| **Twitch** | Live stream chat via IRC. |

## Channel Features

### Multi-Account Support

Use the connection test after adding an account. A passed test confirms that the saved channel account can be reached before you configure routing.

![Passed channel connection tests](https://neotask-marketing-assets-417007889150.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/docs/product/2026-08-13-r1/channel-tests-1280.webp)
Run multiple accounts per channel. For example, manage several WhatsApp numbers or Telegram bots from the same Gateway.

### Media Support
Send and receive images, videos, audio, documents, stickers, and other media types. Media handling varies by platform but most channels support rich media in both directions.

### Group & Channel Management
Agents can participate in group conversations, respond to mentions, manage threads, and interact with channel-specific features (reactions, polls, pins).

### Message Threading
On platforms that support it (Slack, Discord, Telegram), agents can create threads, reply within threads, and maintain thread-specific context.

### Message Editing & Reactions
Agents can edit their own messages, unsend messages, and add reactions on platforms that support these features.

### Broadcast Groups
Send announcements to multiple channels simultaneously. Configure broadcast groups to keep multiple platforms in sync.

## Channel Routing

### Default Behavior
By default, the main agent receives all inbound messages from all channels.

### Multi-Agent Routing
With multiple agents, messages are routed based on bindings:

- **By channel**, All WhatsApp messages → personal agent
- **By server**, Discord server A → support agent, server B → dev agent
- **By workspace**, Slack workspace → team agent
- **By chat type**, Private DMs → assistant, group messages → team bot

### DM Access Control

Slack access settings define which channels and direct messages the agent can use. Review these controls when a connected account works but a specific destination does not.

![Slack access and approval settings](https://neotask-marketing-assets-417007889150.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/docs/product/2026-08-13-r1/slack-access-1280.webp)
Configure which contacts can message your agent directly. Options include allowing all DMs, only known contacts, or a specific allowlist.

### Group Mention Gating
In group chats, configure whether agents respond to all messages or only when mentioned.

## Pairing & Authentication

Each channel has its own authentication method:

| Channel | Auth Method |
|---------|-------------|
| WhatsApp | QR code scan |
| Telegram | Bot token |
| Discord | Bot token |
| Slack | OAuth (workspace app) |
| Signal | Phone pairing via QR |
| Google Chat | Webhook URL |
| iMessage | BlueBubbles API key |
| IRC | Nick + optional password |