# Messaging channel connections

Connect messaging accounts to your website so customers can reach your operators through external services.

*Release 3.3 · admin, developer*

**Settings › General Settings › Integrations**

## What it is

**Integrations** connects external messaging accounts to your INSIDE website. You can have several accounts for the same service, such as more than one WhatsApp number or Facebook Page. Each account has its own connection details and operating options.

## Who uses it and why

- Administrators decide which business accounts should receive conversations, which subsite they belong to and how they operate.
- Developers coordinate provider applications, permissions and callback configuration with Powerfront.
- Powerfront connects accounts, changes their settings and investigates connection errors for you.

## Where to find it

Powerfront manages accounts in **Settings › General Settings › Integrations**. Ask Powerfront to add, change, disable or remove an external account.

The separate **Settings › Channel** menu organises the operator floor. It is not the external account connection screen.

## How it works

1. Tell Powerfront which service and business account you want to connect.
2. Provide the required authorisation through the service's connection process. The details differ by service.
3. Powerfront names the account, associates a **Subsite** where needed and enables the connection.
4. Incoming messages reach INSIDE through that account. Replies use the account associated with the conversation.
5. Test an incoming message and an operator reply before relying on the connection.

An enabled external account cannot also be registered to another INSIDE website in the same service environment. Ask Powerfront to move the connection if the account belongs on a different website.

## Configure it

Ask Powerfront to set the account's **Language**, **Business Hours**, **Virtual Assistant**, **Post Chat Survey** and **Service Levels** where the service offers them. Account options apply to that account, even when other accounts use the same messaging service.

For **Business Hours**, Powerfront selects days and the **From** and **To** times. Separate **Offline Message (Business Hours)** and **Offline Message (Non-Business Hours)** options let you use different replies when no operator is available. Service-level targets are entered in seconds.

Powerfront can enable **Enable Debugging** while investigating a problem. Credential fields differ between services, so connection details should be checked against the selected provider.

### Settings

| Setting | Where | Applies to | Default | Who can change it | What it does |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Language | Settings › General Settings › Integrations › Account Setup | channel | Not set: no account-specific language; the editor selects Default | Powerfront, on request | Sets the language used for the individual messaging account. |
| Enable Debugging | Settings › General Settings › Integrations › Account Setup | channel | Off | Powerfront, on request | Enables additional diagnostic information for the selected account. |
| Business Hours | Settings › General Settings › Integrations › Business Hours | channel | Monday to Friday, 00:00 to 23:59 in the new-account editor | Powerfront, on request | Selects the account's business days and time range. |
| Offline Message (Business Hours) | Settings › General Settings › Integrations › Business Hours | channel | Not set: no automatic offline reply during business hours | Powerfront, on request | Supplies the account's offline reply during its business hours. |
| Offline Message (Non-Business Hours) | Settings › General Settings › Integrations › Business Hours | channel | Not set: no automatic offline reply outside business hours | Powerfront, on request | Supplies the account's offline reply outside its business hours. |
| Business Service Level Target (secs) | Settings › General Settings › Integrations › Service Levels | channel | Website business target; the new WhatsApp or Messenger account editor uses 0 seconds if no website target is supplied | Powerfront, on request | Sets the account's business response target in seconds. |
| Operator Service Level Target (secs) | Settings › General Settings › Integrations › Service Levels | channel | Website operator target; the new WhatsApp or Messenger account editor uses 0 seconds if no website target is supplied | Powerfront, on request | Sets the account's operator response target in seconds. |
| WFM Service Level Target (secs) | Settings › General Settings › Integrations › Service Levels | channel | Website WFM target; the new WhatsApp or Messenger account editor uses 0 seconds if no website target is supplied | Powerfront, on request | Sets the account's workforce management response target in seconds. |

### Fields

| Field | Where | Required | What it is for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Settings › General Settings › Integrations › Account Setup | Yes | Identifies the account in INSIDE. |
| Subsite | Settings › General Settings › Integrations › Account Setup | No | Associates the account with a subsite of the website. |

## Limits and good to know

- Disabling an account stops its active registration in INSIDE. It does not delete the external business account.
- Removing an INSIDE connection does not remove the account from the provider.
- Connection health can include errors and suggested remedies. An account without a reported health error has not necessarily passed an end-to-end message test.
- Changing ordinary account options does not require every service to repeat its authorisation process. Credential handling is service-specific.

## Depends on and works with

### This feature uses

- **Requires** [Webhooks and message status](CHN-003.md): Receiving messages through a connected service requires its incoming callbacks.
- **Configured in** [Subsites](ADM-003.md): An account can be associated with a subsite.
- **Configured in** [Website and regional settings](ADM-004.md): The website timezone determines when messaging account business hours apply.
- **Configured in** [Business hours and scheduling](ADM-016.md): Messaging accounts have business-hour options.
- **Works better with** [Service levels and response timers](CHAT-029.md): Service levels measure account response times against the configured targets.
- **Works better with** [Virtual Assistant tasks in messaging channels](CHN-004.md): Accounts can select Virtual Assistant tasks.
- **Works better with** [Post-chat surveys in messaging channels](CHN-005.md): Accounts can enable post-chat surveys.

### Used by

- **Required by** [WhatsApp channel setup](CHN-006.md): Powerfront connects and manages the WhatsApp account.
- **Required by** [Facebook Messenger channel setup](CHN-010.md): Powerfront connects and manages the Page account.
- **Required by** [Facebook public thread replies](CHN-011.md): Public replies need a connected Page and its authorisation.
- **Required by** [Instagram messages and story replies](CHN-012.md): Instagram messaging needs a connected business account and its authorisation.
- **Required by** [LINE messaging channel setup](CHN-013.md): LINE messaging needs a connected business account and its authorisation.
- **Required by** [WeChat messaging channel setup](CHN-014.md): WeChat messaging needs a connected business account and its authorisation.
- **Required by** [KakaoTalk messaging conversations](CHN-015.md): KakaoTalk messaging needs a connected business account and its authorisation.
- **Required by** [Viber messaging channel setup](CHN-016.md): Viber messaging needs a connected business account and its authorisation.
- **Required by** [Apple Messages conversations](CHN-018.md): Apple Messages conversations need a connected business account and its authorisation.
- **Required by** [Legacy Google Business Messages connection](CHN-020.md): The legacy Google Business Messages connection needs an authorised business account.
- **Required by** [Legacy Twitter direct messages](CHN-021.md): Twitter messaging needs a connected business account and its authorisation.
- **Configures** [Service levels and response timers](CHAT-029.md): Messaging account settings can supply platform-specific service-level targets.
- **Configures** [Virtual Assistant task setup](ENG-009.md): Messaging account settings choose the tasks started when operators are available or unavailable.
- **Configures** [Messaging conversations](CHN-002.md): Messaging account records select the business account and subsite used for conversations.
- **Configures** [Webhooks and message status](CHN-003.md): Connected messaging account records determine which business account incoming callbacks belong to.
- **Configures** [Virtual Assistant tasks in messaging channels](CHN-004.md): Messaging account settings select the tasks started when operators are available or unavailable.
- **Configures** [Post-chat surveys in messaging channels](CHN-005.md): Messaging account settings select the survey and control delivery, expiry and whether surveys are enabled.
- **Configures** [Vonage connection for Viber](CHN-017.md): Powerfront manages connection credentials and provider selection.
- **Configures** [Apple Messages payments and sign-in setup](CHN-019.md): Powerfront manages the account's OAuth and merchant connection details.
- **Configures** [Social messaging and SMS reports](REP-012.md): Messaging account service-level targets determine the response thresholds used in social reporting.
- **Configures** [Business hours and scheduling](ADM-016.md): Messaging account records contain the business-hour and offline-message settings for those accounts.

## FAQ and troubleshooting

### Why can I not edit the connection settings?

Powerfront manages **Integrations** in this release. Ask Powerfront to make the change for you.

### Can two websites receive messages for the same account?

INSIDE rejects an enabled account already registered to another website in the same service environment. Powerfront must resolve the existing connection before moving it.

### The account looks healthy. Why are messages missing?

A lack of reported errors does not prove that messages can travel in both directions. Give Powerfront the account, service and time of a test message so they can check authorisation and callbacks.

### Does deleting a connection delete our Facebook Page or WhatsApp number?

No. It removes the connection from INSIDE. The external account remains with its provider.