Channels

Channels lets you expose a RealTimeX workspace through external messaging apps such as Telegram, Slack, WhatsApp, Discord, and Zalo. Instead of keeping conversations inside the desktop or web app only, you can give approved users a provider-specific entry point into the workspace you choose.

Open it from Settings > Channels.

What a channel plugin does

Each channel connection is created as a channel plugin.

A channel plugin binds together:

• one provider such as Telegram or WhatsApp
• one workspace
• optional default thread routing
• runtime status such as running, starting, stopped, or error
• access-control behavior such as pairing, approved users, and provider-specific message policies

After a channel exists, you manage it from the channel list and the right-hand detail views.

Supported providers

Common setup flow

Most channel setups follow the same shape even though the credential type differs by provider.

1. Click Add Channel.
2. Choose the provider.
3. Choose the target workspace.
4. Optionally bind the channel to a specific thread.
5. Optionally set a display name.
6. Finish provider auth with either token validation or QR login.
7. Start the plugin if the flow does not start it automatically.
8. Test a real message from the external platform.

Workspace and thread routing

Every channel must target one workspace.

You can also choose an optional thread:

• If you choose a thread, new messages route into that thread.
• If you leave the thread blank, RealTimeX can auto-create or separate conversations per user instead of forcing everyone into one shared thread.

The provider type and workspace are effectively fixed after creation. If you need to move a channel to a different workspace, recreate it.

Built-in channel commands

Recent builds add a shared set of conversation-management commands to channel plugins so users can manage their own thread routing without leaving the messaging app.

The common commands are:

• /start to pair the user or re-show the connected-workspace message
• /new to start a fresh workspace thread
• /threads to list recent workspace threads
• /switch <number> to change the active thread after listing threads
• /more to read the missed replies for the current thread after a catch-up prompt
• /help to show the available commands again

When a user switches back to a thread they previously left, RealTimeX can show a short catch-up status message such as 3 replies while you were away. Use /more to read all. The /more command then delivers the missed replies and clears that catch-up marker.

Command syntax by provider

The behavior is shared, but the exact command style depends on the provider:

• Telegram, WhatsApp, Zalo OA, and Zalo Personal use slash-style commands such as /new and /threads
• Slack DMs accept plain command words such as new, threads, switch, more, and help
• Discord DMs commonly use !new, !threads, !switch, !more, and !help

If users are unsure which format applies, tell them to send the provider's help command first.

What to do after the channel is created

Once a plugin exists, the rest of the operational work usually happens in three tabs.

Pairing Codes

Use Pairing Codes when a provider or channel policy requires approval before a user can chat with your AI.

From this view you can:

• review pending requests
• approve or reject access requests
• generate a pairing code manually

If a user says the bot is reachable but they still cannot chat, check this tab first.

Users

Use Users to review everyone who has already been approved.

From this view you can:

• see platform usernames or IDs
• disable or re-enable access
• remove a user entirely

This is the fastest way to revoke access without deleting the whole channel.

Settings

Use Settings to control how an existing channel behaves.

Common settings include:

• display name
• default thread routing
• agent whitelist

Provider-specific settings can also appear here. Examples:

• Telegram can enable voice replies through the system TTS provider.
• WhatsApp can change DM or group policy and self-chat mode.
• Zalo Personal can manage allowlists and mention requirements.

Runtime controls

Each channel card shows runtime state and the main actions:

• Start
• Stop
• Delete

Watch the status indicator first when troubleshooting:

• running means the channel runtime is active
• starting means it is still coming online
• stopped means the channel exists but is not active
• error means the provider login or runtime needs attention

Credential changes and re-login

QR-based providers and token-based providers do not behave the same way when credentials expire.

WhatsApp and Zalo Personal

These providers support in-product QR re-login. If the channel reaches an error state, use the relogin action from the channel card instead of deleting the channel immediately.

Telegram, Discord, Slack, and Zalo OA

These providers are created from tokens. The current Settings view shows that a credential exists, but it does not expose token replacement.

In practice, if you rotate one of these tokens, the safest workflow is:

1. create a new channel plugin with the new credential
2. verify it works
3. remove the old plugin

Choosing the right provider

• Choose Telegram when you want a straightforward bot setup and a low-friction user chat flow.
• Choose Slack when your users already live in a Slack workspace and you want DM-first internal usage.
• Choose Discord when the bot needs to live inside a server-based community workflow.
• Choose WhatsApp when the entry point should be a linked WhatsApp account and phone-based QR login is acceptable.
• Choose Zalo OA when you want an official Zalo bot token workflow.
• Choose Zalo Personal when you need personal-account access control, group allowlists, or mention requirements.

Best practices

• Start with one workspace and one provider first, then add more only after the access flow is working cleanly.
• Leave thread routing blank unless you intentionally want everyone to land in the same thread.
• Use Users for routine access review instead of recreating the channel.
• Recreate token-based channels when credentials change.
• For QR-based channels, prefer relogin over delete-and-rebuild when the connected account simply needs to authenticate again.