Channels Overview

Supported Channels
respond.io supports the following channels and the platform will continue to support more channels in the future. 
 
​
 
 
​
​
​
​
 
 
​
   
 
Channels Summary
The table below summarizes on the connection difficulty level, the time needed, applicable cost and requirements for each channel. 
Channels
 
Difficulty
Time Needed
Applicable
Cost
Requirements
​Facebook Messenger​
​
​
Easy
15 mins
-
Facebook Page
​WhatsApp​
​
​
Advanced
7 to 10 working days
​✔
​
WhatsApp Business API
​Instagram​
​
 
Easy
15 mins
-
Instagram Business Account 
(1,000 to 100,000 followers)
​Website Chat​
​
​
Moderate
15 mins
-
Live Website
​LINE​
​
​
Moderate
30 mins
-
LINE Official Account
​Telegram​
​
​
Moderate
15 mins
-
Telegram Bot
​Viber​
​
​
Moderate
15 mins
-
Viber Bot
​SMS​
​
​
Moderate
1 to 2 working days
​✔
​
Phone number provisioned by our partners
​Twitter​
​
​
Advanced
1 to 2 working days
-
Twitter App
​WeChat​
​
​
Advanced
3 to 5 working days
-
WeChat Official Account
​Gmail​
​
 
Moderate
15 mins
-
Gmail or Gmail for Business account
​Other Email​
​
 
Moderate
15 mins
-
Email login credentials
Access to Email Inbox Settings
​Custom Channel​
​
​
Advanced
1 to 2 working days
-
Custom Integration Server to handle the incoming and outgoing message between respond.io and Messaging Service Provider
If there is a need to connect to channels that require approval such as WhatsApp, Twitter and WeChat, we will suggest proceeding with the application first. Once the account is approved, you may proceed to connect it to respond.io.
If there is a channel you don't see the list and you would like the platform to support, please do not hesitate to add a request or upvote an existing one on our Feature Requests page.
Channel Capabilities
If you are missing a channel you would like to see on the platform, please add or upvote it on our Feature Requests page.
The table below will give you a quick comparison between channels.
​
​
Quick Replies
 Chat Link & QR Code
Broadcasts Support^
Contacts Import
Messaging  Windowª
Unique Features˘
Channel  Feesº
​Facebook Messenger​
✅
✅
✅
-
7 days
✅
-
​Gmail​
✅
✅
-
✅
-
-
-
​Other Email​
✅
✅
-
✅
-
✅
-
​Instagram​
✅
✅
-
-
7 days
-
-
​WhatsApp​
✅*
✅
✅
✅
24 hrs
-
✅
​Website Chat​
✅
✅
-
-
-
-
-
​LINE​
✅
✅
✅
-
-
-
✅
​Telegram​
✅
✅
✅
-
-
-
-
​Viber​
✅
✅
✅
-
-
-
-
​SMS​
-
✅
✅
✅
-
-
✅
​Twitter​
✅
✅
✅
-
-
-
-
​WeChat​
✅*
✅
-
-
48 hrs
-
-
​Custom Channel (ID type = Phone Number)​
✅
-
✅
✅
-
-
º
​Custom Channel (ID type = Custom ID)​
✅
-
✅
-
-
-
º
* Channel does not support rich UI quick replies, uses numeric system instead.
^ Not all channel partners allow broadcasts.
ª Some channels have a messaging window, replies can only be sent within the messaging window.
˘ Some channels have channel-specific features, you can find out more on the channel page.
º Some channels have additional fees imposed by the channel providers. This might apply to your custom channels.
Message Status Availability
For some channels, we are able to find out the message status whether has it been sent, delivered, read or failed. Refer to the following table on which channel offers message status availability:
Messaging Channel
Sent
Delivered
Read
Failed
Facebook
 ✔
 
​✔
​
​✔
​
​✔
​
Gmail
​✔
​
​✔
​
​✔
​
​✔
​
Other Email
​✔
​
​✔
​
-
​✔
​
Instagram
​✔
​
​✔
​
​✔
​
​✔
​
WhatsApp - Twilio
​✔
​
​✔
​
​✔
​
​✔
​
WhatsApp - MessageBird
​✔
​
​✔
​
​✔
​
​✔
​
WhatsApp - Vonage
​✔
​
​✔
​
​✔
​
​✔
​
WhatsApp - Chat API
​✔
​
​✔
​
​✔
​
-
WhatsApp - 360Dialog
​✔
​
​✔
​
​✔
​
​✔
​
Website Chat
​✔
​
​✔
​
​✔
​
​✔
​
LINE
​✔
​
-
-
-
Telegram
​✔
​
-
-
-
Viber
​✔
​
​✔
​
​✔
​
​✔
​
SMS - Twilio
​✔
​
​✔
​
-
​✔
​
SMS - MessageBird
​✔
​
​✔
​
-
​✔
​
SMS - Vonage
​✔
​
​✔
​
-
​✔
​
Twitter
​✔
​
-
-
-
WeChat
​✔
​
-
-
-
Custom Channel
​✔
​
-
-
​✔
​
Messaging Window
Some messaging channels have a limited messaging window for the contact to receive a response. The messaging window refreshes every time a message is received from a contact. Refer to the following channel and their respective messaging window:
Channel
Messaging Window
WeChat
48 Hours
Facebook Messenger
7 days
WhatsApp
24 Hours
Instagram
7 days
Facebook Messenger's Messaging Window is now extended to 7 days because respond.io platform has been selected to participate in Facebook HUMAN_AGENT tag Closed Beta program. 
The 24-hour messaging window is only applicable to WhatsApp Partner API channels; Twilio, Vonage, MessageBird & 360Dialog. WhatsApp Chat API does not have this limitation as it is not a WhatsApp Partner.
Messages can still be sent outside the messaging window but it will not be delivered. There will be a red exclamation mark indicating the message is not delivered along with an error message.
Failed Message Delivery
For Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp, they have a feature that allows users to send a message to the contacts beyond the messaging window.
Facebook Tagged Message
WhatsApp Message Templates
To send a message to Facebook contacts after the messaging window, you can use Facebook Messenger Message Tag to do so. For more information on, look at Facebook Messenger Message Tag.
To send a message to WhatsApp contacts after the messaging window, you can use WhatsApp Message Templates to do so. For more information on, look at WhatsApp Message Templates.
Broadcast
In respond.io, you may broadcast content to your contacts if the channel is supported. However, there may be a few limitations that need to be considered when broadcasting with a supported channel. 
Bear in mind that every channel has its own rate limit of how many requests/messages can be processed in a time interval. This may affect the deliverability of the broadcast content to your contact. 
WhatsApp API Channels
If you wish to broadcast to contacts from WhatsApp API Channels (Twilio, MessageBird, Vonage, 360dialog), you will need to specify a WhatsApp Message Template as the broadcast content. 
Before broadcasting to these contacts, please make sure your WhatsApp Message Template is submitted and approved by WhatsApp. 
Facebook Messenger
As for Facebook Messenger, you can specify the content in the broadcast dialog but a Facebook Tag is needed to send the broadcast content. 
When using Facebook Tag for broadcast, please make sure you comply with Facebook's Messaging Policy to prevent your Facebook page being banned from sending messages. 
Rate Limits
A rate limit is the number of API calls an app or user can make within a given time period defined by the channel. For example, a rate limit of 30 requests per second means that in one second, any request that comes after the 30th request will be throttled and fail.
 In the context of respond.io, a request is when a message is being sent to a contact. 
Messaging Channel
Applicable Rate Limit
Facebook
200 requests per hour
WhatsApp - Twilio
20 requests per second
WhatsApp - MessageBird
200 requests per second
WhatsApp - Vonage
20 requests per second
WhatsApp - Chat API
1 request per second with a limit of 6000 requests per day
WhatsApp - 360Dialog
10 requests per second
LINE
60 requests per hour
Telegram
30 requests per second
Viber
500 requests per 10 seconds
SMS - Twilio
Varies depending on the location of the recipient. Refer here for more information. 
SMS - MessageBird
-
SMS - Vonage
30 requests per second
Custom Channel
20 requests per second