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🌐 What you’ll build

You’ll connect at least one communication channel to Vambe so customers can reach you through their preferred platform.
Channels are where your customers will interact with your AI assistants and human agents. You can connect multiple channels to the same pipeline.

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Why Connect Channels?

Without connected channels, your AI assistants and pipelines can’t receive real customer messages. Channels are the entry points where customers start conversations that flow through your sales funnels.

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Supported Channels

WhatsApp

Most popular for direct communication
  • Personal, instant messaging
  • High engagement rates
  • Support for media, documents
  • Business API integration

Instagram

Perfect for social media engagement
  • Comments and direct messages
  • Visual content support
  • Young demographic reach
  • Business profile integration

Webchat

Essential for website visitors
  • Embedded on your website
  • Real-time visitor support
  • No app installation required
  • Professional appearance

Messenger

Great for Facebook users
  • Facebook ecosystem integration
  • Automated responses
  • Rich media support
  • Business page connection

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Prerequisites

Before connecting channels, ensure you have:
  • ✅ Completed the Quickstart guide
  • ✅ A Vambe account with Owner role
  • ✅ Business accounts for the platforms you want to connect
Important: You’ll need business/professional accounts for WhatsApp Business API and Instagram Business. Personal accounts have limited functionality.

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Channel Setup Guides

Choose the channel that best fits your business needs and follow the detailed setup guide:
Start here - Learn how to manage your account and basic platform settings before connecting specific channels.

Account Setup Guide

Comprehensive guide for managing your Vambe account, user permissions, and platform configuration.
What you’ll learn:
  • Account and user management
  • Permission and role configuration
  • Basic platform navigation
  • Security settings
Advanced WhatsApp setup - Connect multiple WhatsApp numbers to the same Vambe account for larger operations.

Dual WhatsApp API Setup

Step-by-step guide for connecting two WhatsApp Business numbers to increase capacity and coverage.
Best for:
  • Large businesses with high message volume
  • Multiple departments or regions
  • Redundancy and load distribution
  • A/B testing different approaches
Standard WhatsApp setup - Connect one WhatsApp Business number for most businesses.

Single WhatsApp API Setup

Complete guide for connecting your WhatsApp Business API to Vambe with full automation features.
Best for:
  • Small to medium businesses
  • Single customer service team
  • Straightforward messaging needs
  • Getting started with WhatsApp automation
Social media engagement - Connect Instagram to capture leads from comments and direct messages.

Instagram Connection Guide

Learn how to link your Instagram Business account for automated comment responses and DM management.
Features:
  • Automatic comment responses
  • Direct message automation
  • Lead capture from social posts
  • Integration with your sales pipeline
Fastest setup option - Get started immediately by scanning a QR code with your WhatsApp.

QR Code Setup Guide

Quick setup method using QR code scanning - perfect for testing and small-scale operations.
Best for:
  • Quick testing and setup
  • Small businesses
  • Personal WhatsApp numbers
  • Temporary or trial setups
QR code setup has some limitations compared to Business API. For production use, consider the Business API options.

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Setup Process Overview

Regardless of which channel you choose, the general process follows these steps:
1

Prepare Your Accounts

  • Ensure you have business accounts for your chosen platforms
  • Gather necessary credentials and permissions
  • Verify account ownership and admin access
2

Access Channel Settings

Navigate to your Vambe dashboard and find the channel configuration section.
3

Follow Platform-Specific Guide

Use the detailed guides above for your chosen channel. Each platform has unique requirements and steps.
4

Test Your Connection

  • Send a test message to verify the connection works - Confirm messages appear in your Vambe dashboard - Test basic AI responses if you have a pipeline configured
5

Configure Channel Settings

  • Set up welcome messages
  • Configure business hours
  • Customize automatic responses
  • Connect to your pipeline (if created)

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Multi-Channel Strategy

Pro Tip: You can connect multiple channels to the same pipeline, allowing customers to reach you through their preferred platform while maintaining consistent service.

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Channel Selection Guide

Business TypeRecommended ChannelsPriority Order
E-commerceWhatsApp + Webchat + Instagram1. Webchat 2. WhatsApp 3. Instagram
B2B ServicesWhatsApp + Webchat1. WhatsApp 2. Webchat
Local BusinessWhatsApp + Facebook Messenger1. WhatsApp 2. Messenger
Content CreatorInstagram + WhatsApp1. Instagram 2. WhatsApp
SaaS/TechWebchat + WhatsApp1. Webchat 2. WhatsApp

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Best Practices

Consistent Messaging

  • Use the same AI assistant across all channels
  • Maintain consistent tone and responses
  • Ensure brand voice is uniform
  • Train assistants with the same knowledge base

Channel-Specific Optimization

  • Customize welcome messages per channel - Adjust response timing for platform norms - Use platform-specific features (e.g., Instagram Stories) - Respect platform communication styles

Performance Monitoring

  • Track engagement rates per channel - Monitor response times and quality - Analyze conversion rates by source - Optimize based on channel performance

Customer Experience

  • Allow customers to choose their preferred channel
  • Provide consistent service quality everywhere
  • Maintain conversation history across sessions
  • Offer seamless handoffs between channels

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Troubleshooting Common Issues

If your channel won’t connect:
  • Verify you have admin/owner permissions on the platform account
  • Check that business verification is complete (for WhatsApp/Instagram Business)
  • Ensure you’re using the correct credentials
  • Try disconnecting and reconnecting
  • Contact support if issues persist
If messages aren’t showing in Vambe:
  • Confirm the channel connection is active (green status)
  • Check webhook configurations are correct
  • Verify message permissions are granted
  • Test with a simple text message first
  • Review platform API status pages
If your AI assistant isn’t replying:
  • Ensure you have a pipeline configured and connected
  • Check that your AI assistant has training data
  • Verify API key permissions are sufficient
  • Test with simple, clear messages
  • Review your pipeline trigger conditions

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Get Your Channel IDs

Once your channels are connected, you can retrieve their IDs using the Vambe API. This is useful for integrations, webhooks, and analytics tracking. 
curl -X GET \
  -H "x-api-key: YOUR_API_KEY" \
  https://api.vambeai.com/api/public/channels/{channelType}

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Available Channel Types

Channel TypeDescriptionAPI Parameter
WhatsAppWhatsApp Business API or QRwhatsapp
InstagramInstagram Businessinstagram
WebchatWebsite embedded chatweb-whatsapp
MessengerFacebook Messengerplayground

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Expected Response

{
  "id": "channel_abc123",
  "type": "whatsapp",
  "name": "WhatsApp Business",
  "status": "connected",
  "created_at": "2025-01-01T12:00:00Z",
  "settings": {
    "phone_number": "+1234567890",
    "business_verified": true
  }
}
Save your channel IDs - you’ll need them for webhook configurations, analytics tracking, and API integrations.

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Next Steps

Congratulations! Your channel is now connected and ready to receive customer messages.
Now you can:

Create Your First Pipeline

Build AI-powered sales funnels to automatically handle customer conversations

Configure AI Assistants

Train your AI with company knowledge and sales processes

Set Up Webhooks

Get real-time notifications when customers message you

Monitor Analytics

Track performance and optimize your customer interactions
Need help? Each platform guide includes troubleshooting steps and common solutions. For additional support, contact our team or check the community forums.