Channels
=========

Channels connect a published OneByZero Neo agent to external platforms — messaging apps, enterprise tools, automation triggers, and custom webhooks. Once a channel is configured and enabled, the agent begins handling messages or events from that platform without any additional integration work.

.. note::

   :doc:`Digital Co-Workers </coworkers/index>` run on the NeoGPT, Microsoft Teams, and Outlook channels, configured from the Co-Worker's own Channels tab and drawing on the setup described here.

Route Types
-----------

Every channel connects through one or more **routes**. The route type determines the direction of communication:

* **Conversation** — Bidirectional. The external platform sends a message, the agent processes it and replies back. Used for messaging channels (WhatsApp, Slack, Teams, etc.).
* **Trigger** — Inbound only. An external event fires the agent; no reply is sent back through that channel. Used for webhook and schedule-based channels (GitHub, Jira, Agent Schedule, etc.).
* **Notification** — Outbound only. The agent sends a message proactively to the external platform. No inbound trigger. Used alongside conversation routes in Teams and Outlook Mail.

Some channels support multiple route types. Each route is configured and credentialed independently.

Prerequisite — Channel Gateway MCP
------------------------------------

All channels that use **Conversation or Notification routes** require the **Channel Gateway MCP** to be enabled at two levels before the channel can send or receive messages:

* **Global level** — Admin Panel → MCP Servers → Channel Gateway → Enable and Deploy
* **Workspace level** — Workspace Settings → MCP → Channel Gateway → toggle ON

Trigger-only channels (GitHub, Jira, Databricks, Zoho Recruit, Outlook Calendar, Agent Schedule) do not require Channel Gateway MCP.

Your agent must also be **published** before a channel can be attached to it.

How to Add a Channel
--------------------

1. Open an agent in the Builder and navigate to the **Channels** tab.
2. Click **Add Channel** and select the channel from the dropdown.
3. Select the route type (Conversation, Trigger, or Notification — depending on the channel).
4. Enter the required credentials and configuration settings.
5. Click **Create Channel**. Ensure the channel toggle is set to **Enabled**.

Credentials entered here are stored at workspace level and can be reused across agents.

Configuring Outputs
-------------------

When an Agentic Flow agent sends a message through a channel, a **Channel Output** node controls the format — Adaptive Card templates, HITL approval cards, and placeholder tokens. See :doc:`delivery_templates` for the full reference.

.. toctree::
   :hidden:

   delivery_templates

Available Channels
------------------

.. list-table::
   :widths: 22 30 23 25
   :header-rows: 1

   * - Channel
     - Supported Agents
     - Route Types
     - Use Case
   * - :doc:`Agent Schedule <agent_schedule>`
     - Agentic Flow, Chatbot
     - Trigger
     - Run the agent on a recurring schedule
   * - :doc:`Databricks <databricks>`
     - Agentic Flow, Chatbot
     - Trigger
     - Databricks job or MLflow webhooks trigger the agent
   * - :doc:`Facebook Messenger <facebook>`
     - Chatbot, Agentic Flow
     - Conversation
     - Facebook Page messaging and feed events
   * - :doc:`GitHub <github>`
     - Agentic Flow, Chatbot
     - Trigger
     - GitHub webhook events trigger the agent
   * - :doc:`Jira <jira>`
     - Agentic Flow, Chatbot
     - Trigger
     - Jira webhook events trigger the agent
   * - :doc:`Microsoft Teams <microsoft_teams>`
     - Agentic Flow, Chatbot
     - Conversation, Notification
     - Teams bot and proactive channel notifications
   * - :doc:`Outlook Calendar <outlook_calendar>`
     - Agentic Flow, Chatbot
     - Trigger
     - Calendar event monitoring and meeting triggers
   * - :doc:`Outlook Mail <outlook_mail>`
     - Agentic Flow
     - Trigger, Conversation, Notification
     - Email monitoring and automated replies
   * - :doc:`Slack <slack>`
     - Chatbot
     - Conversation
     - Slack workspace bot
   * - :doc:`Telegram <telegram>`
     - Chatbot
     - Conversation
     - Bot-based messaging on Telegram
   * - :doc:`Universal Webhook <universal_webhook>`
     - Agentic Flow
     - Trigger, Conversation, Notification
     - Custom webhook integration with any external system
   * - :doc:`Viber <viber>`
     - Chatbot
     - Conversation
     - Viber Public Account messaging
   * - :doc:`WhatsApp <whatsapp>`
     - Chatbot
     - Conversation
     - Customer messaging via WhatsApp Business
   * - :doc:`Zalo <zalo>`
     - Chatbot
     - Conversation
     - Zalo Official Account messaging
   * - :doc:`Zoho Recruit <zoho_recruit>`
     - Agentic Flow
     - Trigger
     - Zoho Recruit automation events trigger the agent

.. toctree::
   :hidden:

   agent_schedule
   databricks
   facebook
   github
   jira
   microsoft_teams
   outlook_calendar
   outlook_mail
   slack
   telegram
   universal_webhook
   viber
   whatsapp
   zalo
   zoho_recruit