> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.xpressbot.org/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Channels > Connect your channels, switch the active one, and manage each channel's settings. ## What is this? **Channels** is where you connect the places your customers reach you — WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, Telegram, TikTok, Threads, Web Chat, Google — and set up Event Studio and Booking Studio. It's also where you choose which channel is **active**. The active channel decides what you see across the workspace. Dashboard, Inbox, Campaigns and Analytics all show data for the active channel, so if the wrong one is selected you'll see data from the wrong number, brand or account. ![Full Channels page](https://mintcdn.com/onexpressbot/TwQ_OEaLiokc7x7X/images/channels-overview.png?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=TwQ_OEaLiokc7x7X\&q=85\&s=2291f2324a6b0d3d48ed40d0e31cdc43) > [!NOTE] > > Open Channels from the profile menu in the top-right corner. You need the **Channels** permission. Which channel types appear depends on your plan and licence — a channel your platform has switched off is hidden, and one your plan doesn't include shows **Upgrade**. ## What can I do here? * See every channel type as a card with its status * Open a channel to connect it, check its health, reconnect it, or disconnect it * **Switch Channel**, set **Business Hours**, **Rename Channel**, or **Delete Channel** * Jump straight to one channel with a link such as `/channels?channel=whatsapp` ## How to use it ### The channel cards Each card shows the channel's name, a one-line description and a status: | Status | Meaning | | - | - | | **Connected** | This channel type is connected on the active channel | | **Ready to connect** | Not connected yet — click the card to set it up | | **Off** | Event Studio or Booking Studio is set up but its **Public pages** switch is off | | **Upgrade** | Your plan doesn't include it. The card isn't clickable | | **Soon** | Not available yet (RCS) | | **No create access** | It isn't connected and your role can't connect it — ask an admin | Click a card to open that channel. The address changes to `/channels?channel=`, which you can bookmark or share with a teammate: | Page | Link | | - | - | | [WhatsApp](https://docs.xpressbot.org/workspace/channels/whatsapp.md) | `/channels?channel=whatsapp` | | [Web Chat](https://docs.xpressbot.org/workspace/channels/web-chat.md) | `/channels?channel=webchat` | | [Google](https://docs.xpressbot.org/workspace/channels/google.md) | `/channels?channel=google` | | [Facebook](https://docs.xpressbot.org/workspace/channels/facebook.md) | `/channels?channel=facebook` | | [Instagram](https://docs.xpressbot.org/workspace/channels/instagram.md) | `/channels?channel=instagram` | | [Telegram](https://docs.xpressbot.org/workspace/channels/telegram.md) | `/channels?channel=telegram` | | [TikTok](https://docs.xpressbot.org/workspace/channels/tiktok.md) | `/channels?channel=tiktok` | | [Threads](https://docs.xpressbot.org/workspace/channels/threads.md) | `/channels?channel=threads` | | [Event Studio](https://docs.xpressbot.org/workspace/channels/event-studio.md) | `/channels?channel=event` | | [Booking Studio](https://docs.xpressbot.org/workspace/channels/booking-studio.md) | `/channels?channel=appointments` | Inside a channel the header has an **Add new …** button (for example **Add new WhatsApp account**) with a counter such as `1/3` — how many channels your plan allows — and a **Back** button to return to the cards. If your plan's limit is reached, the button is disabled and its tooltip says to upgrade. ### Connect a channel — the basic steps 1. Open **Channels** and click the card of the channel type you want. 2. Click its **Add new …** (or **Connect …**) button and follow the sign-in or setup steps — each channel page explains them. 3. When it finishes, go back: the card now says **Connected**. > [!WARNING] > > Connecting WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Threads and Google needs your platform administrator to have set up the matching app first — see WhatsApp OAuth, Facebook OAuth, Instagram OAuth, TikTok OAuth, Threads settings and Google OAuth. If it isn't set up, the connect step tells you. ### Switch the active channel Click **Switch Channel** and pick one. Do this before you reply in the Inbox, check the Dashboard, launch a campaign or read Analytics. ### Set business hours Click **Business Hours** to set the schedule that decides when the channel appears online or offline. It is shared by WhatsApp, Web Chat, Facebook, Instagram and your Booking Studio page. ### Rename a channel Click **Rename Channel**, type the new name and save. ### Disconnect vs Delete Channel These are different: | | **Disconnect** (inside a channel) | **Delete Channel** (on the cards page) | | - | - | - | | What it removes | Only that connection — the page, bot or account and its saved access. The card goes back to **Ready to connect** | The whole channel and everything under it | | Chats, contacts, groups, automations | **Kept.** Reconnecting brings them back | Permanently removed | Each channel page shows where its **Disconnect** button is and what it does. **Event Studio and Booking Studio have no Disconnect** — they have a **Public pages** switch instead, because every event, service and booking belongs to them. ### Delete a channel 1. On the cards page, click **Delete Channel**. 2. Read the list of what will be removed: all contacts and conversations, the team members assigned to the channel, the WhatsApp, Facebook, Telegram, Instagram, Web Chat and Google connections, and its messages, templates and API logs. 3. Type **I ACCEPT TO DELETE** exactly, then confirm. > [!WARNING] > > Deleting a channel **cannot be undone**. Only delete it after confirming no team or workflow still depends on it. > [!NOTE] > > **Delete Channel is disabled while the channel's WhatsApp number is on credit line billing** with the credit line **Attached** or **Pending**. Hover over it to see *This number is on credit line billing and can't be disconnected or deleted.* The same lock disables WhatsApp's **Disconnect** — see [WhatsApp](https://docs.xpressbot.org/workspace/channels/whatsapp.md#why-disconnect-is-greyed-out-credit-line). ## Troubleshooting / Technical Notes * **I can't see the Channels page.** You need the Channels permission — ask an admin. See [Team](https://docs.xpressbot.org/workspace/team.md). * **A card says Upgrade.** Your plan or licence doesn't include that channel type. See Platform Plans. * **A card is missing.** Your platform has switched that channel type off. * **The Add button is disabled.** You reached your plan's channel limit, or you lack permission to create that channel type. The tooltip says which. * **Dashboard or Inbox shows the wrong data.** Check which channel is active and use **Switch Channel**. * **Delete Channel is greyed out.** The WhatsApp number is on credit line billing — see the note above. ## Related docs * [WhatsApp](https://docs.xpressbot.org/workspace/channels/whatsapp.md) * [Instagram](https://docs.xpressbot.org/workspace/channels/instagram.md) * [Facebook](https://docs.xpressbot.org/workspace/channels/facebook.md) * [Telegram](https://docs.xpressbot.org/workspace/channels/telegram.md) * [Team](https://docs.xpressbot.org/workspace/team.md) * [Trash](https://docs.xpressbot.org/workspace/trash.md) This documentation is built and hosted on [Mintlify](https://mintlify.com), a developer documentation platform.