What are conversational channels?

At Zenvia Conversion, we use "conversational channels" to refer to the methods we use to communicate with our clients.

Which channels does Zenvia Conversion currently have available?

The channels currently available in Zenvia Conversion are WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger and Instagram Messages.

What is the difference between a conversational channel and an app?

The main difference is that a conversational channel is the medium we use to communicate with clients, while Apps are integrations we use to find clients or improve their experience. But we cannot communicate with clients using Apps.

How do I assign a conversational channel?

It's very simple. To assign a conversational channel, go to the Conversational Channels screen in Zenvia Conversion and chose the conversational channel you want to assign.

We'll show an example with a WhatsApp line, but the path is the same for Facebook Messenger or Instagram Messages accounts.

Once you have identified the account, click on it and we will assign the channel:

You can assign the channel to a group or a user:

Keep in mind that if you assign a line to a user, all the chas that come through that conversational channel will be assigned to that user.

Click on the user or group, click Assign, and you're all set:

Troubleshooting assigning a channel

Why won't it allow me to assign the channel to a certain group?

Sometimes, when you attempt to assign a channel you will see the following message:

This is because the group you are attempting to assign the conversational channel to already has another channel assigned to it that is the same type.

How can I check for an assignment conflict?

If you look at Conversational Channels, you'll be able to see whether a group has already been assigned to the conversational channel or falls under it.

How can I tell if a child group is being affected by a conversational channel in a group higher up?

Recall that in Zenvia Conversion, most things are organized in hereditary systems, meaning that a conversational channel assigned to a parent group is thereby also assigned to all the child groups that depend on that parent group. We recommend reading this article to learn more about groups.

So I can't assign more than one conversational channel per group?

That isn't entirely the case. You can assign more than one conversational channel per group, so long as they are different types of conversational channel. In other words, you can assign a WhatsApp line, a Facebook Messenger account, and an Instagram Messages account all to the same group, but you cannot assign two WhatsApp lines or two Facebook Messenger accounts.

How does the hereditary system work for conversational channels?

Let's use the structure below to explain the system:

If we assign a conversational channel (a WhatsApp line, Facebook Messenger account, or Instagram Messages account) to the Parent Group, this will also be reflected in the Child Groups. Leads that come in through that conversational channel will be distributed to the three groups (based on how the group's distribution rules are configured).

On the other hand, if we add the conversational channel to one of the child groups leads will only go to that specific group. For example, if we add a WhatsApp line to Child Group 1, users in the Parent Group or Child Group 2 will not be able to use it.

I need leads to go just to Child Group 1, but users in the other groups need to be able to use the conversational channel.

In that case, we can extend the availability of the conversational channel to more groups so that other users of the account can access it:

What happens if I have more than one of one type of conversational channel?

If you have more than one of one type of conversational channel, for example more than one Instagram Messages accounts, the only configuration option you have is to assign one to each of the child groups, as explained below:

This is because if you add one of the Instagram accounts to the parent group, you will not able to add the others to the child groups becase every setting applied to the parent group applies to the child groups, and this would create a conflict since you can only have one of each conversational channel type per group.

I'm an administrator who monitors the parent group and I have two lines with Zenvia Conversion, one in each child group. Is there a way I can monitor what's happening in the child groups and still be able to respond to my clients via WhatsApp?

This is the structure:

In the cases when the account has more than one of a certain type of conversational channel (in this example, WhatsApp lines), the administrator has to choose whether they want to be able to monitor what goes on in child groups or respond to chats.

• Because of the hereditary system, it is not possible to connect one of the WhatsApp lines to the parent group while maintaining the other, since they would be in conflict.

   

• The group with the administrator in it does not have a WhatsApp line, so the administrator cannot send WhatsApp messages through Zenvia Conversion.

   

• If the administrator moves to one of the child groups, they will lose the ability to view what goes on in the other groups and will not be able to return to the parent group (without the help of another administrator).

   

In these cases, the administrator should limit themselves to a monitoring role or add another username: one to monitor and one to respond to chats.