Channels

Channels are how customers reach your agent and how it answers back. Connect them once at the workspace level under Agent → Integrations, then assign each connection to the agent that should own it.

How connections work#

  • A connection belongs to the workspace, and an agent binds to it. Two agents can't share the same WhatsApp number or mailbox at once.
  • Trying to connect something already bound elsewhere tells you which agent has it, and offers to move it.
  • Binding a channel to an agent and turning on auto-reply are separate decisions - a bound channel with auto-reply off still drafts into your inbox.
  • Integrations shows every channel as a card with an All / Available / Connected filter, so you can see at a glance what's live.

Email: receiving#

Splice does not read your mailbox. Instead your workspace gets a unique inbound address like ws-abc123@inbound.spliceai.co, and you forward mail to it. What forwards, forwards. Nothing else is ever visible to Splice.

The setup card walks three steps - Forward, Replies, Verify - with guides for:

ProviderHow forwarding is set up
GmailSettings → Forwarding and POP/IMAP → Add a forwarding address. Google emails a confirmation link. Splice catches it and shows a Verify button within about a minute. Then enable forwarding and keep Gmail's copy in the inbox.
OutlookSettings → Mail → Forwarding. No confirmation code needed. On Exchange, use a Rule with 'Redirect to' instead.
Zoho, Yahoo, PrivateEmailEach has its own step-by-step guide in the card.
Anything elseUse the generic guide - any provider that can forward will work.

Keep a copy

Every guide tells you to keep a copy in your own inbox. Forwarding without keeping a copy means your team loses its own record of the thread.

Rotating the address breaks forwarding immediately

You can rotate the inbound address if it leaks, but the old one stops working that instant - update the forwarding rule at your provider first, or mail will bounce. Deleting it stops inbound email entirely.

Email: replying#

Receiving and sending are configured separately. Pick one sender per agent:

SenderSetupNotes
Gmail (OAuth)One-click connect and grant access.Replies send from your Gmail address and land in your Sent folder.
Microsoft (OAuth)Sign in with a work account.Replies send from your Outlook address.
SMTPHost, port, username, password - then Test connection.For SendGrid, Mailgun, SES, Postmark, Zoho or your own server. Gmail needs an app password and port 465. Outlook SMTP uses 587.

One sender per agent

Gmail, Microsoft and SMTP are mutually exclusive on a given agent - connecting a second one replaces the first. Different agents can use different senders.

Replies thread properly into the original conversation, and Splice never prepends "Re:" to a subject that already has one - the reply keeps the customer's exact subject line so their client groups it correctly.

WhatsApp#

WhatsApp runs on Meta's Cloud API and needs a Meta Business account plus a number that isn't already on consumer WhatsApp or WhatsApp Business.

  1. 1Open the WhatsApp card under Integrations and click Connect.
  2. 2Meta's guided popup opens - sign in, pick or create your WhatsApp Business Account, then pick the number.
  3. 3If the number is already on the WhatsApp Business app, choose the coexistence option so it keeps working there too, alongside Splice.
  4. 4Splice registers the number on Meta's Cloud API and binds it to the selected agent automatically.
  5. 5Inbound WhatsApp messages then appear in the same inbox as email.
  • Meta allows free-form replies only inside a 24-hour window from the customer's last message.
  • Outside that window you must use a template Meta has approved. Splice syncs your approved templates and uses them for follow-ups.
  • Media works both ways - images and documents are stored with the conversation.
  • Voice notes are transcribed automatically, so a spoken question gets a normal reply.

Instagram#

Connect an Instagram professional account and DMs arrive in the inbox like any other channel. The same Meta messaging window applies: free-form replies inside it, nothing outside it. Instagram has no template equivalent, so an expired window means the conversation waits for the customer to write again.

Phone#

Connect a number from Twilio, Plivo or Exotel and your agent can answer calls - real-time speech in, speech out - or place outbound campaign calls. Full detail is on the Voice page, including the connect wizard, voice selection and test calls.

Website widget#

The chat widget is a script tag on your site. It has its own page in these docs covering appearance, allowed domains, verified visitors and lead capture.

Calendar & campaign sender#

IntegrationWhat it unlocks
Google CalendarThe agent can check availability, book meetings and send invites during a conversation.
Campaign senderA dedicated sending path for bulk email campaigns, kept separate from your day-to-day mailbox so a campaign can't damage its reputation.

Troubleshooting#

SymptomLikely cause
Inbound email never arrivesForwarding isn't verified yet, or the rule filters more narrowly than you think. The card shows 'waiting for first email to verify'.
Replies aren't sendingNo send mailbox bound to that agent - inbound and outbound are configured separately.
Connect says it's already in useThe connection is bound to another agent. Move it from the prompt, or pick a different one.
WhatsApp replies stop after a dayYou're outside Meta's 24-hour window. Configure approved templates for follow-ups.
Everything is connected but nothing auto-repliesThe agent is paused, or that channel's auto-reply toggle is off. Check the Autopilot sidebar.

A sane order to connect things

  1. 1Email first - it's the channel with the most history for the agent to learn from.
  2. 2The widget next, since it needs no third-party approval.
  3. 3WhatsApp once you have a spare number and a Meta Business account.
  4. 4Phone last, when the written channels are already behaving.