Chat channels
The assistant is available in the browser on every page. Telegram and WhatsApp deliver the same assistant to a phone, using the same tools, the same dashboard rows and the same conversation.
Chat channels sit in Kroll Connect below the service cards. Each channel has its own card, credential dialog and Manage dialog.
What each card shows
- the channel name and status;
- the connected account or phone number;
- whether replies are on;
- how many chats are linked;
- who is allowed to talk to the assistant;
- when a message last arrived;
- how the channel is connected (long polling, webhook or linked device).
| Status | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Connected | Credentials verified; the channel can receive messages |
| Not connected | No credentials saved yet |
| Setup required | The channel has no saved credentials or link yet |
| Error | A connection exists but the last check failed |
Connect Telegram
Create the bot
In Telegram, open BotFather, create a bot for the workspace and copy its token. Treat the token like a password.
Enter the token
On the Telegram card in Kroll Connect, select Connect bot and paste the token. If the workspace uses a webhook, paste the webhook secret as well.
Connect
Select Connect. The token is checked with Telegram before it is saved. A rejected token leaves the dialog open so you can correct it.
Verify
Select Verify on the card. The result is written to sync activity and the card returns to Connected with a fresh check.
Telegram uses long polling by default, which needs no public address. A workspace that exposes a webhook address shows Webhook on the card instead.
Connect WhatsApp
WhatsApp links the number as a device, the same way WhatsApp Web works. Messages are carried by a local bridge on the workspace server, and the assistant answers from there. No Meta developer account is needed.
Open the link dialog
On the WhatsApp card, select Link device.
Scan the code
On the phone that owns the number, open WhatsApp and go to Settings → Linked devices → Link a device. Scan the code shown in the dialog.
Wait for the link
The code refreshes on its own, so scan the current one. When the phone confirms, the dialog closes and the card shows Connected with the number.
Treat the linked device like a signed-in session. Anyone who can scan from the number can read its chats. Disconnecting in Kroll Connect, or signing the device out from the phone, ends the link and requires a new scan.
Link a chat
A channel that is connected can still ignore an unfamiliar sender. Pair the chat first:
Open Manage
On the connected channel card, select Manage.
Generate a code
Select Generate code. The code is valid for one hour and can be used once.
Send the code from the chat
From the chat you want to use, send link CODE with the code shown.
The instruction on screen names the channel and the exact wording.
Confirm the linked chat
The chat appears under Linked chats in the Manage dialog. Messages from that chat now reach the assistant.
An unlinked sender gets one short instruction and nothing else. To remove a chat, select Unlink beside it.
Who can talk to the assistant
Manage sets who may use the channel:
| Setting | Behaviour |
|---|---|
| Linked chats only | The default. A chat must be paired with a code before it is answered |
| Anyone who messages the bot | Any sender is answered, whether or not the chat is linked |
| Off | No messages are answered |
The Replies toggle on the same dialog turns answers on or off without disconnecting the channel.
How replies arrive
- The answer uses the same assistant turn as the browser panel.
- Long answers are split into parts sized for the provider and sent with a short pause between them.
- Only direct messages are handled. Group chats and media are left alone.
- Repeated delivery of the same inbound message is recognised and dropped, so a retry cannot produce two answers.
Disconnecting
Disconnect deletes the stored credentials and account label for that channel and records the event in the audit log. For WhatsApp it also signs the linked device out. Linked chats remain in the list until you unlink them. Reconnecting starts from the credential or link dialog again.
Troubleshooting
| Symptom | Meaning | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Setup required | No credentials for the channel | Enter the credentials or ask the administrator |
| Error | The last check failed | Select Verify and read the error on the card |
| The sender gets one instruction and no answer | The chat is not linked | Generate a link code and send link CODE from that chat |
| A link code is rejected | It expired or was already used | Generate a new code |
| No replies at all | Replies are off, or the policy is Off | Open Manage and turn replies back on |
| The WhatsApp code never appears | The local WhatsApp bridge is not running | Ask the administrator to start the bridge, then reopen Link device |
| The WhatsApp code expired | The code refreshes on its own | Scan the code currently on screen |
| WhatsApp says the device is linked but messages get no answer | The chat is not linked, or replies are off | Generate a link code and send link CODE; check Manage |
| WhatsApp disconnects by itself | The device was signed out on the phone | Select Link device and scan again |
| Telegram replies are delayed | The channel is using long polling | This is expected; a webhook address makes delivery immediate |