Understanding Channel Takeover Limitations
When you're using AI chatbots across multiple channels, you might want to jump in and reply directly from the platform instead of the Agent Inbox. Here's what you need to know about each channel.
Channels with Full Detection
Instagram & Messenger ✅ Bot automatically pauses when you reply directly.
When you send a message from your Instagram or Facebook Page inbox, we detect it and pause the bot. You can configure how long the bot stays paused in Settings > Inbox Behavior > Native Takeover Detection.
How it works: Meta sends us "echo" events for messages sent from your Page, which we detect as human intervention.
Channels with Limitations
WhatsApp ⚠️ Bot cannot detect your replies from the WhatsApp app.
Due to WhatsApp API limitations, when you reply directly from WhatsApp Business app, the bot doesn't know and may continue responding.
Why? The WhatsApp Business API webhook only receives inbound messages from customers—not messages you send from the app.
Recommendation:
Telegram ⚠️ Bots cannot see admin or group member messages.
Telegram bots only receive direct messages to the bot. They cannot see:
Recommendation: Always use the Agent Inbox when taking over Telegram conversations.
Discord ⚠️ Slash command bots don't see regular messages.
Our Discord integration uses slash commands (
Recommendation: Use the Agent Inbox for human interventions.
Slack ⚡ Detection works in DMs, limited in channels.
In direct messages, we can detect when a human (vs bot) replies. In shared channels, detection is limited.
How it works: In DMs, messages without a
Recommendation:
Best Practices
Channel Support Summary
Need Help?
If you have questions about managing conversations across channels, contact our support team or check out our other help articles on Human Handoff and Agent Inbox.
When you're using AI chatbots across multiple channels, you might want to jump in and reply directly from the platform instead of the Agent Inbox. Here's what you need to know about each channel.
Channels with Full Detection
Instagram & Messenger ✅ Bot automatically pauses when you reply directly.
When you send a message from your Instagram or Facebook Page inbox, we detect it and pause the bot. You can configure how long the bot stays paused in Settings > Inbox Behavior > Native Takeover Detection.
How it works: Meta sends us "echo" events for messages sent from your Page, which we detect as human intervention.
Channels with Limitations
WhatsApp ⚠️ Bot cannot detect your replies from the WhatsApp app.
Due to WhatsApp API limitations, when you reply directly from WhatsApp Business app, the bot doesn't know and may continue responding.
Why? The WhatsApp Business API webhook only receives inbound messages from customers—not messages you send from the app.
Recommendation:
- Use the Agent Inbox for all human interventions
- Trigger handoff from the inbox before replying on WhatsApp
- If you must reply directly, be prepared for the bot to also respond
Telegram ⚠️ Bots cannot see admin or group member messages.
Telegram bots only receive direct messages to the bot. They cannot see:
- Messages from group admins
- Messages from other group members
- Channel post comments
Recommendation: Always use the Agent Inbox when taking over Telegram conversations.
Discord ⚠️ Slash command bots don't see regular messages.
Our Discord integration uses slash commands (
/ask), which means the bot only sees interaction events, not regular messages in channels.Recommendation: Use the Agent Inbox for human interventions.
Slack ⚡ Detection works in DMs, limited in channels.
In direct messages, we can detect when a human (vs bot) replies. In shared channels, detection is limited.
How it works: In DMs, messages without a
bot_id are flagged as human. This requires the channels:history scope.Recommendation:
- Use the Agent Inbox for channel conversations
- @mention the bot to trigger it after your intervention
Best Practices
- Use the Agent Inbox — The safest way to take over any conversation
- Enable Handoff First — Trigger handoff before replying on limited channels
- Configure Auto-Resume — Set appropriate timeouts for supported channels (Settings > Inbox Behavior)
- Train Your Team — Ensure all agents know which channels have limitations
Channel Support Summary
| Channel | Detection | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| ✅ Full | Auto-pauses on Page inbox replies | |
| Messenger | ✅ Full | Auto-pauses on Page inbox replies |
| ❌ None | Use Agent Inbox only | |
| Telegram | ❌ None | Bots can't see admin messages |
| Discord | ❌ None | Slash commands only |
| Slack | ⚡ Partial | Works in DMs, limited in channels |
Need Help?
If you have questions about managing conversations across channels, contact our support team or check out our other help articles on Human Handoff and Agent Inbox.