Channels allow you to send and receive messages or phone calls through your account. You can connect up to 10 channels, including multiple channels of the same type.

Channel Types

Available channel types include aggregators (SMS & Voice), Facebook Messenger, Telegram, Instagram, and more. We're always looking to add channels, so feel free to recommend one to support@textit.com.

Aggregator (SMS & Voice)

Aggregators are services that route messages across multiple carriers. They provide virtual mobile numbers and shortcodes that you connect to your account through their API.

Examples of aggregators include:

• Twilio

• Plivo

• Vonage

• Clickatell

• Africa's Talking

Throughput

Throughput is the rate at which your channel sends messages, measured in messages per second. For example, Twilio toll-free numbers send 3 text messages per second, while standard virtual numbers send 1 message per second.

Adding Aggregators

We're always extending our network of local aggregators. If you don't see an option for your country, let us know and we'll help find a local aggregator we can integrate with our platform. You can also use our external API channel option.

Voice

See our IVR docs for more info.

Nonprofit Discount

Twilio's Impact Access Program provides eligible nonprofits and social enterprises with discounts and credits for Twilio products.

External API

The External API channel allows you to send and receive messages through external providers (those not already listed when adding a channel). This could be an external chat or messaging service, or an aggregator not already listed (though we're happy to integrate with aggregators for a fee).

For example, if you want to use our automation with an external service, you could write hooks for your system and connect them through the External API channel. We would then send and receive messages through the external service.

As long as your contacts have the URN type your channel is configured for, we'll send outgoing messages to the endpoint you configure.

Disabling a channel

Once you have added a channel, it starts sending and receiving messages automatically. If you want to stop sending messages through that channel without losing its integration and history, see how to do that here.

Questions? Send us a message via the support widget in the bottom right corner of your browser.