Introduction to Channels
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.
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.
Aggregators are services that process messages across multiple carriers with exceptional speed and efficiency. They provide virtual mobile numbers and shortcodes that are easily connected to your account through API integration.
Examples of aggregators include, but are certainly not limited to:
Twilio
Plivo
Vonage
Clickatell
Africa's Talking
Throughput is the speed of the messages sent by your channel, measured in messages/second. For example, with toll-free Twilio numbers, throughput is 3 text messages/second, whereas standard virtual numbers send 1 message/second.
We're always extending our network of local aggregators. If you don't see an option for your country, let us know. We'd be happy to help source a local aggregator that we can integrate with our platform for your country. You can also simply use our external API channel option.
See our IVR docs for more info.
Twilio's Impact Access Program provides eligible non-profits and social enterprises with exclusive discounts and credits for Twilio products.
The External API channel allows you to send and receive messages via external providers (those not already listed when adding a channel). This could be an external chat/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 leverage the automation we provide through an external service, you could write hooks for your system and connect them through your external API. We would then send and receive messages via the external service.
As long as your contacts have the URN type your channel is configured to correspond with, we'll send outgoing messages using the endpoint you configure.
Once you have added a channel, it will automatically start processing, it can send and receive messages. You may decide to stop sending messages through that channel, but without losing it's 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.
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 process messages across multiple carriers with exceptional speed and efficiency. They provide virtual mobile numbers and shortcodes that are easily connected to your account through API integration.
Examples of aggregators include, but are certainly not limited to:
Twilio
Plivo
Vonage
Clickatell
Africa's Talking
Throughput
Throughput is the speed of the messages sent by your channel, measured in messages/second. For example, with toll-free Twilio numbers, throughput is 3 text messages/second, whereas standard virtual numbers send 1 message/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. We'd be happy to help source a local aggregator that we can integrate with our platform for your country. You can also simply use our external API channel option.
Voice
See our IVR docs for more info.
Nonprofit Discount:
Twilio's Impact Access Program provides eligible non-profits and social enterprises with exclusive discounts and credits for Twilio products.
External API
The External API channel allows you to send and receive messages via external providers (those not already listed when adding a channel). This could be an external chat/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 leverage the automation we provide through an external service, you could write hooks for your system and connect them through your external API. We would then send and receive messages via the external service.
As long as your contacts have the URN type your channel is configured to correspond with, we'll send outgoing messages using the endpoint you configure.
Disabling a channel
Once you have added a channel, it will automatically start processing, it can send and receive messages. You may decide to stop sending messages through that channel, but without losing it's 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.
Updated on: 18/03/2025
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