Messaging channels: Telegram, SMS and Line

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Conversa Labs

Last updated on Aug 29, 2026

Overview

The messaging channels connect three message services directly to the platform: Telegram, SMS and Line. Messages from each one arrive as conversations in the same panel, with per-contact history, assignment, teams, internal notes and automations — exactly like WhatsApp, email and the website.

Each channel uses the provider's own credentials:

Telegram: a bot created in BotFather, identified by the bot token.
SMS: an account with an SMS provider (Twilio or Bandwidth) plus a phone number.
Line: a LINE Messaging API channel (Channel ID, secret and token), with a webhook pointing to the platform.

Prerequisites

An administrator profile to create inboxes.
The valid credentials for the chosen provider (see each channel in the step by step).
For Telegram: a bot already created in BotFather and its token.
For SMS: a Twilio or Bandwidth account with Account SID / Auth Token and a number (or a Messaging Service).
For Line: a channel in LINE Developers with Channel ID, Channel Secret and Channel Access Token.
If a channel does not appear when creating an inbox, it may not be enabled for your account — check with an administrator.

Step by step

In Telegram's BotFather, create a bot and copy the generated token.
Go to Settings → Inboxes, create a new inbox and choose Telegram.
Paste the bot token and finish. The platform validates the token, detects the bot name automatically and sets up the webhook by itself.
Send a message to the bot and confirm it arrives as a conversation.

SMS (Twilio or Bandwidth)

Go to Settings → Inboxes, create a new inbox and choose SMS.
Select the provider: Twilio or Bandwidth.
For Twilio, enter: inbox name, Account SID, Auth Token and the phone number in E.164 format (e.g. +15551234567) — or check the Messaging Service option and enter the Messaging Service SID.
- Optional: also add an API Key SID + API Key Secret for outbound/provider management. The Account Auth Token remains required because it validates inbound webhook signatures.
For Bandwidth, enter the credentials and the number as provided.
Finish and send a test SMS.

Line

In LINE Developers, create a Messaging API channel and get the Channel ID, Channel Secret and Channel Access Token.
Go to Settings → Inboxes, create a new inbox and choose Line.
Enter the inbox name, Channel ID, Channel Secret and Channel Access Token, then finish.
In the LINE Developers console, set the channel's webhook URL to point to the platform's endpoint (shown in the inbox configuration or provided by your administrator) and enable message receiving.
Send a message to the LINE profile and confirm it reaches the platform.

Settings & options

Assignment and teams: define who handles each channel's conversations, just like the others.
Automation and replies: automations, canned responses and greetings work as usual.
Editing credentials: you can update the channel's token/credentials in the inbox settings.
SMS provider: Twilio accepts a direct number or a Messaging Service; the provider is chosen at creation time.

Twilio credentials, callbacks and voice

The Account SID + Account Auth Token identify the Twilio account and the Auth Token validates inbound webhook signatures. An API Key SID + API Key Secret is optional and is used only for outbound/provider management. They are different credentials: never paste an API Key Secret into the Auth Token field.
Reconnect or rotate credentials only in the dedicated Twilio recovery card. Values are write-only: the platform never displays them again. A rotation creates a new protected generation; an older callback result cannot replace the newer configuration.
A status of pending or failed means the saved generation is retrying with bounded backoff after a timeout, an unavailable provider, or an uncertain callback result. Dead letter means retries stopped and an administrator must reconnect/rotate it; it is visible rather than silently treated as ready. A successful save does not claim the callback was applied until state is ready.
Voice-enabled Twilio SMS inboxes require a voice-capable direct phone number. Their credential operation validates and reconciles both SMS and Voice callback URLs. A Messaging Service-only SMS inbox is not a voice inbox.

Use cases

Handle Telegram and SMS side by side with WhatsApp, email and the website, in the same queue.
Use SMS for notifications and confirmations when the customer has no messaging app.
Use Line to serve Asian audiences (strong in Japan, Thailand and Taiwan) without leaving the platform.

Tips, limits & best practices

Keep credentials valid: a revoked or expired token stops messages from coming in.
SMS has a per-message cost charged by the provider (Twilio/Bandwidth) — track usage in the provider's account.
For Line, the webhook must point to the platform and be active; otherwise messages won't arrive.
Use one bot per inbox in Telegram; the same token cannot be reused across two inboxes.

Troubleshooting

Telegram receives no messages: confirm the token is valid (not revoked in BotFather) and re-enter it if needed.
SMS does not send or receive: review the Account SID, Auth Token and number/Messaging Service; confirm balance and an enabled number with the provider.
Twilio reports pending, failed or dead letter: do not resend a secret by email or chat. Confirm the public callback URL is reachable through your proxy, uses HTTPS, and is not rewriting the Twilio signature path; then reconnect or rotate in the card. Verify that the Account Auth Token (inbound signature) and API Key Secret (outbound) have not been swapped.
Line does not receive: check the Channel ID, Secret and Token and the webhook URL in the LINE console, which must point to the platform and be enabled.
The channel does not appear when creating an inbox: it may not be enabled for your account — talk to an administrator.