Connect your first channel
Where the channels live, which one to connect first, and what happens when the first message arrives.
Every channel is connected from Connections → Channels. There is a catalogue there with one card per channel and a Connect button on each.
Only people who administer the organization can connect or disconnect channels. If you are a Member, the screen shows you the notice and the buttons stay inactive.
Which one to connect first
The one you already use. Not the one that sounds best: the one that has unanswered messages today.
In most businesses in the region that is WhatsApp, and it is also the one with the most steps, because it depends on Meta. If you want to see meruma working in five minutes and leave WhatsApp for when you have your Meta details at hand, connect email first: Gmail and Microsoft connect with one click and no paperwork.
| Channel | What you need before you start |
|---|---|
| Email (Gmail or Microsoft) | Nothing. One click and you authorize the account. |
| Email (IMAP + SMTP) | Host, port, user and password for your server. |
| A Meta app with the WhatsApp API set up. | |
| WhatsApp Hybrid | The number in the WhatsApp Business app and a Facebook account. |
| Instagram and Messenger | A Facebook page and the professional Instagram linked to it. |
| Forms | Nothing: they are created inside meruma. |
What happens when the first message arrives
It shows up in Messaging → Chat, in the same inbox as every other channel. If the number or address did not match any contact, meruma creates one with what the channel tells it — profile name, phone or email — and the conversation is attached to it.
From then on, everything that person writes through any channel lands on the same record.
Connecting more than one
You can connect several channels, and several numbers or mailboxes of the same channel. Each connection is independent: disconnecting one does not touch the others, and the conversation history is kept even if you disconnect.
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