Channels
Meet customers where they are — connect email, social media, and messaging platforms to your AI chatbot.
How channels work
By default, your store has the chat widget channel (the bubble on your website). You can add more channels so the AI also handles emails and social media messages. Each channel gets its own chatbot configuration, so you can customize the AI's behavior per channel.
Available Channels
Chat Widget
Always active. The chat bubble on your storefront.
Gmail
Connect your Gmail inbox. AI reads and replies to customer emails.
Outlook / Microsoft 365
Connect your Outlook inbox. Same capabilities as Gmail.
Handle DMs from your Instagram business account. Coming soon.
Messenger
Reply to Facebook Messenger conversations. Coming soon.
Respond to WhatsApp messages. Coming soon.
Connecting Gmail
Start the Gmail Connection
Go to Settings → Channels in the Supportify app. Find the Gmail card and click "Connect".
This will open a Google sign-in window. Sign in with the Gmail account you want to use for customer support (e.g., support@yourstore.com).
Approve Permissions
Google will ask you to approve permissions for Supportify. The app needs access to:
- Read your email — So the AI can read incoming customer emails.
- Send email on your behalf — So the AI can reply to customers.
Click "Allow" to complete the connection. You'll be redirected back to Supportify.
Your data is safe
Supportify only reads emails that are customer support inquiries. Your personal emails are not accessed. All tokens are encrypted and stored securely. See our Privacy & Data article for details. You can disconnect at any time.
Choose a Response Mode
After connecting, choose how the AI handles email replies:
Auto-send
The AI reads incoming emails and sends replies automatically. Best for high-volume stores where speed matters. The customer gets a reply within seconds.
Draft mode
The AI writes a draft reply, but doesn't send it. You review the draft in the Conversations page and decide to send, edit, or discard it. Best for stores that want full control over every outgoing email.
Tip
Start with draft mode to review the AI's email responses for the first week or two. Once you're confident it's writing good replies, switch to auto-send.
Set Up Your Email Signature
Go to Chatbot Setup → Email Settings (visible when viewing an email channel) to configure your email signature. This appears at the bottom of every AI-generated email.
You can also customize your email branding (logo, colors, footer text) in Settings → Email Branding.
Connecting Outlook / Microsoft 365
Connect Your Outlook Account
The process is nearly identical to Gmail:
- Go to Settings → Channels.
- Find the Outlook card and click "Connect".
- Sign in with your Microsoft account.
- Approve the permissions (read email, send email).
- Choose your response mode (auto-send or draft).
- Set up your email signature.
Everything works the same as Gmail — the AI reads incoming emails, writes responses, and either sends them automatically or creates drafts for your review.
Instagram & Messenger
Instagram DMs and Facebook Messenger support are coming soon. When available, you'll be able to connect them from the same Settings → Channels page.
The AI will handle direct messages from your Instagram business account and Facebook Page, using the same configuration (personality,capabilities, knowledge base) as your other channels.
Tip
Want to be notified when Instagram and Messenger support launches? Contact us and we'll let you know.
Managing Your Channels
Switching between channels
In the Chatbot Setup page, you can switch between channels using the Overview section. Each channel has its own status card showing whether it's connected, the response mode, and recent activity. Click on a channel to view and edit its specific settings.
Disabling a channel
Each connected channel has an enable/disable toggle. Disabling a channel stops the AI from reading and responding to messages on that channel, but keeps the connection intact. You can re-enable it anytime.
Disconnecting a channel
To fully disconnect (remove the OAuth connection), click the "Disconnect" button on the channel card in Settings → Channels. This revokes Supportify's access to that email account.