> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://octop.mintlify.site/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Channels: Connect Octop to Your Messaging Apps

> Octop supports WeCom, Feishu, DingTalk, QQ, WeChat, Telegram, Yuanbao, Xiaoyi, and MQTT. Each channel connects one messaging platform to one of your agents.

Channels connect your Octop agents to external messaging platforms. Once a channel is configured, every message sent to that platform is routed through Octop's IM bridge and delivered to the agent the channel belongs to. A single agent can have multiple channels active at the same time — the same agent can respond on both Feishu and Telegram, sharing one conversation context.

![Channels](https://mintcdn.com/octop/P_aBdthWeK4YndCE/images/ui-channels.png?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=P_aBdthWeK4YndCE\&q=85\&s=46782370c551bd3e6311d0c1693a02dc)

## Supported channels

Octop ships nine channels:

| Channel | What it connects |
| - | - |
| **WeChat** | Personal WeChat, receiving and replying to direct and group messages through an iLink Bot |
| **QQ** | A QQ bot for direct and group messages; supports QR bind, group context (visibility / activation), and C2C `stream_messages` (`c2c_streaming`) |
| **WeCom** | A WeCom bot for app messages, direct chats, and group chats |
| **Feishu** | A Feishu bot for direct and group messages, synced both ways with the agent |
| **Yuanbao** | Tencent Yuanbao, bringing agent capabilities into Yuanbao conversations |
| **DingTalk** | A DingTalk bot for direct and group chats, suited to team workspaces |
| **Telegram** | A Telegram bot for direct and group messages via the Bot API |
| **Xiaoyi** | Huawei Xiaoyi (OpenClaw), connected over the A2A protocol to the voice assistant |
| **MQTT** | Routes IoT device or robot messages to an agent |

> [!NOTE]
>
> The web UI is always available for chat, so you can talk to any agent immediately after creating it without configuring a channel.

## Add a channel to an agent

Channels are configured per agent under personalization:

```text theme={null}
Personalization → Channels
```

Pick the agent at the top of the page, toggle on the platform you want, and fill in that platform's credentials.

> [!TIP]
>
> For platform-by-platform credential steps, see [IM Channels](https://octop.mintlify.site/guides/im-channels.md). For CLI setup, see [Channel & cron commands](https://octop.mintlify.site/cli/channel-cron-commands.md#octop-channel).

## How message routing works

Each channel is attached to exactly one agent. When a user sends a message on the connected platform, Octop's IM bridge normalises it into a standard format and delivers it to the agent for processing. The agent's reply travels back through the same bridge to the originating platform.

```
User on Feishu
    │
    ▼
Octop IM bridge  (normalises platform message)
    │
    ▼
Agent            (processes the message)
    │
    ▼
Octop IM bridge  (sends reply back to Feishu)
    │
    ▼
User on Feishu
```

## Choose how replies appear

In the channel settings drawer, open **Message display → Response mode**:

* **Final only (Recommended)** sends one completed reply after the agent finishes.
* **Live progress** shows updates in the chat app while the agent is still working.

**Show thinking** and **Show tool hints** are extra toggles. They are unavailable when the mode is Final only. QQ private chat ignores **Response mode** and uses `c2c_streaming` instead.

> [!WARNING]
>
> Disabling a channel stops routing immediately. Any in-flight messages on that platform will not receive a reply. Re-enabling it restores routing without losing conversation history.

## Next steps

> [card] [Agents](https://octop.mintlify.site/concepts/agents.md)
>
> Review how to create and manage the agents your channels connect to.

> [card] [Connectors](https://octop.mintlify.site/concepts/connectors.md)
>
> Extend your agents with built-in connectors and custom MCP servers.


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