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Channels

The Channels page is where you manage every way leads can reach your business. Each connected channel feeds leads into your single inbox so the AI can respond consistently no matter where the conversation starts.

Where to find it: Customer Dashboard → 📡 Channels (in the left sidebar)

The Five Channels​

ChannelIconWhat it does
📱 SMSText messagingCustomers text your LeadHub AI business number — the AI replies via SMS
💬 WhatsApp BusinessWhatsAppSame number as SMS — messages on WhatsApp automatically land in your inbox
📘 Facebook MessengerFB MessengerCustomers who message your Facebook Page — AI replies in Messenger
📷 Instagram DirectIG DMsCustomers who DM your Instagram Business account — AI replies in Instagram
🌐 Website Chat WidgetChat bubbleA chat widget you embed on your website — visitors chat with the AI

Status Badges​

Each channel shows a status badge:

  • 🟢 Connected — Working, receiving leads
  • 🟡 Expiring soon — Facebook connection needs renewal within 7 days. Click Reconnect to refresh it
  • 🔴 Expired — Facebook connection has expired. Click Reconnect to restore it
  • ⚪ Not connected — Channel isn't set up yet

:::note Screenshot placeholder [Screenshot: Channels page with all 5 channels listed] :::

📱 SMS & 💬 WhatsApp​

Your LeadHub AI plan includes a dedicated business phone number. Once your account is active, your number appears in both the SMS and WhatsApp rows.

Who sets this up: LeadHub AI support assigns your number during onboarding — no action needed from you.

Not connected? Contact support@leadhubai.io and we'll get a number assigned within 1 business hour.

:::tip Same number, both channels Your SMS number also works for WhatsApp Business. Customers who message you on either app land in the same inbox thread. :::

📘 Connect Facebook Messenger​

This is the main setup most customers need to do themselves. It takes about 30 seconds.

First-Time Connect​

  1. Click Connect Facebook
  2. A small popup opens to Facebook
  3. If you're not logged in, Facebook asks you to log in
  4. Facebook asks: "Which Pages do you want to use?" — pick your business Page
  5. Review the permissions → click Continue
  6. A green ✓ Channel Connected Successfully screen appears with your Page name
  7. Click Close Window
  8. Back on the Channels page, the Facebook row now shows:
    • 🟢 Connected
    • Your Page name
    • Token expiry date (about 60 days out)

Your Instagram Account​

If your Instagram is a Business or Creator account AND is linked to your Facebook Page, it gets connected automatically. The Instagram Direct row will also show 🟢 Connected.

If Instagram didn't connect:

  • Make sure your Instagram is a Business or Creator account (not personal). You can switch in the Instagram app under Settings → Account → Switch Account Type
  • Link your Instagram to your Facebook Page in Facebook Page Settings → Linked Accounts → Instagram
  • Come back to this page and click Reconnect on Facebook — Instagram will be picked up automatically

:::note Screenshot placeholder [Screenshot: Connect Facebook button on Channels page] [Screenshot: Facebook permissions dialog] [Screenshot: Success confirmation popup] :::

🔄 Reconnect Facebook​

Facebook connections last about 60 days before Facebook requires you to refresh them. This is a Facebook security policy — not a LeadHub AI limitation.

When to Reconnect​

  • 🟡 Expiring soon (yellow badge) — 7 days or less remaining. Reconnect whenever convenient.
  • 🔴 Expired (red badge) — Token already expired. Your AI won't receive new Messenger or Instagram DMs until you reconnect.

How to Reconnect​

  1. Click Reconnect next to Facebook
  2. The same popup flow as first-time connect opens
  3. Log in to Facebook → pick your Page → approve → close
  4. Done. Your token is refreshed for another 60 days.

:::tip We'll email you If your Facebook connection needs renewal, your LeadHub AI team will send you an email with a direct link to click. You can also check your Channels page anytime to see the status. :::

❌ Disconnect Facebook​

If you ever want to stop LeadHub AI from managing your Facebook Messenger and Instagram DMs:

  1. Go to Channels
  2. Click Disconnect next to Facebook
  3. Confirm — read the warning carefully (your AI will stop responding to new Messenger/Instagram messages)

What happens:

  • LeadHub AI is immediately unsubscribed from your Page's message events
  • Your stored access token is deleted
  • Existing leads and conversation history are preserved — just no new messages will flow in
  • SMS, WhatsApp, and Website Chat are unaffected

You can reconnect anytime by clicking Connect Facebook again.

🌐 Website Chat Widget​

Pro plan feature — embed a LeadHub AI chat bubble on your website so visitors can start a conversation directly.

Setup​

  1. On the Channels page, find the Website Chat Widget row
  2. Click Copy snippet — a one-line HTML tag is copied to your clipboard
  3. Paste it anywhere in your website's HTML, just before the closing </body> tag
  4. Save and publish your website
  5. A chat bubble appears in the bottom-right corner of your site
  6. When a visitor clicks it and sends a message, the conversation lands in your LeadHub AI inbox

:::tip Common website platforms

  • Wix / Squarespace / Weebly — paste in "Custom HTML" or "Embed Code" block in the footer
  • WordPress — use a plugin like "Insert Headers and Footers", paste in the "Footer" field
  • Shopify — edit theme.liquid, paste before </body>
  • Webflow — Site settings → Custom code → Before </body> tag

If your web developer handles this, just send them the snippet and ask them to add it to every page. :::

Troubleshooting​

"Connect Facebook" button does nothing​

Your browser is blocking popups. Look for a popup-blocker icon in your browser's address bar (usually a red icon or a small window icon). Click it → choose Always allow popups from dashboard.leadhubai.io → click Connect Facebook again.

"The domain of this URL isn't included..."​

This means the Facebook app configuration on our side has an issue. Contact support@leadhubai.io — this isn't something you can fix.

Facebook says "No Pages found"​

  • Make sure you're logged into the Facebook account that manages your business Page
  • Make sure the account has admin role on the Page (not just editor/viewer)
  • Try again in an incognito/private browser window

Facebook says "App requires Advanced Access"​

This is a development-mode message that shouldn't appear to real customers. If you see it, your account isn't in the production-approved group yet. Contact support@leadhubai.io — we'll approve your account manually.

Connected but no messages arriving​

  1. Wait 2 minutes after connecting — Facebook takes a moment to activate the subscription
  2. Test by sending yourself a Messenger message from another Facebook account to your Page
  3. The message should appear in your LeadHub AI inbox within 10 seconds
  4. If nothing arrives after 5 minutes, check Channels — if the status dropped back to ⚪ Not Connected, try reconnecting
  • Your Instagram must be a Business or Creator account. Personal Instagram accounts can't be linked.
  • Your Instagram must be linked to your Facebook Page in Facebook's Page Settings → Linked Accounts → Instagram
  • After fixing, click Reconnect on Facebook — Instagram will be picked up automatically

AI isn't auto-replying to messages​

Two things to check:

  1. In the Inbox app, tap the AI toggle in the top-right — it should show 🟢 AI ON. If it's OFF, no auto-replies are sent.
  2. In Customer Dashboard → Settings, confirm AI Auto-Response is enabled.

📋 Lead Ad Form Submissions (Facebook Lead Ads)​

If you run Facebook Lead Ads (the ad format with a built-in form), submissions also flow into your LeadHub AI inbox.

How it works:

  1. Someone clicks your Facebook Lead Ad
  2. Fills out the form (name, phone, email, answers to your questions)
  3. Submits
  4. Within seconds, a new lead appears in your inbox with:
    • Source badge: 📘 FB Form
    • All form answers visible in the lead thread
    • Push notification to your phone: "📋 New Lead Form submission — Jane Smith · AC Repair · (813) 555-0123"

Important: Because Lead Ad submissions don't include SMS consent, LeadHub AI will not automatically text these leads. Instead, a team member should call or email them directly. This keeps your business compliant with SMS marketing rules.

:::tip Click-to-Messenger vs. Lead Ads If you want the AI to auto-respond to ad leads, run a Click-to-Messenger ad instead (set up in Meta Ads Manager with the "Messages" objective). Those leads start a Messenger conversation, and the AI handles the whole qualification automatically. :::

Summary: What to Do on Day 1​

  1. Check that your SMS number is assigned (should be automatic) ✅
  2. Click Connect Facebook to link your Page (30 seconds) 📘
  3. Confirm Instagram auto-linked 📷
  4. (Pro plan) Copy the Website Chat Widget snippet and send it to your web developer 🌐
  5. Test: send yourself a Messenger message from another Facebook account → confirm it arrives in your inbox

Then you're live! 🎉