> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://developer.omni.z-api.io/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Channels overview

> What each channel supports and how to connect each one

export const projectName = 'Omni Z-API';

## One `channelId`, five platforms

In {projectName} you connect the channel once and use **the same endpoints** for all of them: [send message](/en/messages/introduction), [webhooks](/en/webhooks/introduction), all identical. What changes is the **connection flow** and what each platform accepts.

<CardGroup cols={3}>
  <Card title="Meta" icon="meta" href="/en/channels/connect-channel">
    WhatsApp Official, Instagram and Messenger connect through Meta OAuth.
  </Card>

  <Card title="QR Code" icon="qrcode" href="/en/channels/introduction">
    WhatsApp Web connects by scanning the QR Code.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Telegram" icon="telegram" href="/en/channels/introduction">
    Telegram connects with the bot token.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Capability matrix

Not everything works on every channel — the limit comes from the platform, not from our API.

| Feature               | WhatsApp Official | WhatsApp Web | Instagram | Messenger | Telegram |
| --------------------- | :---------------: | :----------: | :-------: | :-------: | :------: |
| Text                  |         ✅         |       ✅      |     ✅     |     ✅     |     ✅    |
| Image                 |         ✅         |       ✅      |     ✅     |     ✅     |     ✅    |
| Audio                 |         ✅         |       ✅      |     ✅     |     ✅     |     ✅    |
| Video                 |         ✅         |       ✅      |     ✅     |     ✅     |     ✅    |
| Document              |         ✅         |       ✅      |     ✅     |     ✅     |     ✅    |
| Sticker               |         ✅         |       ✅      |     ⚠️    |     ✅     |     ✅    |
| Location              |         ✅         |       ✅      |     ❌     |     ❌     |     ✅    |
| Contact               |         ✅         |       ✅      |     ❌     |     ❌     |     ✅    |
| Quick reply buttons   |         ✅         |       ✅      |     ✅     |     ✅     |     ✅    |
| Action buttons        |         ✅         |       ✅      |     ✅     |     ✅     |     ✅    |
| Pre-approved template |       ✅ WABA      |       ❌      |    ❌ ¹    | ✅ Utility |     ❌    |
| Flows                 |         ✅         |       ❌      |     ❌     |     ❌     |     ❌    |
| Reaction (emoji)      |         ✅         |       ✅      |     ✅     |     🔍    |     ✅    |
| Poll                  |         ❌         |       ✅      |     ❌     |     ❌     |     ✅    |

### The `content.type` for each feature

| Feature             | `content.type`       | Endpoint                                                       |
| ------------------- | -------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Text                | `TEXT`               | [Send text](/en/messages/send-text)                            |
| Image               | `IMAGE`              | [Send image](/en/messages/send-image)                          |
| Audio               | `AUDIO`              | [Send audio](/en/messages/send-audio)                          |
| Video               | `VIDEO`              | [Send video](/en/messages/send-video)                          |
| Sticker             | `STICKER`            | [Send sticker](/en/messages/send-sticker)                      |
| Location            | `LOCATION`           | [Send location](/en/messages/send-location)                    |
| Contact             | `CONTACT`            | [Send contact](/en/messages/send-contact)                      |
| Quick reply buttons | `INTERACTIVE_BUTTON` | [Send text with buttons](/en/messages/send-interactive-button) |
| Action buttons      | `INTERACTIVE_ACTION` | [Send action buttons](/en/messages/send-interactive-action)    |
| Template            | `TEMPLATE`           | [Send template](/en/messages/send-template)                    |

<Note>
  ⚠️ **Instagram and stickers**: the platform only accepts the heart sticker (`like_heart`), not arbitrary stickers.

  ¹ **Instagram and pre-approved templates**: the Graph API `message_templates` edge exists only on the `Page` node. Omni Z-API connects Instagram through **Instagram Login** (the `IGUserForIGOnlyAPI` node), which does not expose that edge. Details in [Connect Instagram](/en/connect/instagram).

  🔍 Cell not confirmed in the platform's official documentation.
</Note>

## Conversation window: only WhatsApp Official has one

<Warning>
  The [24-hour window](/en/conversation-window) rule is **exclusive to WhatsApp Official**. On the other channels you send messages at any time, with no window and no templates.
</Warning>

| Channel           | Window                                    | How to start a conversation outside it          |
| ----------------- | ----------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------- |
| **Meta WhatsApp** | 24 h, restarted by every customer message | [Approved template](/en/messages/send-template) |
| **WhatsApp Web**  | none                                      | send directly                                   |
| **Instagram**     | 24 h (7 days with the *human agent tag*)  | Utility Template or Marketing Messages          |
| **Messenger**     | 24 h (7 days with the *human agent tag*)  | Utility Template or Marketing Messages          |
| **Telegram**      | none                                      | send directly                                   |

## How we identify the contact

The `recipient.identifier` field changes format depending on the channel:

| Channel       | Identifier              | Example         |
| ------------- | ----------------------- | --------------- |
| Meta WhatsApp | phone with country code | `5511999999999` |
| WhatsApp Web  | phone with country code | `5511999999999` |
| Instagram     | username                | `@your_store`   |
| Messenger     | Facebook page           | page ID         |
| Telegram      | bot username            | `@your_bot`     |

## Pre-approved templates: WhatsApp and Messenger

Two channels have templates that go through Meta approval, with different scopes:

| Channel           | Feature              | Scope    | Categories                               |
| ----------------- | -------------------- | -------- | ---------------------------------------- |
| WhatsApp Official | message template     | **WABA** | `UTILITY`, `MARKETING`, `AUTHENTICATION` |
| Messenger         | **Utility Template** | **page** | `UTILITY` only                           |

Instagram, WhatsApp Web and Telegram have none. On Instagram that follows from the login model we use — see [Connect Instagram](/en/connect/instagram).

[Flows](/en/flows/introduction) are **WhatsApp Official only**.

<Note>
  Omni Z-API's [Templates](/en/templates/introduction) endpoints currently cover WhatsApp Official only. The Messenger Utility Template is **being implemented**.
</Note>

## Next steps

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Channel lifecycle" icon="arrows-spin" href="/en/channels/introduction">
    Create, connect, subscribe, disconnect and delete.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Send your first message" icon="paper-plane" href="/en/messages/introduction">
    The endpoint is the same for every channel.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>