Channels
Every channel and provider Buni.ai connects to, and which project types can reach customers on each.
A channel is where your customers meet your project: a chat app, a website, a USSD short code or a phone number. You build the flow once on the canvas; channels decide where it runs.
Channels by project type
| Project type | Reaches customers on | Where you connect it |
|---|---|---|
| Chatbot | WhatsApp, Messenger, Instagram, Telegram, Slack and a web chat widget | The trigger node's Platforms tab, then your provider's developer console |
| USSD | A short code such as *789#, through an aggregator | Routes, plus your aggregator's dashboard |
| Voice (IVR) | Phone numbers on your own carrier account | Routes, plus your carrier's console |
| Automation | No inbound chat of its own. Sends SMS with the Messaging node, and can start from webhooks, forms and app events | The trigger node, and Credentials for SMS providers |
SMS is shown as a project type in the app but is marked "coming soon". To send SMS today, use the Messaging node in a USSD, chatbot or automation project.
Chat channels
| Channel | You need | Page |
|---|---|---|
 WhatsApp | A Meta app with the WhatsApp Cloud API, a business phone number and an access token | |
 Messenger | A Meta app connected to a Facebook Page | Messenger and Instagram |
 Instagram | A Meta app connected to an Instagram business account | Messenger and Instagram |
 Telegram | A bot token from BotFather | Telegram |
 Slack | A Slack app in your workspace | Slack |
 Web chat | Nothing external: paste a snippet into your site | Web chat widget |
A chatbot project has one webhook URL for all its chat channels. Buni.ai tells the channels apart by the shape of each incoming message, so you paste the same URL into every provider.
Telecom channels
| Channel | Providers | Page |
|---|---|---|
| USSD short codes |  Africa’s Talking,  Infobip, Hubtel, Direct carrier | USSD codes |
| SMS |  Twilio, Africa’s Talking, Infobip | SMS providers |
| Voice calls | Twilio, Africa’s Talking, Infobip, Direct carrier | Voice carriers |
Buni.ai does not sell numbers, short codes or minutes. You keep the account with your aggregator or carrier, and Buni.ai connects to it.
Keep credentials out of node fields
Channel tokens and secrets are sensitive. Store them in Credentials and pick them from the credential selector on password fields, instead of pasting them into the flow.