Set up a Facebook Channel

A Facebook channel links a Facebook Page to Cloud Voice, letting your agents read and answer Messenger conversations directly from the system. Setting it up spans two places: you build and configure a Meta app on the Meta for Developers portal, then create a matching channel in the Cloud Voice portal and connect the two with a webhook (a URL that Meta calls automatically whenever your Page receives a new message).

Work through the four steps in order, keeping the credentials you copy along the way close at hand.

Step 1. Create a Meta app

Start on the Meta for Developers portal by registering an app for the integration.

1. Sign in to the Meta for Developers portal, then open My Apps from the top menu.

   

2. Click Create App in the top-right corner.

   

3. Under App details, fill in an app name and a contact email, then click Next.

   

4. Under Use cases, choose Other, then click Next.

   

5. For App type, select Business, then click Next.

   

6. Under App details, pick the Meta business portfolio you want to use.

   

7. Click Create app.

   The app is created and Meta takes you to the App Dashboard.

Step 2. Set up the Meta app

Next, add the Messenger platform to the app and gather the three credentials Cloud Voice needs: an access token, the App Secret, and your Page’s name and ID.

Caution

The access token and App Secret are sensitive credentials. Anyone who has them can read and send messages as your Facebook Page, so treat them like passwords: copy them somewhere secure, do not share them, and avoid leaving them in email or chat.

1. On the Add products to your app page, click Set up on Messenger. Meta opens the Messenger API configuration page.

   

2. Connect the app to your Facebook Page and generate an access token.

   a. Scroll to the 2. Generate access tokens section and click Connect to add your Facebook Page.

   

   Refresh the page; your Facebook Page now appears as connected.

   

   b. Generate an access token. This authorizes the app to act on behalf of the Page.

   Note

   Copy the access token and keep it somewhere safe. You will paste it into Cloud Voice later.

   

   c. Copy and note down your Facebook Page’s name and ID as well; both are required in Cloud Voice.

   

3. Retrieve the app’s secret key.

   a. In the left navigation, go to App settings > Basic.

   b. Click Show next to the App secret field to reveal the key.

   

   c. Copy the revealed key and note it down for use in Cloud Voice.

   

Step 3. Create a Facebook channel

Now create the channel in Cloud Voice using the credentials you collected.

1. Sign in to the Cloud Voice portal and go to Messaging > Message Channel.

2. Click Add and choose Facebook Messenger.

3. On the Authentication tab, supply the Facebook details.

   

   • Name: A label that helps you recognize the channel.
   • Webhook URL: Note this value down. You will paste it into the Meta portal in Step 4.
   • Verify Token: Note this value down as well; it is also needed in Step 4.
   • Access Token: Paste the access token you generated in Step 2.
   • App Secret: Paste the App Secret you retrieved in Step 2.
   • Page ID: Paste your Facebook Page ID from Step 2.
   • Page Name: Paste your Facebook Page name from Step 2.

4. On the Messaging Settings tab, configure how the channel behaves.

   

   • Destination for Inbound Messaging: Decide where incoming messages from the Page are routed.

     Option	Description
     Extension	Choose an extension from the Extension list. Only that extension user receives inbound messages from the Page.
     Message Queue	Choose a queue from the Message Queue list. Every agent in the queue sees the first message of a new session, but once an agent picks it up, only that agent receives and replies to the rest of that session.
     Third-Party Message Analytics Platform (Transmitted via API)	Inbound messages are forwarded automatically to a third-party analytics platform over the API (Application Programming Interface) for further processing.

     Note

     Forwarding to a third-party analytics platform only works if your Cloud Voice server is already integrated with that platform through the Cloud Voice API. Once this option is on, inbound messages are transmitted automatically; you can track them by monitoring the New Message Notification API event, and the platform can use the Cloud Voice Message API for richer interactions.

   • Close Session Automatically: Optional. Select this checkbox to have the system end sessions that stay idle for a set time, then enter the number of days in the Session Timeout (Days) field.

5. Click Save.

Step 4. Set up Meta webhook

Return to the Meta for Developers portal to point the app’s webhook at Cloud Voice and subscribe to message events, so Cloud Voice is notified whenever the Page receives a message.

1. Open the Messenger API configuration page for your app.

2. In the 1. Configure webhooks section, add a webhook and subscribe to the messages field.

   a. Click Configure to add the webhook.

   

   • Callback URL: Paste the Webhook URL you noted from Cloud Voice in Step 3.
   • Verify Token: Paste the verify token you noted from Cloud Voice in Step 3.

   Caution

   The Callback URL and Verify Token must match exactly what Cloud Voice generated in Step 3. If either value is wrong, Meta cannot verify the webhook and messages from your Page will never reach Cloud Voice.

   b. Click Manage and subscribe to the messages field.

   

3. In the 2. Generate access tokens section, click Add Subscriptions and subscribe your Facebook Page to the messages field.

   

Result

• In the Cloud Voice portal, the channel’s Status shows a green connected indicator (), confirming the Facebook channel is set up.

  

• Cloud Voice keeps a running count of messages sent and received on the channel. The Total column reflects every outbound message, including both successful and failed sends.

  Tip

  Use the time filter to narrow the statistics to a specific date range.

  

What to do next

Test message delivery between your Facebook Page and Cloud Voice, then submit your app for review.