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

# Channels

> How the AI assistant works across chat, email, and WhatsApp — and how to enable each channel.

The AI assistant supports three channels: **Chat**, **Email**, and **WhatsApp**. All three share the same capabilities, the same data, and the same visibility rules. The differences are in how conversations are started, how sessions are managed, and how responses are formatted.

## Channel comparison

|                                | Chat                                                  | Email                                                          | WhatsApp                                                   |
| ------------------------------ | ----------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------- |
| **How it works**               | Floating widget on the members portal                 | Members email your space's AI address                          | Members message your space's WhatsApp number               |
| **Enabled by default**         | Yes                                                   | No                                                             | No                                                         |
| **Session duration**           | One session per chat window                           | 48 hours (same email thread)                                   | 24 hours (same phone number)                               |
| **Response format**            | Rich text with markdown, tool cards, and buttons      | Well-structured paragraphs, no markdown headers or code blocks | Concise text under 300 words, bold for emphasis, no tables |
| **Media attachments**          | Not applicable                                        | Text only — attachments are noted but not processed            | Text only — media messages are noted but not processed     |
| **Confirmation window**        | 10 minutes                                            | 4 hours                                                        | 1 hour                                                     |
| **Requires customer identity** | Optional (logged-in members identified automatically) | Matched by email address                                       | Matched by mobile phone number                             |

## Chat

The chat channel is the default. It is embedded in your members portal as a floating widget and is described in detail on the [Chat Experience](./chat-experience) page.

No additional setup is required — chat is available as soon as the AI assistant is enabled for your space.

## Email

The email channel lets members and prospects interact with the AI by sending an email to a dedicated address for your space. The AI processes the message, runs the same tools it would use in chat, and sends back a reply email.

### How it works

1. A member or prospect sends an email to your space's AI email address.
2. Nexudus identifies the sender by matching the email address to an existing customer record.
3. The AI processes the message and sends a reply email from your space.
4. Replies to that email continue the same conversation — no need to start over.

### Sessions

Email sessions last **48 hours**. All replies within the same email thread are part of the same session. If the sender starts a new email with a different subject line, a new session begins. After 48 hours of inactivity, a new session also starts automatically.

### Response formatting

Email responses use well-structured paragraphs without markdown headers, code blocks, or tables. Images and links are included where relevant. Each reply includes a footer identifying the response as coming from your space's AI assistant.

### Enabling the email channel

Enable the email channel in your business settings by switching on **AI Email**. You then configure your email provider to forward messages from your chosen address to the Nexudus AI inbox address.

See [Setting up the email channel](./setup-email) for the full step-by-step guide, including instructions for Gmail, Microsoft 365, and other email providers.

<Note>
  If the sender's email address matches multiple customer records, Nexudus resolves the correct one using these rules in order: default profile first, then individual records, then the most recently created record.
</Note>

## WhatsApp

The WhatsApp channel lets members and prospects interact with the AI by messaging your space's WhatsApp number. The AI processes the message and replies in the same WhatsApp conversation.

### How it works

1. A member or prospect sends a WhatsApp message to your space's number.
2. Nexudus identifies the sender by matching the phone number to an existing customer record.
3. The AI processes the message and replies via WhatsApp.
4. The conversation continues naturally in the same WhatsApp thread.

### Sessions

WhatsApp sessions last **24 hours**. All messages from the same phone number within that window are part of the same session. After 24 hours of inactivity, a new session starts automatically.

### Response formatting

WhatsApp responses are concise — under 300 words — and use **bold** for emphasis. Tables, headers, and code blocks are not used. Links are placed on their own lines for easy tapping.

### Enabling the WhatsApp channel

1. Create a Twilio account and register a WhatsApp sender.
2. Configure the Twilio webhook to point to Nexudus.
3. Switch on **AI WhatsApp** in your business settings.
4. Enter your **WhatsApp phone number** — this is the Twilio-enabled number associated with your space.

The WhatsApp number is configured per location. Each location that uses WhatsApp needs its own number so that inbound messages can be routed to the correct space.

See [Setting up the WhatsApp channel](./setup-whatsapp) for the full step-by-step guide, including Twilio account setup, Meta business verification, and webhook configuration.

<Note>
  If the sender's phone number matches multiple customer records, Nexudus resolves the correct one using the same rules as email: default profile first, then individual records, then the most recently created record.
</Note>

## Confirmation windows

When the AI performs an action that changes data — such as creating, modifying, or cancelling a booking — it asks the member to confirm before proceeding. The confirmation is valid for a limited time that depends on the channel:

| Channel  | Confirmation window |
| -------- | ------------------- |
| Chat     | 10 minutes          |
| WhatsApp | 1 hour              |
| Email    | 4 hours             |

If the member does not confirm within this window, they need to start the action again. The longer windows for email and WhatsApp account for the fact that members may not reply immediately on those channels.

## Customer identification

On each channel, the AI identifies the customer differently:

| Channel      | How the customer is identified                              |
| ------------ | ----------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Chat**     | Automatically, if the member is logged in to the portal     |
| **Email**    | By matching the sender's email address to a customer record |
| **WhatsApp** | By matching the sender's phone number to a customer record  |

If no matching customer is found, the AI still responds — but capabilities that require a logged-in member (such as viewing or managing bookings) are not available.