> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://squad.so/docs/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Talk to your squad from Telegram, Discord, or Slack > Understand how chat channels work, who can talk to your agents through them, and how they differ from connected apps. The dashboard chat is always available. A chat channel is an extra way to reach the same agents from a chat app that you already use. Squad has three chat channels: Telegram, Discord, and Slack. All three are optional. You can connect them at any time. To open them, go to **Integrations** > **Channels**, or open **Settings** and click **Telegram**, **Discord**, or **Slack** under **CONNECTIONS**. ## How a channel works Every channel works with bots. You create the bot in the chat app, and you paste its token into Squad. Squad then sets up the bot on your workspace computer. The bot settings live there, and the channel screens read them from there. Each bot has three settings: * **Answered by:** the one agent that answers the bot. The default is **The lead (default)**, which is your lead agent. You can pick any other agent. * **Who can message it:** the list of people who can send the bot direct messages. Everyone else is refused. * **Group or channel answers:** whether the bot also answers in group chats or channels. You can connect more than one bot, for example one bot for each agent or one bot for each audience. Each bot has its own agent and its own list. Agents know which channels are connected. An agent can also post to a connected channel by itself, for example when you ask your lead to post a summary in a Slack channel. ```text Ask your lead theme={null} Post this week's summary in the #sales-wins channel on Slack. ``` ## The three channels side by side | | Telegram | Discord | Slack | | -------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------- | | What you create | A bot, with @BotFather | An application with a bot, in the Discord Developer Portal | An app, from a manifest that Squad gives you | | What you paste | The bot token | The bot token and your Discord user ID | An app-level token, a bot token, and your Slack member ID | | First bot | The main bot. Only you can message it. The lead answers it. | Any bot. You choose who answers. | Any app. You choose who answers before you create it. | | More bots | Yes, after the main bot | Yes | Yes | | Groups or channels | Group chats. The bot answers only people on its list. | Server channels, when someone @mentions the bot | Channels, when someone @mentions the app | | Groups on by default | Main bot: off. Extra bots: on. | On | On | | Special features | Group topics on extra bots | An **Add to a server** link on each bot | **Reply in a thread**, on by default, and **Verify connection** | The how-to pages have the exact steps: ## Who can reach your agents The list under **Who can message it** controls direct messages on every channel. Groups and channels work differently on each chat app: * **Telegram** checks every sender, also in groups. In a group chat, the bot answers only people on its list. When you turn on group chats, you give no new person access. * **Discord** does not check senders in server channels. When server channels are on, the bot answers anyone who @mentions it in a server that it was invited to. To invite a bot, a person needs the Manage Server permission on that server. * **Slack** does not check senders in channels. When channels are on, the app answers anyone who @mentions it in a channel that it was invited to. Only people in a channel can invite the app to it. So on Discord and Slack, the people who can add the bot to a server or channel decide where it works. If a bot must answer only the people on its list, turn off its server channels or channels. Then it answers direct messages only. You are always on the list of every Telegram bot, and you cannot remove yourself. On Discord and Slack you are the first person on the list, but you can remove yourself when someone else is on it. A Discord or Slack list cannot be empty, because an empty list answers nobody. ## Chat channels and connected apps are different things A chat channel is a way for you to talk to your agents. A connected app is a tool that your agents use to do work. See [Connect apps](/docs/integrations). Slack is both, and you connect each one separately: * On **Integrations** > **Channels**, you connect the Slack bot that you chat with. * On **Integrations** > **Connected apps**, you give agents Slack as a tool. With it, they can read channels and post messages as part of their work. When Slack or Discord is connected as a chat channel, an agent does not offer you a card to connect the same product as an app, unless you tell it that you want the app too. ## What channels do not do * Squad has no chat channel for WhatsApp, Microsoft Teams, or Webex. These are only apps. Agents can use them as tools after you connect them on **Connected apps**. * The Telegram main bot does not accept other people. To give someone access to an agent on Telegram, connect an extra bot and add them to its list. * Do not share a bot between workspaces. If you have more than one workspace, create a new bot for each one. * A bot does not answer while the agent software on your workspace computer restarts. Most changes on the channel screens cause a restart, and the bot is back after a short time. ## Messages on every channel screen The Telegram, Discord, and Slack screens share these messages. Each channel page lists its own messages too. | Message | Cause | Fix | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | "Saved to your squad’s runtime, which is still restarting. Until it’s back, the previous settings (including who can message which bot) may still apply. Give it a minute; no need to save again." | The change is saved, and the workspace computer is still restarting. | Wait a minute. Do not save again. | | "Couldn’t reach your squad’s runtime — try again." or "Couldn’t read your squad’s runtime." | Squad could not reach your workspace computer. | Wait a moment, then try again. If it keeps happening, see [Fix an agent that is stuck or failing](/docs/agent-stuck). | | "Couldn’t update your squad’s runtime — try again." or "Couldn’t set the bot up on your squad’s runtime — try again in a moment." | The change did not reach the workspace computer. | Try again in a moment. | | "@\[bot] is already connected to this workspace." | The bot is already on the screen. | Use the bot's card to change it. | | "That agent can’t answer chats yet — pick another." | The agent was added a short time ago and is not ready yet. | Wait a few minutes, or choose another agent in **Answered by**. | | "That agent isn’t in this workspace." | The agent was removed. | Choose another agent in **Answered by**. | | "Bot not found" | The bot was removed, for example in another tab. | Reload the page. | | "Keep the list under 50 people." | The **Who can message it** list is full. | Remove people, or connect another bot for them. | | "Couldn’t update the list. Try again.", "Couldn’t update routing. Try again.", "Couldn’t update the bot. Try again.", or "Couldn’t remove the bot. Try again." | The change did not save. | Try again. |