Connect your first chat channel and attach Captain to operations

Channel Connections

This is the core go-live guide: connect a real channel, create the AI assistant, create the Captain inbox, and attach knowledge sources so Captain can support customers from the first incoming message.

Last updated: April 13, 2026

1. The real Swich rollout flow

Captain only works end-to-end when four layers are ready: a connected chat channel, an AI assistant, a Captain inbox that maps the assistant to the channel, and a knowledge source such as a Guide or Document. Missing any one of these keeps AI from running properly.

• The chat channel brings real messages from Facebook, Instagram, Zalo, WhatsApp, or website chat into Swich.
• The AI assistant defines Captain role, tone, and handling scope.
• The Captain inbox is where the assistant is attached to the live channel.
• Guides and Documents are the knowledge sources Captain uses to answer customers.

Expected outcome

After this guide, you should have at least one live channel running with Captain and a clear validation path to confirm AI is using approved knowledge instead of guessing.

2. Connect the chat channel to Swich

Start from channel connection. This is how real messages enter Swich from an external platform. Until the channel is connected, Captain has no live input to process.

Start from the inbox list to review existing channels and open the flow for connecting a new one.

Swich shows available platforms such as Website, Facebook, Instagram, Zalo OA, and API so you can connect the right channel.

1. 1

   Open the channel connection area and choose the target platform

   Pick the correct channel type, such as Facebook Page, Instagram, Zalo OA, WhatsApp, or website chat.

2. 2

   Authenticate and complete the platform linkage

   Finish the permission or login steps required by that platform so Swich can receive and send messages.

3. 3

   Confirm the channel is receiving message events

   Send one real test message from the live channel before attaching Captain.

Safe rollout rule

In week one, keep rollout limited to one primary channel so the team can monitor response quality and handoff speed before scaling.

3. Create an AI assistant for that channel

After the channel is connected, create the AI assistant that defines how Captain behaves there. If your workspace runs very different flows, create dedicated assistants instead of reusing one generic assistant everywhere.

During assistant creation, you define the name, description, product context, and initial settings so Captain has the right role before it is attached to an inbox.

1. 1

   Open Captain and create a new AI assistant

   Name it clearly so the team immediately knows which channel or use case it serves.

2. 2

   Define role, limits, and handoff rules

   The assistant should know what questions it can handle, when it must hand off, and that it must not invent information outside approved knowledge.

3. 3

   Save the assistant before attaching it to an inbox

   Once the assistant exists, you can use it in the Captain inbox setup step.

When to split assistants

If sales and support use different tone, knowledge, or escalation logic, split them into separate assistants from day one.

4. Create the Captain inbox and attach the assistant to the channel

This is the most important bridge in the flow. The Captain inbox is where you pick the connected channel, attach the right assistant, and decide how Captain starts supporting that stream.

The Captain inboxes area shows which inboxes are already attached to the assistant and lets you connect new ones.

1. 1

   Open Captain > Inboxes and create a new inbox

   Choose the channel you just connected so Captain has a dedicated operational entry point.

2. 2

   Select the right AI assistant for this inbox

   Attach the assistant created in the previous step so Captain uses the correct role, context, and response style.

3. 3

   Confirm the initial operating mode

   For an initial rollout, start in a safer mode such as draft-only or high-threshold auto-reply.

Why this step matters

Once the Captain inbox exists, every new conversation arriving on that channel has a path to be assisted by Captain.

5. Attach Guides and Documents so Captain has answerable knowledge

Captain only answers well with explicit knowledge sources. In this flow, Captain should use Guides or uploaded Documents to answer customers. If relevant data does not exist, Captain should hand off instead of guessing.

Documents act as a structured knowledge source so the assistant can analyze approved content before responding.

• Guides fit process knowledge such as consultation rules, lead qualification, and escalation rules.
• Documents fit searchable content such as FAQ, policies, product info, pricing, and feature limitations.
• Every source should be reviewed so Captain does not learn from outdated or conflicting material.
• If a question is outside Guides and Documents, Captain should escalate to a human instead of making assumptions.

Knowledge validation checklist

Test at least one FAQ found in a Document, one scenario described in a Guide, and one out-of-scope question so you can confirm Captain is using the right sources and knows when to hand off.

6. Go live and validate the first responses

1. 1

   Send test messages from the same live channel

   Use realistic intents to verify Captain can receive the conversation and answer based on the loaded knowledge.

2. 2

   Review the response and handoff behavior

   Check whether Captain follows the right tone, uses the approved knowledge, and escalates correctly when data is missing.

3. 3

   Adjust knowledge or rules on day one

   If quality is off, improve the knowledge or prompt and rerun the same checks immediately.

7. Measure AI impact after the first channel goes live

• The percentage of conversations Captain can handle or support on first pass.
• First response time before and after enabling Captain.
• How many conversations still require heavy manual edits or late handoff because knowledge is missing.
• Agent workload reduction on repetitive questions by day or shift.

When to scale

Once Captain is stable, uses the right knowledge, and the team confirms real workload reduction, replicate this flow to the next channel.

Need help from the Swich team?

Contact help@swich.one if you need product support or help troubleshooting your Swich workspace.

Next steps

Go deeper on AI assistant setup

Use this guide to refine Captain role, handoff rules, and behavior.

Captain setup input templates

Use copy-paste prompt blocks to speed up future assistant configuration.

See all Channel Connections guides

Return to this category as you expand rollout to more channels.

Open the Swich app

Run the full channel connection and Captain setup directly in your workspace.