Channels

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How a channel reaches your code

import { LuaTool, Channels } from 'lua-cli';
import { z } from 'zod';

export default class SendShippingNoticeTool implements LuaTool {
  name = 'send_shipping_notice';
  description = 'Text the customer on WhatsApp that their order has shipped.';
  inputSchema = z.object({ phoneNumber: z.string(), orderId: z.string() });

  async execute(input: z.infer<typeof this.inputSchema>) {
    const result = await Channels.send({
      channel: 'whatsapp',
      to: { phoneNumber: input.phoneNumber },
      text: `Order ${input.orderId} has shipped.`,
    });
    return { deliveryId: result.deliveryId, status: result.status };
  }
}

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Linking a channel

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Channels and integrations

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When to reach out first

• A reply to a message the end user has sent: nothing special; the agent answers on the channel it arrived on.
• A reminder, a shipping notice, a follow-up: Channels.send to an address or userId, or user.send(…) to reach the end user on the channel they last used.
• WhatsApp outside the customer-service window: an approved WhatsApp message template, because free-form sends are allowed only for a limited time after the end user’s last message; by default Channels.send queues the text behind an opt-in prompt, and onClosedWindow: 'fail' makes it fail instead.
• A message to a Teams group chat: to: { conversationId }; it is delivered but not stored on any end user’s record.

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Limits

• Outbound sends are limited to the seven Channels.send channels; teams, instagram, and messenger require a prior inbound message.
• The WhatsApp customer-service window is 24 hours after the end user’s last message.

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Next steps