Create communication channel
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1. Introduction
Definition
"Create communication channel" is a bulk action in the "Audience" section that adds new communication channels (SMS, Email, or WhatsApp) to selected subscribers in a single pass and subscribes them to the specified LGT. The action belongs to the Engage stage — it expands contact points with subscribers and adds extra message delivery channels without requiring the manager to work on each card individually.
The bulk action reads current contacts (phone, email) from the Client's Card and writes new Communication Channels back into it. It relies on connected providers: Twilio (for SMS), Sendgrid or Mandrill (for Email), and one of three WhatsApp options (Twilio / WATI.IO / Whapi.Cloud). A channel will not be created without an active integration of the corresponding provider.
The B2B operator (manager, marketer, owner) uses the bulk action to quickly turn a "cold" list of single-channel subscribers into a multi-channel audience — for example, by adding an SMS channel to everyone who left a phone number when registering through an Email form. This saves hours of manual work and at the same time expands the reach of future Smart Sender campaigns.
The B2C client does not see this action directly. For them, the consequence is new messages from the company through SMS or Email in addition to the messenger they already know. The LGT subscription created at the moment of channel creation correctly records the source, so the client remains part of the same funnel flow they were already in.
The Client's Card of each subscriber receives a new Communication Channel record (channel type, contact identifier, subscription date, LGT source) and, if needed, the selected tags. These fields immediately become available for filtering in Filter Panel and for targeting in Smart Sender campaigns.
After reading this, you will understand:
how bulk channel creation differs from adding a contact manually inside the client card;
which integrations (Twilio, Sendgrid, Mandrill) must be connected before launching the bulk action;
how to select the audience via checkboxes or the "Select All" button;
how to bind the new channels to the right LGT and tags;
how to schedule the bulk action for a specific date and time.
Purpose
The key role of the bulk action is to scale subscriber onboarding to new communication channels without manual work. It is a multi-channel tool: one screen turns a single-channel audience into one addressable through several channels at once.
At the Engage stage the action opens new contact points with subscribers: even if a person came in through an Email form, you can add an SMS channel and continue the scenario through Smart Sender. The channel creation automatically subscribes the client to the LGT and records this in the Client's Card. The job-to-be-done — increase reach and the probability that at least one delivery channel will be active.
At the Manage stage the action is used as a service operation: complete the subscriber base with missing channels, tidy up segments before launching a sales campaign, unify data after importing an external audience. The job-to-be-done — maintain the integrity of Client's Card and Filter Panel data so that campaigns run on a clean, correctly segmented list.
2. Creating an SMS channel
The SMS channel is created through the Twilio provider. Before launching the bulk action, make sure that in "Settings → Integrations" Twilio is connected, the account has a deposit and a sender number is purchased. Selected subscribers must have a valid phone number in their Client's Card — otherwise the channel will not be created for them.
Connection and pricing details — in the instruction "Twilio SMS integration".
To create an SMS channel in bulk:
Open the "Audience" section.
Click "Bulk Actions".
Select "Create communication channel" from the list.
Mark subscribers with checkboxes (up to 30 per page) or click "Select All" to cover the whole filtered audience.
In the channel field specify SMS.
Select the LGT that will be used for the subscription after the channel is created.
Optionally add tags — they will help segment the new channel subscribers in Filter Panel.
Specify the date and time of bulk action execution.
Click "Add Channel". The platform queues the task and runs it at the specified time.
Subscribers without a valid phone number will be skipped. You can verify the result in the client card — processed contacts will show a new SMS channel with the recorded subscription date.
3. Creating an Email channel
The Email channel is created through one of two integrations — Sendgrid or Mandrill. Before launching, make sure the integration is connected, the sender domain is verified, and that subscribers have a valid email in their Client's Card. The interface steps are identical to the SMS scenario — only the channel field value differs.
Connection details — in the instructions "Email setup via Sendgrid" and "Mandrill integration".
To create an Email channel in bulk, repeat steps 1–4 from the "Creating an SMS channel" section, then:
In the channel field specify Email and select the connected provider (Sendgrid or Mandrill), if the interface offers this choice.
Select the LGT the new subscriptions will be bound to.
Add tags if needed.
Set the execution date and time.
Click "Add Channel". A new Email channel will appear in the processed subscribers' Client's Cards, ready for Smart Sender campaigns.
As with SMS, subscribers without a valid email will be skipped. Check the base quality before the bulk operation — this saves time when reviewing results.
Related instructions
Instruction | Why read |
|---|---|
Overview of all platform communication channels and how to connect them in "Settings → Integrations". | |
Full list of bulk actions in the "Audience" section and scenarios for their use. | |
Client's Card — central subscriber profile where the bulk action records new Communication Channels, tags, and LGT subscriptions. | |
Audience — section that hosts the subscriber list, filters, and bulk actions. The main launch point for bulk channel creation. |
Key terms
Term | Explanation |
|---|---|
Create communication channel | A bulk action from the "Audience" section that creates new communication channels (SMS, Email, WhatsApp) for selected subscribers and subscribes them to the specified LGT. Described by the current instruction. |
Communication Channel | A subscriber's connection to the company: messenger, SMS, Email, WhatsApp. One of the 12 canonical platform channels; without an active channel there is no subscriber. |
Bulk action | An operation applied to multiple subscribers at once from the "Audience" section. Can be executed immediately or on a schedule. |
LGT | Lead Generation Tool — a funnel entry point (Form, Pop-up, QR code, Subscribe Button, etc.) that the subscription is bound to when the channel is created. |
Twilio | External provider of SMS and WhatsApp messages used to deliver messages once the SMS channel has been created. |
Sendgrid / Mandrill | External email providers of the platform. One of them must be connected for bulk Email channel creation to make sense. |
Client's Card | Central subscriber profile that stores new Communication Channels, tags, and subscription history. Read by all platform modules. |
Audience | Platform section that shows the subscriber list with filters and bulk actions. The main launch point for bulk channel creation. |
Smart Sender | Campaign module that uses the created SMS and Email channels to address messages to audience segments. |