> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.alquimia.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Integration Channels
> Connect the agent to external communication platforms like WhatsApp and Email.
Integration Channels let your agent send and receive messages through external platforms — beyond the Studio test interface and direct API calls.
## WhatsApp
Connects via the **WhatsApp Business API** (Meta Cloud API or on-premise).
| Field | Description |
| ------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **API Base URL** | Your WhatsApp Business API endpoint (e.g., `https://graph.facebook.com/v18.0`) |
| **Access Token** | Meta API token with `whatsapp_business_messaging` permissions. Stored as a secret. |
| **Phone Number ID** | The numeric ID of the phone number linked to your WhatsApp Business account |
## Email
Connects via **SMTP** for outbound email delivery.
| Field | Description |
| --------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Username** | SMTP authentication username. Stored as a secret. |
| **Password** | SMTP authentication password. Stored as a secret. |
| **Server** | SMTP hostname (e.g., `smtp.gmail.com`, `smtp.sendgrid.net`) |
| **Port** | SMTP port (typically `587` for TLS, `465` for SSL, `25` for plain) |
| **SSL** | Enable TLS/SSL encryption |
| **Response Template** | Jinja2 HTML template for outgoing emails. Use `{{ response }}` to inject the agent's reply. |
### Email template example
```html theme={null}
Hello,
{{ response }}
Best regards,
Acme Support
```
## Credential handling
All credential fields in integration channels are write-only after saving. The stored value is replaced with a `$secretRef`. This means:
* The field will appear **empty** when you edit the channel
* **Leave it blank** to keep the existing secret
* **Enter a new value** only if you want to replace the credential
If you edit an integration channel and accidentally enter an empty value in a credential field, the existing secret will be cleared. Always leave credential fields blank when editing unless you intend to rotate them.
## Next steps
Understand how credentials are stored and referenced securely.