Who can use this?
- All Gallabox users who want to understand how Chat AI Agents behave differently on each channel.
- Roles: Owners and Admins (and roles with AI agent permissions) for configuration; Agent role for understanding session behaviour.
A Chat AI Agent configured for multiple channels will behave slightly differently on each one. The agent’s core logic (role, goal, instructions) is the same — but session management, message windows, and handoff styles differ by channel.
How Session Behaviour Differs by Channel
Message Types by Channel
- WhatsApp — the agent sends text, media, interactive buttons (up to 3 options), and lists (for 4–10 options). Buttons and lists require the beta Multiple Message Type Support setting to be enabled on the agent.
- Instagram — the agent sends text and media only. When it needs to offer choices, it presents them as plain or numbered text.
- Web Chat — the widget can render text, images, video, audio, documents, location, carousels, and interactive buttons.
Session Timeout (TTL)
A session starts when a conversation is assigned to a Chat AI Agent. The session stays active while the conversation is ongoing — and times out after a period of inactivity.WhatsApp and Instagram: 24 Hours (Configurable Default)
On WhatsApp and Instagram, the session timeout is a configurable default of 24 hours — you can change it in the agent’s drop-off settings, in minutes (up to 59) or hours (up to 24). Setting it to 0 (or leaving it unset) means no timeout. If the customer doesn’t send a message within the timeout, the session times out and the conversation returns to the inbox (unassigned). Why 24 hours? The default matches the 24-hour messaging window on WhatsApp and Instagram — it prevents the agent from holding sessions open indefinitely while giving customers plenty of time to reply.Web Chat: 1 Hour (Default)
On Web Chat, the session timeout defaults to 1 hour. If the visitor is inactive for 1 hour, the session times out.What Happens on Timeout
When a session times out:- The Chat AI Agent stops responding
- The conversation returns to the inbox as unassigned
- A human agent can pick it up and continue the conversation
- The 24-hour window (on WhatsApp/Instagram) is not affected by timeout
The 24-Hour Messaging Window
Meta’s business policy requires that businesses can only send free-form messages to users within 24 hours of the user’s last message. This applies to WhatsApp and Instagram but not Web Chat.How It Affects the Agent
What the Agent Does Outside the Window
If the agent tries to send a message outside the 24-hour window on WhatsApp or Instagram, Gallabox will block it. On WhatsApp, a template message can be used instead; on Instagram, no outbound message is possible until the customer replies. You can configure the agent’s instructions to handle this gracefully:“If the 24-hour window has expired, tell the customer: ‘I’d love to help with that! Our team will reach out to you shortly. In the meantime, you can reach us on WhatsApp at [number].’”
Handoff to Human Agents
Handoff is how the Chat AI Agent transfers a conversation to a human agent. The handoff experience differs by channel.WhatsApp and Instagram: assignTo Action
On WhatsApp and Instagram, handoff is done using the @assignTo system action in the agent’s instructions. When the agent decides to escalate, it uses this action to assign the conversation to a human team or agent. Example instruction:“If the customer asks about pricing negotiation, contract terms, or billing disputes, use @assignTo to assign the conversation to the sales-team.”
Web Chat: Configurable Display Styles
On Web Chat, you can choose how the handoff option appears to the visitor:
You can also configure a pre-fill message — text that is pre-filled in WhatsApp when the visitor clicks the handoff link. This saves the visitor from repeating themselves.
Example
Scenario: You run a SaaS company and want the same Chat AI Agent to handle conversations on WhatsApp, Instagram, and your website — but you need to configure each channel’s settings differently. Here’s how you’d set it up:1
Create the agent
Create a Chat AI Agent and select all three channels: WhatsApp, Instagram, and Web.
2
Set the role
Set the agent’s Role: “SaaS customer support specialist — friendly, knowledgeable, focused on solving problems quickly.”
3
Set the goal
Set the Goal: “Answer product questions, help with account issues, and identify when to escalate to a human.”
4
Add WhatsApp/Instagram instructions
Add instructions for WhatsApp/Instagram: “If the customer asks about billing, use @assignTo to assign to billing-team. If the 24-hour window has expired, say: ‘Our team will follow up on WhatsApp. You can also reach us at [number].’”
5
Configure Web Chat handoff style
Set Web Chat handoff style to Aggressive header with text: “Want to talk to a real person? Click here to continue on WhatsApp.”
6
Set the pre-fill message
Set the pre-fill message: “Hi! I was chatting on your website about [topic]. Here’s my question:”
7
Test the setup
Test on all three channels in the Test Widget.
Pro tip: Configure different escalation triggers for different channels. On WhatsApp, where customers expect faster responses, escalate more aggressively (e.g., any billing question). On Web Chat, where visitors are more patient, you can let the agent handle more before escalating.
FAQs
Why is the session timeout different on Web Chat vs WhatsApp?
Why is the session timeout different on Web Chat vs WhatsApp?
Web Chat uses its own configurable inactivity setting. WhatsApp and Instagram default to 3 minutes. This Gallabox session timeout is separate from Meta’s 24-hour messaging window.
Can I change the session timeout?
Can I change the session timeout?
Yes. The inactivity timeout defaults to 3 minutes for WhatsApp and Instagram, and you can change it in the agent’s drop-off settings. Web Chat conversations remain in the Web Agent’s chat logs unless the visitor continues through a WhatsApp handoff.
What happens if the 24-hour window closes while the agent is mid-conversation?
What happens if the 24-hour window closes while the agent is mid-conversation?
If the customer is actively messaging, the window stays open. It only closes after 24 hours of silence from the customer’s side. If the window closes during an active conversation, the agent will be blocked from sending free-form messages. On WhatsApp, escalate to a human agent who can send a template message to reset the window. On Instagram, templates don’t exist — no outbound message is possible until the customer replies.
Can the agent send images and videos on all channels?
Can the agent send images and videos on all channels?
Yes — the agent can send media on all three channels. On WhatsApp it can also send interactive buttons (up to 3) and lists (for 4–10 choices) if the beta Multiple Message Type Support setting is enabled. On Instagram, the agent is limited to text and media, so choices are presented as plain or numbered text. The Web Chat widget can render text, images, video, audio, documents, location, carousels, and interactive buttons.