> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://en.help.firstline.cc/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://en.help.firstline.cc/feature/channels/onsite.md).

# Online and offline channels

## Overview

Not all customer needs enter FIRST LINE directly through communication channels such as LINE, Facebook, phone, or live chat.

In actual operations, businesses may also obtain customer needs from**physical stores, website forms, event registrations, appointment applications, or other external sources**. These sources usually only leave customer information and contact details, and follow-up still requires service staff to proactively reach out, create service records, and continue tracking.

“**online/offline channels**can be used to record this type of service's**source or channel attribution**. Even if the customer does not start a conversation directly through interconnected channels such as messages or calls linked to FIRST LINE, service staff can still create the service based on the actual source, keeping subsequent customer records and service information consistent.

For example:

* The customer**website contact form**leaves their name, phone number, and needs, hoping to be contacted later by a specialist.
* The customer goes to**a physical store**to inquire about a product, and the service staff needs to leave a service record.
* The customer, through**events, exhibitions, or appointment forms**leaves contact information, and a specialist follows up later.
* The company obtains customer needs from**an e-commerce platform or other external system**, but the platform itself is not directly integrated as a conversation channel for FIRST LINE.

Through online/offline channels, service records that were originally scattered across different touchpoints can all be brought back into a single customer and service management process.

{% hint style="info" %}
The key point of "online/offline channels" is not to distinguish between "online" or "offline," but to make up for**situations where services cannot be created directly through existing conversation channels**. If customers can already interact directly with service staff via integrated channels such as LINE, phone, or live chat, there is usually no need to use online/offline channels separately to create the same source.
{% endhint %}

<figure><img src="https://842546780-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F-MNRu7dk70ei7JV9HlW9%2Fuploads%2FsQ8tS1pMm7vXUsLCBPF4%2Fimage.png?alt=media&#x26;token=7b0e61c3-d848-43bf-9e2f-1c2c180d55cf" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

## **Creating "online/offline channels" data**

You can create different online/offline channels according to the company's actual service sources, such as "Zhongshan Store," "website contact form," "new product launch event," or other items where the source needs to be identified.

To add an online/offline channel, follow these steps:

1. Go to the **"Apps" > "Channels"** category in the left menu to enter the "online/offline channels" settings.
2. Click the **"Add"** button in the top right corner to open the add screen.
3. Fill in the corresponding channel information.

The fields that can currently be configured include:

* **Store name**(required): Enter the identifying name of this channel. In addition to a store, you can also fill in the form, event, or other source name based on actual use.
* **Description**(optional): Supplement the purpose of this channel or other management information.
* **Store code**(required): Set the identification code for this channel.
* **Store address**(optional): If this channel corresponds to a physical location, you can enter the address; if it is an online source such as a website form, you can leave it blank as appropriate.

{% hint style="info" %}
Some fields in the current interface still use "store" in their naming, but the applications of online/offline channels are not limited to physical stores. Names and codes can be planned according to the company's actual service sources.
{% endhint %}

Please note,**"Store name" and "Store code" are required fields**, and the system cannot save if they are not filled in.

## **How to create service records through "online/offline channels"**

When a company has obtained customer information from a form, store, or other source and needs service staff to make further contact or leave a service record, it can create a service through the customer data.

The steps are as follows:

1. **Go to the customer details page**\
   If the customer has not yet been created, please add the customer data first.
2. **Click the "online/offline call" category under "Contact information"**.
3. **Find the corresponding online/offline channel data**\
   If it has not yet been created, first add the corresponding source, such as the store, website form, or event name.
4. **Click the "Create Service" button**\
   The system will bring in that contact source and open the service record creation page.

Once completed, you can associate this service with the actual source, making it easier to query and track later.

For example, when a customer fills out the "Contact me" form on the website, the company can first create or match the form data to the customer, and then create a service using the "website contact form" as the online/offline channel. Even if the customer is later contacted by phone, the service context that the request originally came from the website form can still be retained.

<figure><img src="https://842546780-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F-MNRu7dk70ei7JV9HlW9%2Fuploads%2FyRq3SwLNofjdx7l6NSam%2Fimage.png?alt=media&#x26;token=e56900cf-fae6-4979-9f4c-510a351aaa8e" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

## **Common use cases**

Online/offline channels are suitable for scenarios where "**customer needs have been obtained, but the source itself is not a channel that FIRST LINE can directly converse through**".

### Website forms

Some companies do not provide live chat on their websites, but instead let customers fill out a contact form and leave their name, phone number, email, and request details, after which service staff follow up later.

This process may be based on the service model, staffing arrangements, case complexity, or the company's desire to first obtain the necessary information before making contact. In this case, an online/offline channel such as "website contact form" can be created to preserve the original source of the service.

### a physical store

When customers come directly to a store to inquire, request service, or report issues, even if no digital conversation such as LINE or phone occurs, a service record can still be created through the corresponding store channel.

For example, you can create items such as "Taipei Store" and "Taichung Store" so that later searches can identify the location where the service occurred.

### Events, exhibitions, and appointment lists

Companies may obtain customer contact information through exhibitions, briefings, test drives, appointments, or other events. If customer service or sales staff need to take over the follow-up, an online/offline channel can be created based on the event, such as "2026 Summer Exhibition" or "Product Experience Appointment."

### E-commerce and other external platforms

Some e-commerce platforms, lead-generation websites, or partner platforms may provide order, inquiry, or contact information, but may not necessarily be able to serve as a real-time conversation channel for FIRST LINE.

In this case, a corresponding online/offline channel can also be created according to actual needs to identify the source of the service or customer demand.

{% hint style="warning" %}
Online/offline channels are mainly used for service source and record management. If you want to further analyze order sources, ad attribution, or a complete marketing conversion funnel, you should still rely on your company's CRM, e-commerce, or analytics system data; it is not recommended to replace a full marketing attribution mechanism with online/offline channels alone.
{% endhint %}

## **Why record the source**

When a company operates stores, websites, social media, events, and external platforms at the same time, merely recording "which specialist contacted the customer last" is usually not enough to reconstruct the full service context.

Preserving the original service source through online/offline channels can help the team:

* **Preserve the service context**: understand which touchpoint the customer originally used to raise the request.
* **Unify service records**: enable requests without directly connected conversation channels to be included in FIRST LINE's customer and service management process.
* **Facilitate later tracking**: when service staff take over a case, they can more quickly understand the source of the request and the cause and effect.
* **Support operational analysis**: observe service volume and case distribution by different sources, as a reference for subsequent process and resource allocation.

In this way, the company does not need to force all customer touchpoints to be converted into real-time conversation channels, yet can still incorporate service demands from different sources into a consistent management process.