> 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/utils/omni-route.md).

# Channel categories

Channel categories are used to centrally manage service channels from different platforms or accounts by brand, branch, business unit, or service scenario, and can uniformly apply greetings, scripts, and service tags to help businesses establish a consistent customer service workflow.

## Overview

"Channel categories" are used to group together channels from different platforms and different accounts, but belonging to the same brand, store, department, or service scenario.

For example, the same "Taipei Store" may operate LINE, Facebook, Instagram, and phone at the same time. You can create a "Taipei Store" channel category, then place these actual channels under the same category, making it easier for agents to identify the source during service and helping the company centrally manage related settings.

{% hint style="info" %}
A channel category is not a new messaging channel, but a classification layer used to organize and manage existing channels. The actual source of received messages or calls is still tied to each channel account or ACD number under the category.
{% endhint %}

## Common planning methods

You can create channel categories based on how your company actually manages them, for example:

| Classification method | Example                                                 | Suitable scenario                                                                              |
| --------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Branch / location     | Taipei Store, Kaohsiung Store                           | Different locations each operate multiple social or phone channels.                            |
| Brand                 | Brand A, Brand B                                        | The same customer service team serves multiple brands at the same time.                        |
| Business unit         | Retail division, enterprise services division           | Different product lines or business units have their own service processes.                    |
| Service purpose       | Pre-sales inquiries, after-sales service, VIP customers | You want to apply different scripts, greetings, or service tags based on the service scenario. |
| Campaign / project    | Summer campaign, membership upgrade project             | Short-term campaigns have independent channels and customer service processes.                 |

{% hint style="info" %}
There is no fixed answer for how to classify them. It is recommended to follow this principle: when an agent sees the category name, they should immediately understand which brand, location, or service scenario this service belongs to.
{% endhint %}

## What content can channel categories control?

Currently, channel categories can configure and manage the following items:

* Basic information, such as name, alias, and description.
* Owner association.
* Greeting.
* Script.
* Service tags.
* Bound ACD numbers and various messaging channel accounts.

These settings allow channels under the same category to share consistent service information, reducing the cost of configuring and maintaining each channel separately.

## Add or edit a channel category

You can go to the "Channel Categories" management page from the FIRST LINE left menu.

You can add a channel category in the list, or open an existing item to edit it. After entering the edit screen, it is currently divided into three main sections:

1. **Basic settings**
2. **Service tags**
3. **Bound channels**

## Basic settings

| Required | Field                  | Description                                                                                                     |
| -------- | ---------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
|          | Owner                  | If the company uses the owner feature, you can specify the owner of this channel category.                      |
| ✓        | Channel category name  | The main name used by agents and administrators to identify this category. The name can be up to 25 characters. |
|          | Channel category alias | An alias for internal identification or management purposes, up to 20 characters.                               |
|          | Description            | Supplementary notes about the category's purpose, service scope, or internal management, up to 200 characters.  |
|          | Greeting               | Specify the greeting that can be used for this category during service.                                         |
|          | Script                 | Specify the script that can be used for this category during service.                                           |

### Greeting and script

If different brands or locations use different service tones, you can directly specify the corresponding greeting and script in the channel category.

For example:

* "Brand A" uses a more formal greeting and after-sales script.
* "Brand B" uses a more lively greeting and campaign script.
* The "VIP Customer" category uses an exclusive service greeting.

After setting this up centrally through categories, agents do not need to rely only on memory to decide which set of content to use.

## Service tags

You can specify the service tags that can be used in a channel category.

When agents provide service through channels belonging to this category, the workspace will provide the corresponding service tags according to the category, helping the team use a consistent classification method to record service reasons or scenarios.

For example, the "After-sales Service" category can provide:

* Product defects
* Returns and exchanges
* Delivery issues
* How-to guide

The "Pre-sales Inquiry" category can provide:

* Product inquiry
* Price inquiry
* Stock inquiry
* Store information

{% hint style="info" %}
Service tags should be planned according to the actual service process. If every category contains a large number of the same tags, agents will still need to spend a lot of time searching, which reduces the management value of the categories themselves.
{% endhint %}

## Bound channels

The "Bound Channels" tab shows the actual channels currently assigned to this channel category.

The system displays them separately:

* **ACD number**: Displays the bound phone number / extension-related information.
* **Messaging channels**: Displays bound channel accounts by platform in separate tabs, such as supported message sources like LINE, Facebook, Instagram, and live chat.

Each item shows the name and description, making it easy for administrators to confirm which service entry points are using this category.

{% hint style="warning" %}
"Bound Channels" is mainly used to confirm the current assignment relationship. To actually change which category a LINE, Facebook, Instagram, live chat, or phone channel belongs to, you usually need to go back to that channel's own settings page and make adjustments.
{% endhint %}

## Practical application examples

### Example 1: Multi-store service

The company has two stores in Taipei and Kaohsiung, and each store has its own LINE, Facebook, and phone number.

You can create:

* Taipei Store
* Kaohsiung Store

Then assign each store's LINE, Facebook, and ACD numbers to the corresponding categories. After that, you can set different greetings, service tags, and scripts for different stores.

### Example 2: Pre-sales and after-sales routing within the same brand

The same brand has two customer service processes at the same time: "Pre-sales Inquiry" and "After-sales Service."

You can create two channel categories separately and provide different service tags and scripts. Even if the same team handles the service, agents can quickly identify which process to use from the category.

### Example 3: Multiple brands sharing one customer service team

If the same group of agents serves multiple brands at the same time, you can create a separate channel category for each brand.

When customers contact you through social accounts of different brands, agents can identify the brand from the channel category and then use the corresponding greeting and script for that brand, reducing the risk of replying with the wrong brand or applying incorrect information.

## Suggestions for planning channel categories

### Do not use the platform name as the only way to classify

If you already have actual channels such as LINE, Facebook, and Instagram, you usually do not need to create categories like "LINE" or "Facebook." Channel categories are better suited to expressing business meaning beyond the platform, such as brand, store, department, or service purpose.

### Make category names understandable to agents

Avoid using only internal codes or abbreviations that are hard to understand. If the company must keep an internal code, you can put it in the "alias" or description, while the main name is still recommended to be a clear human-readable name.

### Avoid creating too many duplicate categories

If two categories use the same channels, the same tags, the same greetings, and the same service process, it may mean you do not actually need to split them into two categories. The more categories you have, the higher the maintenance cost will be later.

### Remember to check the categories after process changes

After adding a brand, store, social account, or phone line, it is recommended to check whether it has been assigned to the correct channel category and whether the corresponding service tags, greetings, and scripts still match the current process.