# Channels Channels are communications applications that your virtual assistant can integrate with and open from within. For instance, if you're already using an application like MS Teams or Slack, you can integrate your virtual assistant as a feature within those applications. Like **Integrations/Data Sources**, you add **Channels** to your tenant platform first, and then you can choose to add one of these channels to an application/bot within the tenant. {% hint style="info" %} The Markdown text format is supported only in Webchat, Webex, and Co-Pilot; other channels treat content as HTML. Therefore, LLM responses are formatted as HTML for all channels where the Markdown format is not supported. {% endhint %} ### **To Add a Channel to Your Tenant:** 1. Navigate to **Settings > Channels**. 2. Click the **+ New Channel** button.

3. Choose a channel from the icon list. In this example, we have chosen Webchat, which is the default channel for applications/bot created with the Aisera Gen AI platform. 4. Create a **Name** for your new channel, so you can identify it when you're creating applications/bots.

5. Modify the rest of the parameters as needed. Click **Next**.

6. Choose an **Authentication Type** and parameters for login to your application/bot.

7. Add any endpoints/domains that you want to allow to host your applications/bots. If you leave this field blank, applications/bots that are associated with this channel can be hosted on any domain. ### Channel API Token Just after the channel is created, it will display a **Channel API Token** that will go away after a few questions. If you plan to use API calls with this channel, copy and paste the ID while it is displayed.

If you don't copy the **Channel API Token** soon enough, you will have to create a different new channel to get a Channel API Token, since there is no way to retrieve the previously created channel. See also: [**API Setup and Authorization**](https://docs.aisera.com/apis/apis/conversation-api-and-websocket/setup-and-authorization). ### **Channel Metadata Filters** You may now specify metadata tags as key-value pairs during channel configuration for use in RAG searches. When a RAG search is invoked, the metadata tags are appended to the end of the user’s query, allowing different channels to return tailored results while still utilizing the same bot. **To configure Metadata Filters:** 1. Navigate to **Settings > Channels** in the Aisera Admin UI. 2. Select the desired channel or create a new channel. 3. On the **Channel Details** page, select the **pencil icon** in the top right corner to begin editing the channel. 4. Select **Metadata Filters** in the **Edit Channel** window. 5. Click **+ Add Metadata Filter** to add a blank metadata filter.

6. Input metadata filters and select **OK** to save changes to the channel. ## To associate a channel with an Application/Bot: 1. Navigate to **Settings > AiseraGPT** in the Aisera Admin UI. 2. Choose the application/bot that you want to associated with a channel. 3. On the application/bot **Details** page, scroll down to the **+ Add a Channel** button.

4. Follow the steps in the [**Add a Channel**](https://docs.aisera.com/aiseragpt/how-to-setup-aiseragpt/add-a-channel) section. ### **Webchat, Copilot, Webex, MS Teams and Slack Channels Support Markdown** Markdown support is enabled by default for the Webchat, Webex, MS Teams, and Slack Channels. You can disable the Markdown default using you bot **Details** settings. Therefore, **LLM Responses** are formatted as **HTML** for all channels where the Markdown format is not supported. **To disable the Markdown Support:**\ \ **NOTE:** Ensure the channel is not open when editing the configuration. 1. Navigate to **Settings > AiseraGPT.** 2. Open an existing application or bot. 3. Choose the **pencil icon** to see the **Details** page for that bot. 4. Scroll down to the **Channel** section. 5. Double-click on the line of the Channel that you want to modify. 6. Uncheck the **Enable Markdown Syntax** field (while the channel is not open). ## Two Special Channels Two of the supported channels require extra description. 1. The AiseraGPT application (bot) comes with a default channel called [**Aisera Webchat**](https://docs.aisera.com/aisera-platform/channels/aisera-webchat) that serves as the bot UI.\ \ You can use this channel (and the JavaScript snippet that gets automatically generated for it) to embed your bot in your portal or web site.

2. Use the **API Channel** if you are creating your own UI or customizing another UI using the Aisera APIs.

## Third Party Channels The rest of the topics in this section contain step-by-step instructions that describe how to integrate channels with your Aisera platform.

## Channel ID When you are viewing your Bot/Application **Details** page, you can see the **ID** for your Bot/Application in the top left corner of the window.

When you choose one of your **Channels** on the Bot/Application **Details** page, you will see the **Channel Details** page.

This page now contains a **Channel ID**. ## Application Messaging For channels where the streaming is enabled, you can see the processing steps that the application performs during a request. The new messages provide details on the number of sources searched, the number of documents validated, and other relevant metrics. You can see the the processing is performed in four steps: 1. The first step acknowledges the search of the user's query. 2. The second step presents the search results found from various sources. 3. The third step displays the results after validation of the search results. 4. The fourth step summarizes the validated information to produce the final answer. The messages you see within the application resemble the following screenshot:

See also: Workflows - [**Use Message Node for Markdown Variables with Copilot**](https://docs.aisera.com/aisera-platform/ai-automation-optimize-flow/ai-workflow-studio/building-workflows/use-message-node-for-markdown-variables-with-copilot)