Introduction: Flows can run on multiple channels (SMS, Telegram, Messenger, WhatsApp, and more). If you need different behavior per channel—or you want to block a flow from continuing on certain channels—you can add a routing “gate” at the start of the flow using a Split by Expression and the channel name variable.
Route your flow by channel (SMS vs Telegram vs Messenger)
If you just need the essentials, follow this quick path:
- Decide which channels should run the flow (and which should exit)
- Add a Split by Expression at the start using @channel.name
- Create categories that match your channel names exactly
- Connect “allowed” channels to the flow and route other channels to a safe exit
- Test with the Simulator (and a real message if possible)
This keeps one flow reusable across channels while still enforcing channel-specific behavior.
Step-by-Step Process
Start by defining your routing goal. Common patterns include:
- Run the flow only on one channel (e.g., Telegram-only onboarding)
- Show different wording per channel (short SMS vs richer Messenger copy)
- Block channels that can’t support a feature (attachments, long text, etc.)
- Send a “switch channel” instruction when the contact arrives on the wrong channel
[CAPTURE: A simple flow map with a first node “Split by Expression” branching into “Telegram” and “Other”.]
- Open the flow in the flow editor.
- Create a new node near the beginning.
- Select Split by Expression.
- Set the expression to @channel.name.
- Save the split.
[CAPTURE: Split by Expression configuration showing the expression set to @channel.name.]
Add categories/rules for the channels you want to handle. For example, to run only on Telegram:
- Create a category named Telegram (or any label you prefer).
- Set the rule to match your Telegram channel’s name exactly as shown in Workspace Settings → Channels.
- Keep an Other path for everything else.
[CAPTURE: Split rule showing a match against the exact channel name (e.g., “Telegram Bot – Main”).]
If you want to handle multiple channels, add one category per channel (SMS, WhatsApp, Messenger, etc.).
Connect each category to the correct next step:
- Allowed channel (e.g., Telegram) → continue the main flow.
- Other channels → either end the flow or send a short instruction message (example: “Please message us on Telegram to continue.”) and then exit.
[CAPTURE: Telegram branch continuing to the next node, while “Other” goes to a short exit message.]
- Open the Simulator and run through the first steps.
- If matching fails, temporarily add a debug message that includes @channel.name.
- Confirm the exact value and update your split rules to match it.
- Remove the debug message before publishing.
[CAPTURE: A debug Send Message showing “Debug: channel=@channel.name”.]
Common Issues & Quick Fixes
The split never matches the channel I expect
Problem: Contacts always go to “Other” even on the right channel.
Fix:
- Confirm the channel name you’re matching is exactly correct (spacing/case matters).
- Temporarily send @channel.name in a debug message to see the actual value.
- Update your category rules to match the exact name shown in Workspace Settings → Channels.
Contacts still receive messages on the “wrong” channel
Problem: The flow still sends at least one message on a channel you wanted to block.
Fix:
- Place the Split by Expression before any Send Message actions.
- If you want a contact permanently mapped to a channel, set it via Update the Contact → Channel (preferred channel), not only a split.
@channel.name doesn’t seem to work in my flow
Problem: The expression fails or returns an unexpected/blank value.
Fix:
- Confirm you’re using Split by Expression (not Split by Contact Field).
- Ensure the flow is being triggered via a real channel interaction.
- Use the Simulator Context Explorer to inspect what channel variables are available in that run.