Quick setup checklist
Use this checklist to prepare your Messenger bot and connect it to RapidPro.app:
Messenger channels connect to a Facebook Page (brand, business, or cause). You’ll need page-level permissions to connect it to RapidPro.app.
- Confirm you have a Facebook Page for your project.
- Confirm you have sufficient permissions on the Page (typically admin/editor level).
- Ensure you can log in to the Facebook account that owns those permissions before you start setup.
[CAPTURE: Facebook Page settings showing the user role/permissions on the Page.]
In RapidPro.app, your bot behavior comes from flows. You can reuse the same building blocks you already use on other channels:
- Send Message + Wait for Response
- Split actions for branching
- Webhooks for lookups and integrations
- Labels/tags and routing to teams
- Build the flows that power your bot (support FAQs, onboarding, service updates, etc.).
- Define triggers that start the bot experience (keywords or entry points appropriate for your design).
- Prepare a short “welcome” interaction so first-time users understand what to do next.
[CAPTURE: Flow editor showing a simple welcome → question → branching path.]
Messenger is designed for business ↔ customer conversations. In practice, this means platforms can impose requirements around:
- how users initiate contact,
- how you send messages after a conversation becomes inactive, and
- review/submission steps for certain bot experiences.
Before you go live, plan your bot content and operational workflow (support handoff, escalation, and follow-ups) with these rules in mind.
[CAPTURE: Workspace/channel documentation or setup screen referencing Messenger requirements/review.]
Once you’re ready, connect the Page as a Messenger channel and validate the full path: inbound message → flow starts → replies send correctly.
- Connect your Facebook Page to RapidPro.app using the Messenger setup guide.
- Send a test message from a real user account to the Page.
- Confirm the inbound message appears in RapidPro.app.
- Confirm the correct flow starts and replies are delivered.
- Test on multiple clients (iOS, Android, and web) if your experience uses rich formatting.
[CAPTURE: Test conversation showing inbound message, flow-triggered replies, and message history in RapidPro.app.]
Common Issues
I can’t connect Messenger to the workspace
Fixes:
- Confirm you have the correct permissions on the Facebook Page (admin/editor level).
- Make sure you’re following any Messenger submission/review process required before connection.
- Try connecting again while logged into the Facebook account that owns the Page permissions.
Messages don’t arrive in RapidPro.app
Fixes:
- Verify the Messenger channel is enabled in Workspace Settings → Channels.
- Test with a real user account messaging the Page (not only your Page admin account).
- Check message/channel logs for delivery or webhook errors (if available in your setup).
The bot works on mobile but not web (or vice-versa)
Fixes:
- Keep formatting simple and test your messages across clients (iOS, Android, web).
- If you use interactive elements, validate that they behave consistently across clients.
- Re-test the same flow path in multiple environments before launch.