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A channel agent listens on a messaging service and replies in place. The pattern uses two nodes of the same service, because one node cannot be both a trigger and a tool provider:
  1. Trigger in: a node with the service’s trigger operation (for example Telegram Receive Webhook Messages, Slack On Channel Message or On App Mention, WhatsApp Receive Message) wired into the agent’s left input.
  2. Reply out: a second node of the same service wired as a tool provider with send operations allowlisted (for example Slack Send Message to Channel).
Canvas with a messaging trigger wired into an agent and a second node of the same service wired as a tool

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How a turn works

Each incoming message is delivered to the agent as an event alongside its standing instructions from the Message field. The event includes the reply IDs (chat ID, channel and thread), so the agent passes them to its send tool to answer in the right place. Telegram and Slack triggers also set the conversation key automatically (per chat, per thread), so follow-up messages continue the same conversation with memory.
1

Add the agent and trigger

Add an AI Agent node, click Add trigger in its panel, and pick the service and trigger type. Connect credentials.
2

Write standing instructions

In Message, describe the agent’s job and tell it to reply using its send tool, quoting the chat or thread from the incoming event.
3

Add the send tool

Click Add tool, pick the same service, and allowlist the send operations the agent may use.
4

Test

Send a message on the channel and watch the run in execution logs, including each tool call the agent made.

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Email is a special case

There is no user-wirable email send node for arbitrary recipients. Instead, when an inbound email trigger is wired directly into an agent, the agent automatically gains a locked email__reply tool:
  • The recipient and threading are derived server-side from the email that fired the run; the agent only writes the reply body.
  • Replies are capped at 5 per run, are only valid within 48 hours of the inbound message, and each send costs 0.01 credits.
Slack message triggers do not filter bot-authored messages. An agent that posts into the same channel it triggers on will trigger itself in a loop. Trigger on On App Mention, reply into a different channel, or instruct the agent so its replies cannot re-match the trigger.

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Next steps

Conversations

How per-chat and per-thread memory works.

Email trigger

Reserve an inbound address on noclick.app.