6.1 What are channels

What is a channel

A channel is the path between Marcto and an external messaging tool. It answers the question: where does AI communicate with the team?

For example, after connecting Feishu, the team can ask AI questions in a Feishu group, and automation results can be delivered to that group.

Channels versus connectors

They often work together, but they do different jobs:

Type	Main job	Examples
Connector	Read or write business system data	Shopify, GA4, Google Ads, Gmail
Channel	Receive messages, send notifications, chat with the team	Feishu group, team message space

In short: connectors help AI access business data; channels deliver AI results to where people already work.

What channels are useful for

Common use cases:

• Ask AI about projects, products, or operations in a team group.
• Push daily ad checks, weekly reports, or inventory reminders to a group.
• Let the team review drafts, approve actions, or see alerts inside a messaging tool.
• Configure different default roles for different projects or teams.

How to start

For the first setup, do only three things:

1. Create a Feishu test group.
2. Connect one channel and choose a default role.
3. Send one test message and confirm AI replies correctly.

After the test works, send automation results to that channel.

Decide before going live

Before opening a channel to the team, confirm:

• Which team or project the channel serves.
• Which role should reply by default.
• Which automation results should be delivered there.
• Which actions require human confirmation.
• Whether notification frequency will distract the team.

Once a channel is connected to a production team space, it affects collaboration habits. Test with a small group first.