> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.abundly.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Multi-channel Communication

> Agents communicate through chat, email, SMS, voice calls, and more

Agents are not stuck in a chat window—they communicate through multiple channels depending on what's most convenient for you and the task at hand.

This flexibility means an agent can receive a request via email, update you on Slack, and call you if something urgent needs your attention. You decide which channels your agent can use.

## Available channels

| Channel                | Description                                                               | Setup                                                |
| ---------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------- |
| **Chat**               | Feature-rich AI chat with voice input, file uploads, and interactive apps | Built-in, always available                           |
| **Email**              | Send and receive emails from the agent's own address                      | Built-in, toggle to enable                           |
| **SMS**                | Send and receive text messages                                            | Beta — contact support                               |
| **Voice calls**        | Make and receive phone calls with real-time conversation                  | Beta — contact support                               |
| **WhatsApp**           | Hold 1:1 WhatsApp conversations from a dedicated number                   | Requires [WhatsApp setup](/integrations/whatsapp)    |
| **Slack, Teams, etc.** | Communicate through collaboration tools                                   | Requires [integration setup](/integrations/overview) |

<Note>
  By default, only chat is enabled. This is a security measure—you decide how your agent is allowed to communicate. Go to **Settings → Capabilities** to enable additional channels.
</Note>

## Enabling communication channels

If you ask your agent to use a communication channel that isn't enabled, it will show you a capability card where you can toggle it on.

You can also proactively enable channels in **Settings → Capabilities** before you need them.

<Tip>
  If your agent has multiple communication channels enabled, it will make a best guess about which channel to use. For more control, give guidance in your agent's [instructions](/features/instructions) or during conversation—for example, "Always email me weekly reports" or "Only call me for urgent issues."
</Tip>

### Example use cases

* "Every Monday morning, email me a summary of last week's incoming book manuscripts"
* "Post a summary of this conversation to the #engineering Slack channel"
* "When you receive support tickets via email: Check the knowledgebase. For simple questions with obvious answers, reply yourself. Otherwise, text me and create a ticket in Notion."
* "When a new lead fills out the contact form, research their company, send them a personalized welcome email using the template I gave you, and post a summary to #sales on Slack."

## Multi-modal content

Beyond text, agents can work with different types of media:

* **Images** — Generate, analyze, and include images in messages
* **Audio** — Transcribe recordings, generate voiceovers
* **Documents** — Read and create PDFs, presentations, spreadsheets
* **Diagrams** — Generate visual diagrams and charts

### Generating voiceovers

Your agent can generate audio files and embed them in emails, documents, and messages. This is useful when you want content that can be consumed on the go—during a commute, while exercising, or between meetings.

**How to enable:** Go to **Settings → Capabilities** and enable **Text to Speech**.

**Example use cases:**

* "Generate a voiceover for this script using a male Scottish voice"
* "Every morning, generate a 'daily briefing' that I can listen to while driving to work"
* "In the weekly competitive analysis email, include an audio clip of the executive summary"

Here is an example of a voiceover embedded in an email report:

<Frame>
  <img src="https://mintcdn.com/abundly/Vofk8SDdHRosBz9A/images/voiceover-in-document.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=Vofk8SDdHRosBz9A&q=85&s=2a19f517f0a2d93ffd991eef559570fe" alt="Weekly competitor analysis with embedded audio summary" width="915" height="595" data-path="images/voiceover-in-document.png" />
</Frame>

Voice generation is powered by [ElevenLabs](/integrations/elevenlabs) and [OpenAI](/integrations/openai), giving you natural-sounding voices in multiple languages.

### Other examples

* "When you receive an email with a voice memo attached, transcribe it and add the notes to my meeting log"
* "When a customer sends a photo of a damaged product, analyze it and draft a response"

See [Document management](/features/documents) for more details on working with files.

## Learn more

<CardGroup cols={3}>
  <Card title="Advanced chat" icon="message" href="/features/chat">
    Rich chat interface with voice input, file uploads, and interactive apps
  </Card>

  <Card title="Email & SMS" icon="envelope" href="/features/messaging">
    Send and receive emails and text messages
  </Card>

  <Card title="Voice" icon="phone" href="/features/voice">
    Voice input, text-to-speech, and phone calls
  </Card>
</CardGroup>