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Channels

A channel is the medium through which users reach an AI agent: the surface where a conversation actually happens. A web chat widget, an API integration or a messaging app are all channels. The channel doesn't change what the agent knows; it changes where and how people talk to it.

Think of a channel as the doorway into the same room. Whether someone enters through a website, an app or an API, they arrive at the same agent, but the doorway shapes the experience on the way in.

Why channels matter​

Separating the agent from the channel brings real flexibility:

  • Reach: the same agent can meet users wherever they already are, rather than forcing them to one place.
  • Consistency: one configuration can be delivered across several surfaces, so the answers stay the same everywhere.
  • Fit: each channel can suit a different context, an embedded widget for your site, an API for another system, and so on.

Channels and touchpoints​

A channel rarely stands alone. It is one of the ingredients bound together by a touchpoint, alongside the model, knowledge and tools. The touchpoint decides what the agent is; the channel decides how it is delivered. Choosing the channel is therefore part of configuring a touchpoint for its intended audience.

Channels in Rational AI​

When you set up a touchpoint, you choose the channel through which it is exposed, so the same carefully configured agent can be served on the surface that suits each use case.

Additional resources​