Overview
The Facebook Messenger channel enables your organization to receive and respond to customer messages sent through a Facebook Page directly within Support Portal. Once connected, all Messenger conversations surface as standard Inbox conversations, supporting agent assignment, automation rules, and CSAT collection.
Prerequisites
- A Facebook Page with admin-level access.
- A Facebook account authorized to manage the target Page.
- An active Support Portal account with permission to create Inboxes (see Adding Inboxes).
Configuration Steps
1. Initiate Inbox Creation
Navigate to Settings > Inboxes and select Add Inbox.
2. Select the Messenger Channel Type
From the channel selection interface, select the Messenger icon.
3. Authenticate with Facebook
Select the Sign in with Facebook button. A new browser window opens for OAuth authentication.
4. Authorize Permissions
Authenticate with the Facebook account that administers the target Page. When prompted, select the Page you wish to connect and grant all requested permissions. These permissions allow Support Portal to read and respond to Messenger conversations on behalf of your Page.
5. Select the Facebook Page
After authorization, the configuration interface presents a dropdown of available Pages. Select the Page you wish to connect to this Inbox.
6. Assign Agents
Add one or more Agents to the Inbox. Only assigned Agents will have visibility into conversations arriving through this channel.
Post-Configuration Settings
Once the Inbox is created, navigate to Settings > Inboxes and select the gear icon on the Facebook Messenger Inbox to access additional configuration.
Settings Tab
- Channel greeting: When enabled, Support Portal sends a configurable greeting message to new conversations initiated through this Inbox.
- CSAT: When enabled, a Customer Satisfaction survey is dispatched each time a conversation is resolved. Results are available in the Reports section (see Customer Satisfaction (CSAT) Surveys).
- Reauthorize: If the Facebook OAuth token expires or permissions change, use this control to re-authenticate.
Collaborators Tab
Manage Agent assignments for this Inbox. You may also enable or disable automatic conversation assignment, which distributes new conversations to available Agents in a round-robin pattern.
Business Hours Tab
Define the operational hours for the team associated with this Inbox. When business availability is enabled and a message arrives outside defined hours, Support Portal delivers a configurable unavailability message to the customer.
Note: If an AI assistant is enabled on the Inbox, the unavailability message is suppressed. The AI assistant handles conversations directly, including those arriving outside business hours, unless it transfers the conversation to a human Agent.
Expected Behavior
Once configuration is complete, any message sent by a customer to the connected Facebook Page via Messenger creates a new conversation in the Support Portal Dashboard. Agents can respond in real time, and all standard features — including labels, macros, and automation rules (see Automation) — apply to these conversations.
Governance Notes
- Third-party data flow: All Messenger conversations are routed through Meta's Graph API. Message content, sender identity, and metadata are transmitted between Meta's infrastructure and your Support Portal instance.
- Token lifecycle: Facebook OAuth tokens have a limited validity period. Monitor the Inbox settings for reauthorization prompts to avoid service interruptions.
- Compliance: Organizations subject to data residency or retention requirements should review Meta's data processing terms in conjunction with their own policies before enabling this channel.