Why it matters
Email channels let your team manage customer emails from one shared place instead of personal inboxes. Each email channel uses a specific sender address and can be shared by multiple users, which keeps communication centralised, consistent, and easier to route and report on.
Key Concepts
Channel: A shared inbox where customer conversations are managed. A channel can be tied to a phone number, email address, or other messaging source.
Email Channel: A channel that uses an email address to send and receive email communication with customers.
Communication Provider: The email service configuration used for this channel. You can use the default Whippy provider or a custom provider.
Channel Sender (Email Address): The email address that appears in the “From” field when sending messages from this channel.
Business Address and Google Place ID: Required location fields for a channel. The business address can be matched to Google Maps so the Google Place ID is populated. Both are required to proceed when creating a channel.
Default vs Custom Provider:
Default: Uses Whippy’s built-in email provider and default domain.
Custom: Uses your own email provider with custom API credentials and domain.
Step-by-Step: Create an email channel
Open the Channels settings.
Go to Organisation Settings and click Channels to see all channels for your organisation.
Start creating a new channel.
Click the Add channel button in the top right corner to open the five step setup flow.
Step 1 of 5: Enter basic channel details.
In the Channel name field, enter a clear name, for example “Support Email” or “Sales Email”.
Click the emoji picker to select an icon for this channel.
Add a short Description that explains what this email channel is used for.
Enter the Business address for this channel.
Select the correct address from the Google suggestions so the Google Place ID is automatically populated, or paste the Google Place ID if you already have it.
Both Business address and Google Place ID must be set to move forward. Click Next when complete.
Step 2 of 5: Select the channel type.
On the channel type screen, select Email.
Click Next to continue.
Step 3 of 5: Select the communication provider.
In this step, you decide whether to use the default email provider or a custom configuration.
Option A: Use the default provider
In Communication provider, select Default.
No extra fields are required.
Click Next to continue.
Option B: Use a custom provider
In Communication provider, select Custom.
Fill in the custom provider fields:
Base domain
API key
Email (sender email for the provider)
Webhook signing key
After all fields are complete, click Next.
Step 4 of 5: Configure the channel sender (email address).
If you selected the default provider:
In the Sending email address section, edit the first part of the address (before the @).
The domain field is pre-populated with the default Whippy email domain shown in your workspace.
If needed, choose a different domain from the Domain dropdown.
Confirm that the full sender address looks correct.
If you selected a custom provider:
In the Sending email address field, enter the entire email address, including the domain.
No domain is pre-populated when using a custom provider.
Make sure the address matches your external email provider configuration.
When the sender address is correct, click Next.
Step 5 of 5: Review and create the email channel.
Review the summary of your new email channel, which includes:
Channel name
Symbol (emoji)
Description
Channel address
Sender email address
Check that the sender email address is correct, especially the domain.
Click Complete to create the email channel.
Confirm the email channel in the list.
After saving, you return to the Channels list. The new email channel appears with its name, emoji, description, sender address, and last updated information.
Tips and Best Practices
Use a descriptive channel name that matches how your teams work, for example “Support Email”, “Onboarding Email”, or a specific region.
Keep the description short and clear so other admins understand the channel’s purpose at a glance.
Make sure the business address matches a real address in Google so the Google Place ID is easy to populate.
Decide whether you need Default or Custom provider before starting. Use Default if you do not need your own SMTP or email infrastructure.
When using a custom provider, gather the base domain, API key, email, and webhook signing key in advance so you do not block the flow.
Double check the sender email address on the review step. Changing sender configuration later may require editing the channel configuration instead of the creation flow.
After creating the channel, use the Business hours, Autoresponses, Settings, and Users tabs to tailor how the email channel behaves and who can use it.
Troubleshooting
Issue | Possible Cause | Fix |
Cannot click Next on Step 1 | Required fields are missing | Make sure Channel name, Business address, and Google Place ID are filled. Select the address from the Google suggestion so the Place ID is set. |
Step 3 requires API details but I expected to use the default provider | Custom was selected instead of Default | Change Communication provider to Default, then click Next. |
Sender email domain is pre-filled and cannot be typed | Default provider is selected and the domain uses Whippy’s configured domain list | Use the dropdown to select a different allowed domain. If you need a completely different domain, switch to a Custom provider and configure it there. |
No domain appears in the sender field | Custom provider is selected | Enter the full email address including the domain, for example |
Sender email address is wrong after creation | Sender configuration was not reviewed on Step 5 | Edit the channel from Organisation Settings → Channels, open the Configuration tab, and update the sender settings as allowed by your provider setup. |