# Agent channels: messaging, voice, email and Slack

*Agentforce Specialist Study Guide · AI Agents · Last updated October 15, 2026 · https://www.certifyforce.com/study-guide/agentforce-specialist/ai-agents/agent-channels-messaging-voice-email-and-slack*

How connections in Agentforce Builder put one agent on many channels: Enhanced Chat and messaging apps with Omni-Channel routing and escalation, Experience Cloud sites, Service Email, Agentforce Voice, and the employee surfaces (Agentforce panel, mobile, Slack), plus adaptive response formats.

- Certification: Salesforce Agentforce Specialist
- Exam section: AI Agents
- Study guide: https://www.certifyforce.com/study-guide/agentforce-specialist

**Official exam objective:**

> Explain the process for connecting agents to various channels such as digital experience, email, voice, and Slack.

## What the exam expects

- Explain how a connection in Agentforce Builder deploys one agent to several channels, and that the new builder supports every connection the legacy builder did.
- Put a Service agent on a website, Experience Cloud site or messaging app, with Omni-Channel flows routing conversations in and escalating them to people.
- Connect a Service agent to Service Email and to voice, and know what each requires.
- Connect an Employee agent to the Agentforce panel, the Salesforce mobile app and Slack.
- Explain why the same action output renders differently per channel.
- Key terms: **connection** (channel context plus adaptive response formats, settings and routing flows); **channel** (the platform, app or interface the agent is deployed to); **adaptive response format** (a structured layout such as Rich Choice that a connection offers); **inbound / outbound Omni-Channel flow** (routes a conversation to the agent / from it to a rep, queue or other agent); **Escalation subagent** (formerly topic; transfers the conversation).

## Key facts

| Fact | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Where channels are configured | Connections in Agentforce Builder; every legacy connection is supported | [New Agentforce Builder](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=005232662&language=en_US&type=1) |
| Inbound flow fan-in | An agent can have many inbound flows; each inbound flow connects to one agent | [Deploy Your Agent to Channels](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=ai.service_agent_setup_channels.htm&language=en_US&type=5) |
| Escalation | Escalation subagent plus an outbound Omni-Channel flow on messaging channels; history transfers | [Deploy Your Agent to Channels](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=ai.service_agent_setup_channels.htm&language=en_US&type=5) |
| Messaging apps for Service agents | WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, LINE, Apple Messages for Business, SMS, plus BYOC | [Get to Know Agentforce Service Agent](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=service.bots_service_asa_about.htm&language=en_US&type=5) |
| BYOC current name | Partner Messaging (Partner Contact Center Messaging for CCaaS) | [Service Agent for BYOC](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=service.messaging_byoc_ccaas_ai_agent.htm&language=en_US&type=5) |
| Service Email | Email-to-Case, Lightning template only, no end-user verification | [Connect an Agent to Service Email](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?language=en_US&id=ai.agent_email_parent.htm&type=5) |
| Agentforce Voice | English only; testable in the new Testing Center (beta) with Text and voice conversation output | [Agentforce Voice](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?language=en_US&id=ai.agentforce_voice.htm&type=5), [Upload Test Cases](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=ai.agent_studio_testing_center_upload.htm&language=en_US&type=5) |
| Slack connection | Employee agents only; agent respects the user's Salesforce permissions | [Connect an Agent to Slack](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=ai.agent_deploy_emp_slack.htm&language=en_US&type=5) |
| Panel and mobile | Activating the agent makes its active version available to users with access | [Connect to Lightning Experience and Mobile](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=ai.agent_deploy_emp_lex.htm&language=en_US&type=5) |
| Service agent session | Closes 24 hours after start, after 2 hours of inactivity, or when the user ends it | [Service Agent Considerations](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=ai.service_agent_considerations.htm&language=en_US&type=5) |

## Check yourself

- Why can one agent serve WhatsApp and a website without being rebuilt?
- When does a messaging conversation reach a person instead of the agent?
- Why must a user verification subagent be removed before connecting Service Email?
- Which channels support Agentforce Employee agents?
- When is Partner Messaging (formerly Bring Your Own Channel) the right choice?

## Sources

- [Deploy Your Agent to Channels](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=ai.service_agent_setup_channels.htm&language=en_US&type=5)
- [Standard Agent Connection Reference](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?language=en_US&id=ai.agent_surfaces_ref.htm&type=5)
- [Get to Know Agentforce Service Agent](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=service.bots_service_asa_about.htm&language=en_US&type=5)
- [Connect a Service Agent to Other Messaging Channels](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=ai.service_agent_messaging.htm&language=en_US&type=5)
- [Learn About New Agentforce Builder with Agent Script](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=005232662&language=en_US&type=1)
- [Deploy the Agent to Your Experience Cloud Site](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?language=en_US&id=experience.support_deploy_agent_to_site.htm&type=5)
- [Set Up an Agentforce Service Agent for Bring Your Own Channel](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=service.messaging_byoc_ccaas_ai_agent.htm&language=en_US&type=5)
- [Connect an Agent to Service Email](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?language=en_US&id=ai.agent_email_parent.htm&type=5)
- [Agentforce Voice](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?language=en_US&id=ai.agentforce_voice.htm&type=5)
- [Connect an Agent to Slack](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=ai.agent_deploy_emp_slack.htm&language=en_US&type=5)
- [Connect an Agent to Lightning Experience and Mobile](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=ai.agent_deploy_emp_lex.htm&language=en_US&type=5)
- [Considerations for Agentforce Employee Agent](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=ai.agent_employee_agent_considerations.htm&language=en_US&type=5)
- [Considerations for Agentforce Service Agent](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=ai.service_agent_considerations.htm&language=en_US&type=5)
- [Create a Custom Agent Action in the Legacy Builder](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?language=en_US&id=ai.copilot_actions_custom.htm&type=5)
- [Get Started with Agentforce APIs and SDKs](https://developer.salesforce.com/docs/ai/agentforce/guide/get-started-agents.html)
- [Upload Test Cases](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=ai.agent_studio_testing_center_upload.htm&language=en_US&type=5)

## About the full unit

The "Core concepts", "Exam traps" and "Worked scenario" sections of this unit, its 13 linked practice questions, and unlimited timed mock exams are included with the Agentforce Specialist pack (USD $19): https://www.certifyforce.com/practice-exams