Task Channel Definitions

Flex is a multichannel contact center. We support a number of channels out-of-the-box, and are constantly adding more. As of version 1.0 we support the following native channels:

• Voice
• SMS
• WebChat with Media Attachments
• Facebook Messenger
• WhatsApp
• RCS

With the Task Channel Definition API you can also add custom channels and override the behavior of existing ones.

Steps to add a custom channel

To add a custom channel, you need to make changes in the following places:

• Add a custom channel in TaskRouter
• Trigger the custom channel to be routed to the agent
• Define how the custom channel is rendered in the UI with Task Channel Definition API

Task Channel Definition API

All task channels that Flex UI handles are defined and registered by the Task Channels API. Flex registers its default Task Channel definitions (see below), but users and plugins can register their own. When task-based components are rendered, the first matching channel definition for a given task will be used. If there is more than one channel definition match for a task, then the most recently registered definition will be used. This allows you to register a more specific channel definition to override the behavior of a general one.

See below interface TaskChannelDefinition for what can be set up. All parameters are optional; the paramaters from the Default task channel definition will be used if not specified. The most important property of a task channel definition is the isApplicable callback function. The callback receives a task as an argument and must return boolean true if this definition can be used to handle the given task.

In a task channel definition you can specify:

• callback to determine which tasks are applicable
• strings (templates) to use in different Flex components based on task status
• colors to be used in task list based on task status
• icons to be shown in task list, tabs, and canvases based on task status
• custom components to be added to task based components if channel is applicable
• custom components to be replaced in task based components if channel is applicable

Predefined Task Channels definitions are available via Twilio.Flex.DefaultTaskChannels objects for reference. Channels that are defined by default:

• Call - Twilio.Flex.DefaultTaskChannels.Call
• Chat - Twilio.Flex.DefaultTaskChannels.Chat
• Chat SMS - Twilio.Flex.DefaultTaskChannels.ChatSms
• Chat Messenger - Twilio.Flex.DefaultTaskChannels.ChatMessenger
• Chat WhatsApp - Twilio.Flex.DefaultTaskChannels.ChatWhatsApp
• Default - Twilio.Flex.DefaultTaskChannels.Default

Override Predefined Task Channels definitions Notifications

Predefined Task Channels definitions are available via Twilio.Flex.DefaultTaskChannels and they can be altered with custom logic when required.

Override Default Chat Channel notifications

The example below demostrates how you can define your own custom icon for browser notification of an IncomingTask with channel type Chat

const originalChatNotifications = Flex.DefaultTaskChannels.Chat.notifications.override.IncomingTask;
Flex.DefaultTaskChannels.Chat.notifications.override.IncomingTask = {
  ...originalChatNotifications,
  options: {
    ...originalChatNotifications.options,
    browser: {
       ...originalChatNotifications.options.browser,
      options: { 
        ...originalChatNotifications.options.browser.options,
        icon: “CUSTOM_ICON_URL” 
      }
    }
  }
}; 

Override Default Voice Channel notifications

The example below demostrates how you can define your own custom icon for browser notification of an IncomingTask with channel type Voice

const overrides = Flex.DefaultTaskChannels.Call.notifications.override.IncomingTask;
Flex.DefaultTaskChannels.Call.notifications.override.IncomingTask = (notification, cancel) => {
  overrides(notification, cancel);
  notification.options.browser.options.icon = “CUSTOM_ICON_URL”;
}; 

Channel Media Type

Tasks can be rendered depending on which media type they support. We have helper functions to define custom channels that support the following media type:

• Call - voice call based
• Chat - messaging based like WebChat, SMS, Facebook Messenger, etc.
• Generic - no media

Creating custom channel definitions with helper functions

Flex has the following helper functions to create channel definitions with default values for chat, call, and generic.

Chat channel creation with default chat templates:

Flex.DefaultTaskChannels.createChatTaskChannel(name: string, isApplicable: TaskChannelApplicableCb,
    icon: string | React.ReactNode = "Message", iconActive: string | React.ReactNode = "MessageBold", color: string = defaultChannelColors.chat): TaskChannelDefinition

Call channel creation with default templates:

Call channel definition uses callbacks to determine the icon and colors (based on call state and destination to render)

Flex.DefaultTaskChannels.createCallTaskChannel(name: string, isApplicable: TaskChannelApplicableCb): TaskChannelDefinition

Generic channel creation with default templates:

Flex.DefaultTaskChannels.createDefaultTaskChannel(name: string, isApplicable: TaskChannelApplicableCb,
  icon: string | React.ReactNode = "GenericTask", iconActive: string | React.ReactNode = "GenericTaskBold", color: string = defaultChannelColors.custom): TaskChannelDefinition

Registering custom channels

To register a task channel definition use:

Flex.TaskChannels.register(definition: TaskChannelDefinition, mergeWithDefaultChannel = true);

You must register your channel definitions before Flex finishes initializing.

For example:

const myOwnChatChannel = Flex.DefaultTaskChannels.createChatTaskChannel("myChat",
  (task) => task.taskChannelUniqueName === "chat" && task.attributes.somethingSpecial === "myCustom");
// can modify myOwnChatChannel here

Flex.TaskChannels.register(myOwnChatChannel);

Other API capabilities

• Flex.TaskChannels.unregister(myOwnChatChannel); - to unregister previously registered channel
• Flex.TaskChannels.getRegistered(); - to get all registered task channels
• Flex.TaskChannels.getForTask(task: ITask); - to get a matching task channel definition for a task

Example Use Cases

Adding a Tab to custom channel

MyCallChannel.addedComponents = [
    {
        target: "TaskCanvasTabs",
        component: <MyTab
            key="myTab"
            icon={<img src="https://someimage.png" />}
            iconActive={<img src="someimage.png" />}
        />
    }
];

Replacing a component (e.g. TaskInfoPanel or MessagingCanvas)

const MyComponent = <div key="X">My Call Task Info Panel</div>;
MyCallChannel.replacedComponents = [
    { component: MyComponent, target: "TaskInfoPanel" }
];

Replacing a component conditionally

MyCallChannel.replacedComponents = [
    { component: MyComponent, target: "MessagingCanvas", options:
        { if: (props) => props.task.status === "wrapping" }
    }
];

Change strings based on task types (e.g., for end task button in the header):

myOwnChatChannel.templates.TaskCanvasHeader.endButton = {
    Assigned: "End Task",
    Reserved: undefined,
    Wrapping: "Wrap up",
    Completed: "Template1",
    Canceled: "Template2",
    Pending: "Template3"
};

Removing a component conditionally (e.g., remove action button from TaskListItem if task is in state "wrapping")

Flex.DefaultTaskChannels.Call.removedComponents = [{
    target: "TaskCanvasHeader",
    key: "actions",
    options: {
        if: (props) => props.task.status === "wrapping"
    }
}];