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Phase 3 Implementation Guide - Multi-Channel Integration

Phase: Week 5
Status: 🚀 Starting Implementation
Goal: Deploy chatbot across multiple communication platforms

🎯 Phase 3 Overview​

Objective: Enable the chatbot to work on Slack, Microsoft Teams, Telegram, and via webhooks

Deliverables:

  1. Base channel adapter interface
  2. Slack bot integration
  3. Telegram bot integration
  4. Microsoft Teams bot integration
  5. Generic webhook adapter

Timeline: 1 week

📋 Architecture​

Channel Adapter Pattern​

User on Platform (Slack/Teams/Telegram)
    ↓
Channel Adapter (converts platform format)
    ↓
Conversational Layer (intent, entity, dialogue)
    ↓
LangGraph Agents
    ↓
Response
    ↓
Channel Adapter (converts to platform format)
    ↓
User on Platform

Base Adapter Interface​

All channel adapters implement:

  • send_message() - Send text to user
  • receive_message() - Parse incoming message
  • send_typing() - Show typing indicator
  • upload_file() - Send file attachments
  • format_response() - Platform-specific formatting

🛠️ Components to Build​

1. Base Channel Adapter​

File: packages/channels/base_adapter.py

Purpose: Abstract base class for all channel adapters

Methods:

  • Message handling
  • Format conversion
  • Error handling
  • Authentication

2. Slack Bot​

File: packages/channels/slack_adapter.py

Features:

  • Slash commands (/ask, /help)
  • Interactive messages (buttons)
  • File sharing
  • Thread support
  • Mentions handling

Setup:

  1. Create Slack app
  2. Configure OAuth scopes
  3. Install to workspace
  4. Get bot token

3. Telegram Bot​

File: packages/channels/telegram_adapter.py

Features:

  • Commands (/start, /help)
  • Inline keyboards (buttons)
  • File/photo sharing
  • Voice message support
  • Markdown formatting

Setup:

  1. Create bot with @BotFather
  2. Get API token
  3. Set webhook URL
  4. Configure commands

4. Microsoft Teams Bot​

File: packages/channels/teams_adapter.py

Features:

  • Adaptive cards
  • File sharing
  • @mentions
  • Activity feeds
  • Meeting integration

Setup:

  1. Register bot in Azure
  2. Configure Bot Framework
  3. Add to Teams
  4. Set messaging endpoint

5. Generic Webhook Adapter​

File: packages/channels/webhook_adapter.py

Features:

  • Configurable endpoints
  • Custom headers
  • Flexible authentication
  • Format transformation
  • Retry logic

Use Cases:

  • Custom integrations
  • Internal systems
  • Third-party platforms
  • API gateways

📦 Implementation Plan​

Day 1: Base Infrastructure​

  • Create base adapter interface
  • Set up channel package structure
  • Implement common utilities
  • Add tests

Day 2: Slack Integration​

  • Implement Slack adapter
  • Add slash commands
  • Configure interactive messages
  • Test in workspace

Day 3: Telegram Integration​

  • Implement Telegram adapter
  • Add bot commands
  • Configure inline keyboards
  • Test with BotFather

Day 4: Teams Integration​

  • Implement Teams adapter
  • Create adaptive cards
  • Configure Bot Framework
  • Test in Teams

Day 5: Webhook & Testing​

  • Implement webhook adapter
  • End-to-end testing
  • Documentation
  • Deployment prep

🚀 Getting Started​

Install Dependencies​

# Slack
pip install slack-sdk>=3.26.0
pip install slack-bolt>=1.18.0

# Telegram
pip install python-telegram-bot>=20.7

# Microsoft Teams
pip install botbuilder-core>=4.16.0
pip install botbuilder-schema>=4.16.0

# General
pip install aiohttp>=3.9.0
pip install python-multipart>=0.0.6

Project Structure​

packages/channels/
├── __init__.py
├── base_adapter.py          # Base class
├── slack_adapter.py         # Slack integration
├── telegram_adapter.py      # Telegram integration
├── teams_adapter.py         # Teams integration
├── webhook_adapter.py       # Generic webhook
└── utils.py                 # Common utilities

apps/api/
└── channels_api.py          # API endpoints for webhooks

examples/channels/
├── slack_bot_example.py
├── telegram_bot_example.py
└── teams_bot_example.py

📊 Success Criteria​

Must Have​

  • ✅ All 4 adapters implemented
  • ✅ Working on each platform
  • ✅ Consistent user experience
  • ✅ Error handling
  • ✅ Documentation

Nice to Have​

  • ⚠️ Rich formatting (cards, buttons)
  • ⚠️ File upload/download
  • ⚠️ Voice messages (Telegram)
  • ⚠️ Thread support (Slack)
  • ⚠️ Admin commands

🔑 Setup Requirements​

Slack​

  • Workspace admin access
  • Create app at api.slack.com
  • OAuth scopes: chat:write, commands, files:write
  • Bot token

Telegram​

  • Telegram account
  • @BotFather access
  • Bot token
  • Webhook URL (public)

Microsoft Teams​

  • Azure subscription
  • Teams admin access
  • Bot registration
  • App ID & password

Webhook​

  • Public endpoint URL
  • Authentication method
  • Request/response format

💡 Tips​

  1. Start with Telegram - Easiest to set up
  2. Test locally - Use ngrok for webhooks
  3. Use async - All adapters should be async
  4. Log everything - Debug channel-specific issues
  5. Handle errors gracefully - Show friendly messages

Let's build! 🚀