Channel Broadcast

Write a message once and send or schedule it across WhatsApp, Telegram, Slack, Facebook Messenger and email — from one composer with a live per-channel preview.

This is a Paid plugin that you can purchase and install via the in-app Plugins marketplace.

Introduction

Channel Broadcast lets your users write one message and send or schedule it across WhatsApp, Telegram, Slack, Facebook Messenger and email — from a single composer with a live per-channel preview. It can pull the text from an existing Ad Copy, attach a generated Ad Creative, write the message with AI, and deliver it now, on a schedule, or on a recurring cadence.

Like Social Media Studio, Channel Broadcast is a delivery tool rather than a generation studio. But there’s a key difference in how it’s wired: there are no platform-wide OAuth apps to register. Each user brings their own credentials per connection — their own WhatsApp Business token, their own Telegram bot, their own Slack webhook, their own recipient lists. The admin only decides which channels are available at all.

This guide covers the full lifecycle — where to buy it, how to install it, how to enable channels and set the AI rate, how to grant access by plan, the cron requirement for scheduling, how each user connects a channel, and how the composer works.

Included Tools

• Compose — the studio. Load text from an ad copy (or write / AI-generate one), attach a creative, add a CTA link, pick target channels, preview per channel, then send now / schedule / repeat.
• Channels — connect, test, pause, reactivate or disconnect destinations. Each connection stores its own encrypted credentials.
• Activity — history of every broadcast with per-channel status (delivered / scheduled / partial / failed), a detail view, reach totals and delete.

Supported channels

Channel	What it sends to	What the user connects with
WhatsApp	Individual opted-in numbers via WhatsApp Business Cloud API (one-to-one, no group chats)	Phone Number ID + Access Token + recipient numbers
Telegram	A Telegram group or channel via the user’s own bot	Bot token + chat / group ID
Slack	A Slack channel via an Incoming Webhook	Webhook URL
Facebook Messenger	Messenger subscribers of a Facebook Page	Page Access Token + recipient PSIDs
Email	A subscriber list from the platform mailer (recipients are BCC’d)	Recipient emails + optional from name / address

Credentials are owned by the user and stored encrypted per connection. Users may connect as many destinations per channel as they like (multiple WhatsApp numbers, several Telegram chats, more than one Slack channel, and so on). The admin never enters any channel keys — they only toggle whether each channel is available.

Purchase & Installation

Channel Broadcast is distributed through the in-app plugin marketplace — purchasing and installation both happen inside your MagicAds admin. There’s no third-party download.

1. Open the Plugins marketplace

   Sign in as an admin and go to Admin → General Settings → Plugins. Find the Channel Broadcast card in the marketplace catalog.

2. Purchase (if required)

   The card CTA depends on your license and purchase state:

   • Free / already owned → installs directly.
   • Paid → routes you to the plugin checkout to complete the purchase.
   • Extended License holders → plugins flagged “free for Extended License” install without an extra purchase.

   If the page shows “This plugin is free only for Extended License holders”, you’re on a Regular License and must purchase Channel Broadcast (or upgrade your license) to install it.

3. Install / activate

   Click Install on the Channel Broadcast card. The platform downloads the archive, unpacks it, runs its migrations and activates the plugin. This provisions the storage it needs for:

   • the plugin’s settings (feature flags, the AI message rate and each channel’s enable switch),
   • each user’s connected destinations (with encrypted per-connection credentials),
   • every composed broadcast (message + media snapshot + CTA + schedule),
   • and each channel target within a broadcast (its own status, remote id, retry and recurrence bookkeeping).

   The installer also registers the recurring delivery command (channel-broadcast:send-due) which the scheduler runs once a minute.

   On a fresh install everything is off by default. Installation only makes the routes and storage exist. The tools stay hidden from users until you enable the feature and enable at least one channel (next sections).

To remove the plugin later, click Uninstall on the same card. Uninstalling removes the plugin’s files but leaves your data intact — connections and broadcast history are never dropped.

Configure Channel Broadcast

Go to Admin → General Settings → Plugins → Channel Broadcast (/app/admin/general/plugins/channel-broadcast). The screen has these sections.

General

Setting	Purpose
Enable Channel Broadcast	Master switch. When on, the studio appears in user menus and becomes usable. Off by default.
Free Tier Access	When on, users without a paid plan can use the studio. When off, only subscribers (on a plan that includes it) get access.
AI message rate (credits per 1000 words)	Cost of generating a message with AI in the composer. Integer 1–999, default 2. Broadcasting and scheduling themselves are always free.

Channels

One switch per channel — WhatsApp, Telegram, Slack, Facebook Messenger, Email. This is the only thing the admin controls per channel; there are no keys to enter here because credentials belong to each user’s connection.

A channel only becomes connectable for users when its switch is on.

All connection credentials (tokens, webhook URLs, recipient lists) are stored encrypted on each destination using your app APP_KEY — never in .env.

Click Save to persist all sections.

AI message generation

Writing or optimizing a message with AI in the composer uses your central OpenAI key from Admin → AI Settings (openai_key) and spends the user’s shared credits.

• The cost is the AI message rate (credits per 1000 words) set above; users are charged only on a successful generation.
• Everything else — connecting channels, composing, sending and scheduling — is always free.

If no OpenAI key is configured, the AI writer shows “AI text generation is not configured” and users can still write their message manually. Only the AI step needs a key.

Scheduling — cron requirement

Immediate broadcasts publish during the web request. Scheduled and recurring broadcasts are delivered by a background command that the Laravel scheduler runs every minute.

For scheduling to work, the host must run Laravel’s single scheduler cron entry:

* * * * * cd /path-to-your-project && php artisan schedule:run >> /dev/null 2>&1

This is the same cron the rest of MagicAds (Avatar Studio, Social Media Studio, etc.) already relies on — if those work, scheduling works. The plugin self-registers channel-broadcast:send-due (guarded so it only runs when installed). Each minute it reclaims any target stuck mid-send, delivers everything that’s due, and re-arms the next run for recurring broadcasts until their end date.

Without the cron, immediate broadcasts still send but scheduled and recurring broadcasts will never go out. Confirm the cron is configured on production and VPS hosts.

The delivery worker retries a failed target up to 3 times with a growing backoff, processes up to 25 targets per run, and reclaims targets left mid-send for more than 15 minutes (from a crashed run) so they can retry.

Grant access by plan

Access is gated in two layers:

1. Platform layer — the master Enable Channel Broadcast switch must be on.
2. User layer — who actually gets the studio:
   • Subscribed users (on a plan): access is governed by the plan’s Channel Broadcast feature toggle. Edit each plan and enable it for the plans that should include it.
   • Non-subscribed users (no plan): access only when both Enable Channel Broadcast and Free Tier Access are on.

When the studio is offered platform-wide but the current user isn’t eligible, it appears as a locked, upgrade-to-unlock entry that nudges the user toward an eligible plan rather than hiding it entirely.

Because broadcasting is free and only AI message generation spends credits, plan-based limits are enforced naturally through each user’s credit balance.

To set it up:

1. Enable the master switch in the Channel Broadcast config.
2. Go to Admin → plan management, edit each plan, and turn the Channel Broadcast feature on for the plans that should include it.
3. Optionally enable Free Tier Access if you want plan-less users to try it.

Go-live checklist

1. Install the plugin

   Admin → General Settings → Plugins → Channel Broadcast → Install.

2. Enable channels

   In the Channel Broadcast config, turn on the channels you want to offer (WhatsApp, Telegram, Slack, Messenger, Email).

3. Add an OpenAI key (optional)

   For the in-composer AI message writer, add an OpenAI key in Admin → AI Settings.

4. Set the AI message rate

   Adjust AI message rate (credits per 1000 words), then Save.

5. Confirm the cron

   Ensure php artisan schedule:run runs every minute on the server.

6. Enable the feature

   Turn on Enable Channel Broadcast. Enable Free Tier Access if desired.

7. Grant plan access

   Enable the Channel Broadcast feature on the plans that should include it.

8. Verify as a user

   Log in as an eligible user → Channels → connect a destination and run its test → Compose → send a test broadcast and confirm it lands.

Once every step above is green, Channel Broadcast is live. Proceed to the section below on how to use it.

How to Use

All tools live under Channel Broadcast in the user sidebar.

Channels — connecting a destination

Each connection is created by the user with their own credentials, then a test message fires automatically so they get instant confidence. From here they can test again, pause (temporarily exclude a destination from broadcasting), reactivate, or disconnect it.

The connect modal has a Test Configuration action that verifies the credentials you’ve typed before saving, so you can confirm a token or webhook works without creating a broken connection.

What each channel needs:

WhatsApp

A Phone Number ID and a permanent Access Token from the WhatsApp Business Cloud API, plus one or more recipient numbers (digits only with country code, one per line).

1. Create a Meta app with WhatsApp

   In Meta for Developers, create a Business app and add the WhatsApp product. This gives you a test number and a temporary token to start.

2. Get the Phone Number ID

   Under WhatsApp → API Setup, copy the Phone Number ID of the business number you’ll send from (this is the numeric ID, not the phone number itself).

3. Generate a permanent Access Token

   Create a System User in Meta Business Settings with access to the WhatsApp account, then generate a permanent token with the whatsapp_business_messaging and whatsapp_business_management permissions. Temporary 24-hour tokens work for testing but expire.

4. Add recipients & test

   Paste the Phone Number ID, token and recipient numbers into the WhatsApp connection, then run Test Configuration.

WhatsApp business messaging is one-to-one — you target individual numbers, not group chats. A free-form broadcast only delivers to numbers that messaged your business number in the last 24 hours (the customer-service window); outside that window you must send an approved message template.

Meta moved WhatsApp to per-message pricing on 1 July 2025 (replies inside the 24-hour window are free), and from 1 October 2026 it is reintroducing fees for non-template service messages. Check current WhatsApp pricing before high-volume sending.

Telegram

A bot token and the chat / group ID.

1. Create a bot

   Message @BotFather on Telegram, send /newbot, and copy the bot token it gives you.

2. Add the bot to your group/channel

   Add the bot to the target group or channel and promote it to admin so it can post.

3. Get the chat / group ID

   Obtain the chat ID (for example via @userinfobot or the getUpdates API) and paste it, along with the bot token, into the Telegram connection.

Slack

An Incoming Webhook URL — the broadcast is posted to whichever channel the webhook targets.

1. Create a Slack app

   Go to Slack API → Your Apps → Create New App → From scratch, and pick your workspace.

2. Enable Incoming Webhooks

   Open Incoming Webhooks, toggle it On, then click Add New Webhook to Workspace and choose the destination channel.

3. Copy the Webhook URL

   Copy the generated Webhook URL and paste it into the Slack connection.

Facebook Messenger

A Page Access Token, plus one or more recipient PSIDs (Page-Scoped IDs of people who have messaged your Page), one per line.

1. Create a Meta app with Messenger

   In Meta for Developers, create a Business app and add the Messenger product.

2. Generate a Page Access Token

   Under Messenger → Settings → Access Tokens, connect your Facebook Page and generate a Page Access Token. It needs the pages_messaging permission (and page messaging access via App Review to reach real users).

3. Collect recipient PSIDs

   PSIDs are issued when a person messages your Page; capture them via your Messenger webhook. Paste the Page Access Token and PSIDs into the Messenger connection.

Like WhatsApp, Messenger enforces a 24-hour messaging window — you can freely message a person for 24 hours after their last message to your Page. Sending outside that window for promotional content is restricted and requires approved message tags. Mass unsolicited messaging leads to restrictions.

Email

A list of recipient email addresses (one per line, sent BCC so recipients never see each other), with an optional From name and From / Reply-to address that override the platform defaults. Email uses the platform’s configured mailer (see SMTP settings).

Compose

The studio centerpiece:

1. Message

   Load it from a saved Ad Copy variant, type it, or generate it with AI (pick a tone; this spends credits at the configured rate).

2. Subject

   Used by the Email channel.

3. Media

   Attach an existing Ad Creative (image or video). Optional.

4. CTA link

   An optional link URL and label, rendered as a button on channels that support one.

5. Broadcast to

   Choose target destinations. The composer validates each destination against the active content and dims incompatible ones with the reason (e.g. a channel that doesn’t support the attached media). Use Select eligible to pick all valid targets at once.

6. When

   Immediately, Scheduled (date & time), or Recurring (start, end, an interval in minutes, and which days).

7. Live preview

   A preview renders the message exactly as it will look on the selected channel; switch channels to compare.

Per-channel content rules

The composer enforces each channel’s capabilities automatically:

Channel	Media (image/video)	CTA button	Formatting	Text limit
WhatsApp	Yes	No	Plain text	4,096
Telegram	Yes	Yes	HTML	4,096
Slack	Yes	Yes	mrkdwn	3,000
Facebook Messenger	Yes	Yes	Plain text	2,000
Email	Yes	Yes	HTML	No limit

Messages longer than a channel’s limit are trimmed automatically for that channel only.

Recurring cadence

Recurring broadcasts repeat on an interval (minimum 5 minutes) between a start and end date, filtered by an on-days rule: every day, weekdays only, weekends only, even days, odd days, or a specific weekday. After each successful send the worker computes and arms the next allowed slot until the campaign’s end date passes.

Activity

A filterable history (Scheduled / Completed / Partial / Failed) with a channel filter and search, plus a reach total (recipients sent). Each row shows the message and a chip per target channel coloured by outcome. Open any broadcast for a per-channel breakdown (status, send time or error, provider message id), or delete it.

Media & storage

For media attachments, channels that can upload bytes (e.g. Telegram) receive the file directly from the local results disk, so previews work even when the app isn’t publicly reachable. When a creative is offloaded to a cloud provider (Amazon S3 / Wasabi plugin), the studio resolves the provider’s public URL and hands it to channels that fetch media from a URL.

Troubleshooting

Symptom	Likely cause	Fix
Studio doesn’t appear for a user	Master switch off, plan lacks the feature, or a plan-less user with Free Tier off	Enable the master switch; enable the feature on their plan; or turn on Free Tier Access.
A channel isn’t offered on Channels	The channel’s switch is off	Enable that channel in the Channel Broadcast config.
”Test failed” when connecting	Wrong or incomplete credentials for that channel	Re-check the token / webhook / IDs; use Test Configuration to verify before saving.
WhatsApp message not delivered	Recipient outside the 24-hour window, or not opted in	The recipient must message your WhatsApp Business number first, or use an approved template.
Telegram send fails	Bot not an admin of the group, or wrong chat ID	Add the bot to the group as admin and paste the correct chat / group ID.
Messenger send fails / restricted	Outside the 24-hour window, or the token lacks messaging permission	Reply within 24 hours of the user’s last message, or use an approved tag; ensure the Page token has pages_messaging.
Scheduled or recurring broadcasts never go out	Cron not running	Configure * * * * * php artisan schedule:run.
Broadcast shows Partial	Some channels succeeded, others failed	Open the broadcast in Activity to see the per-channel error.
A target keeps retrying then fails	Transient provider error exhausted the retries	The worker retries up to 3 times with backoff before marking it failed; fix the cause and resend.
AI message returns nothing / “not configured”	No OpenAI key in AI Settings, or insufficient credits	Add an openai_key in Admin → AI Settings; ensure the user has enough credits.
”Add a message or media before broadcasting”	Nothing to send on the selected content	Type or load a message, or attach a creative.

Connection credentials are stored encrypted. Broadcasting and scheduling are always free; only AI message generation deducts credits, and only on a successful generation.