Setting up chat and messaging channels in Amazon Connect

See also

Sources

1. 1
   Before final approval, the business records the customer-side Apple Messages for Business experience and submits it by Support ticket for review by Amazon Connect and Apple.

   Enable Apple Messages for Business with Connect Customer · Step 4: Create and Submit Experience Review Recording · Checked 2026-10-01
2. 2
   AWS's experience-review guidance says a live agent must be reachable whenever the customer texts help, and an automated agent that cannot understand a request must hand over to a live agent.

   Enable Apple Messages for Business with Connect Customer · Step 4, Tips for developing the user experience, 'Allow switching from an automated to a live agent' · Checked 2026-10-01
3. 3
   The Apple Messages for Business account is linked to Amazon Connect through an AWS Support ticket giving the Apple account ID, Apple token, instance ARN and inbound flow ID, with Apple's readiness and use-case forms attached.

   Enable Apple Messages for Business with Connect Customer · Step 2: Gather required information and Step 3: Link your Apple Messages for Business ID · Checked 2026-10-01
4. 4
   Apple Messages for Business setup starts by registering the business with Apple and selecting Amazon Connect as the Messaging Service Provider, which yields an Apple Messages for Business Account ID once approved.

   Enable Apple Messages for Business with Connect Customer · Step 1: Register with Apple, and Step 2 item 1 · Checked 2026-10-01
5. 5
   Apple Messages for Business contacts in Amazon Connect use the same configuration, analytics, routing and agent workspace as Amazon Connect chat.

   Enable Apple Messages for Business with Connect Customer · introduction, third paragraph · Checked 2026-10-01
6. 6
   A chat started through the API has initiation method API and is not counted in the Contacts Incoming metric until it is transferred to an agent.

   Start chats in your applications by using Connect Customer APIs · second and final paragraphs · Checked 2026-10-01
7. 7
   A chat lasts at most 25 hours by default, and the StartChatContact ChatDurationInMinutes parameter can set it from 60 to 10,080 minutes (7 days).

   The chat/SMS channel in Connect Customer · When do chats end?, first paragraph · Checked 2026-10-01
8. 8
   For a persistent chat, the StartChatContact response returns ContinuedFromContactId, and the same contact ID appears as RelatedContactId in the new contact record.

   Enable customers to resume chat conversations in Connect Customer · Example use cases, Note on cumulative chat linkages · Checked 2026-10-01
9. 9
   AWS's open source chat example links to a CloudFormation template that creates an Amazon API Gateway endpoint invoking a Lambda function, which an app calls to start a chat and pass the response to the chat widget.

   Customize chat with the Connect Customer open source example · bulleted list 'Here's how it works' · Checked 2026-10-01
10. 10
    A Set disconnect flow block in the inbound flow names the flow that runs when the agent or Lex bot has left a chat and only the customer remains, and a Wait block in that flow branches on timeout or customer return.

    The chat/SMS channel in Connect Customer · Example chat scenario, steps 1-3 · Checked 2026-10-01
11. 11
    A 400 error when using ChatDurationInMinutes may mean the AWS account does not support custom chat durations, which AWS says to raise with Support.

    StartChatContact - Amazon Connect API Reference · API description, paragraph beginning 'If you use the ChatDurationInMinutes parameter' · Checked 2026-10-01
12. 12
    Chat is enabled at the Amazon Connect instance level when an Amazon S3 bucket for storing chat transcripts is configured.

    The chat/SMS channel in Connect Customer · Getting started, first bullet · Checked 2026-10-01
13. 13
    For the ENTIRE_PAST_SESSION rehydration type, SourceContactId must be the first contact ID of the past chat session.

    Enable customers to resume chat conversations in Connect Customer · Example use cases, Use case 2, Note · Checked 2026-10-01
14. 14
    An idle chat whose customer has gone silent still counts against the concurrent active chats quota, and AWS recommends persistent chat to avoid this.

    Connect Customer service quotas · Connect Customer quotas table, Concurrent active chats per instance, second paragraph · Checked 2026-10-01
15. 15
    When Amazon Lex is used with chat, the default Lex session timeout is 5 minutes and a Lex session cannot exceed 24 hours.

    The chat/SMS channel in Connect Customer · When do chats end?, Tip · Checked 2026-10-01
16. 16
    The instance option Enable Multi-Party Chats and Enhanced Monitoring for Chat allows up to six participants on a chat and lets supervisors barge chats.

    Update settings for your Connect Customer instance · Update telephony and chat options, item 6 · Checked 2026-10-01
17. 17
    A custom chat client reads the rehydrated past transcript by calling GetTranscript with the returned NextToken and ScanDirection set to BACKWARD.

    Enable customers to resume chat conversations in Connect Customer · How to access past chat contact transcript for a persistent chat · Checked 2026-10-01
18. 18
    Persistent chat lets a returning customer resume a previous conversation with its context, metadata and transcript carried forward, so agents see the whole history.

    Enable customers to resume chat conversations in Connect Customer · introduction, second paragraph · Checked 2026-10-01
19. 19
    Persistent chat is enabled either by passing a previous contact ID as SourceContactId in StartChatContact or by using the Create persistent contact association flow block, but not both for the same source contact.

    Enable customers to resume chat conversations in Connect Customer · How to enable persistent chat, list and Note · Checked 2026-10-01
20. 20
    Only chat sessions that have ended can be rehydrated into a new chat, and AWS says to wait 30-60 seconds after a chat ends before rehydrating from it.

    Enable customers to resume chat conversations in Connect Customer · Chat rehydration, Important box · Checked 2026-10-01
21. 21
    A StartChatContact request cannot provide both RelatedContactId and PersistentChat.

    StartChatContact - Amazon Connect API Reference · Request Body: RelatedContactId · Checked 2026-10-01
22. 22
    Persistent chat fails to retrieve past transcripts if the instance uses multiple chat transcript buckets or if the transcript file names generated by Amazon Connect are changed.

    Enable customers to resume chat conversations in Connect Customer · How to enable persistent chat, final paragraph and list · Checked 2026-10-01
23. 23
    Amazon Connect does not supply the previous contact ID automatically, and AWS recommends keeping a repository of contact IDs per customer, filled from chat message streaming or from contact events through Lambda.

    Enable customers to resume chat conversations in Connect Customer · How to enable persistent chat, paragraphs after the Note · Checked 2026-10-01
24. 24
    The default Concurrent active chats per instance quota is 500, is adjustable, and counts SMS, WhatsApp and Apple Messages for Business chats as well as chats that are waiting.

    Connect Customer service quotas · Connect Customer quotas table, Concurrent active chats per instance · Checked 2026-10-01
25. 25
    Persistent chat supports two rehydration types: ENTIRE_PAST_SESSION, which rehydrates all segments of past sessions, and FROM_SEGMENT, which rehydrates from a specified past segment.

    Enable customers to resume chat conversations in Connect Customer · Chat rehydration, list of rehydration types · Checked 2026-10-01
26. 26
    A queue's channel in a routing profile must also be enabled in the profile's Channel Settings, otherwise contacts from that channel are not routed to its agents.

    Create a routing profile in Connect Customer to link queues to agents · To create a routing profile, Queues table, Channels row · Checked 2026-10-01
27. 27
    In a routing profile, Maximum contacts per agent for the chat channel can be set up to 10 simultaneous chats.

    Create a routing profile in Connect Customer to link queues to agents · To create a routing profile, Channel Settings table, Maximum contacts per agent · Checked 2026-10-01
28. 28
    Cross-channel concurrency per channel is either No other channels while the agent is on that channel or Allow other channels concurrently.

    Create a routing profile in Connect Customer to link queues to agents · To create a routing profile, Channel Settings table, Cross-channel concurrency · Checked 2026-10-01
29. 29
    Each Amazon Connect agent is assigned exactly one routing profile.

    Create a routing profile in Connect Customer to link queues to agents · introduction, 'Each agent is assigned to one routing profile.' · Checked 2026-10-01
30. 30
    An imported SMS number is attached to a flow in the admin website under Channels, Phone numbers, Edit, Flow/IVR, and it becomes usable only when its status changes from Pending to Active.

    Set up SMS messaging in Connect Customer · Step 3, items 4-5 and Tip · Checked 2026-10-01
31. 31
    The SMS or Voice capability chosen when requesting a number in AWS End User Messaging SMS cannot be changed after the number is purchased.

    Set up SMS messaging in Connect Customer · Step 1: Request a number, item 4, Important box · Checked 2026-10-01
32. 32
    Using one phone number for both voice and SMS in Amazon Connect is not supported.

    Set up SMS messaging in Connect Customer · introduction, third paragraph · Checked 2026-10-01
33. 33
    Before production SMS, AWS lists four prerequisites: move out of the SMS/MMS sandbox, complete registration, confirm the spend quota, and check opt-out lists.

    Set up SMS messaging in Connect Customer · Step 5: Prerequisites for going into production · Checked 2026-10-01
34. 34
    Some countries require SMS number registration that can take up to 15 business days, the number cannot send messages until registration is approved, and its monthly lease is billed regardless.

    Set up SMS messaging in Connect Customer · Step 1: Request a number, opening Important box and item 9 Important box · Checked 2026-10-01
35. 35
    While an SMS number is in the SMS sandbox, it can only exchange test messages with verified destination numbers.

    Set up SMS messaging in Connect Customer · Step 4, item 2 Tip · Checked 2026-10-01
36. 36
    If self-managed opt-out is enabled on an SMS number, the business becomes responsible for answering HELP and STOP and for tracking and honouring opt-outs.

    Set up SMS messaging in Connect Customer · Step 6: (Optional) Set up self-managed opt-out, Important box · Checked 2026-10-01
37. 37
    By default AWS End User Messaging SMS answers reserved keywords such as STOP and HELP itself and does not forward them to Amazon Connect, and STOP adds the sender to the opt-out list.

    Set up SMS messaging in Connect Customer · Step 4: Test sending and receiving SMS messages, Important box · Checked 2026-10-01
38. 38
    A flow can branch SMS contacts with a Check contact attributes block testing Segment attributes key Subtype equal to connect:SMS.

    Set up SMS messaging in Connect Customer · Step 3: Update flows to branch on SMS contacts, items 1-3 · Checked 2026-10-01
39. 39
    Two-way SMS is enabled on the number's Two-way SMS tab in the AWS SMS console with destination type Amazon Connect and an existing IAM role, after which the number is imported into the chosen Connect instance.

    Set up SMS messaging in Connect Customer · Step 2: Enable two-way SMS on the phone number, items 4-10 · Checked 2026-10-01
40. 40
    SMS for Amazon Connect is set up by procuring an SMS-enabled number in AWS End User Messaging SMS, enabling two-way SMS on it, and importing it into Amazon Connect.

    Set up SMS messaging in Connect Customer · introduction, second paragraph · Checked 2026-10-01
41. 41
    StartChatContact returns HTTP 429 either as TooManyRequests when the API rate limit is exceeded or as LimitExceededException when the concurrent active chats quota is exceeded.

    StartChatContact - Amazon Connect API Reference · API description, 'A 429 error occurs in the following situations' · Checked 2026-10-01
42. 42
    After StartChatContact creates a chat, the client must subscribe to the participant connection within 5 minutes by calling CreateParticipantConnection with WEBSOCKET and CONNECTION_CREDENTIALS.

    StartChatContact - Amazon Connect API Reference · API description, second paragraph · Checked 2026-10-01
43. 43
    SupportedMessagingContentTypes must always include text/plain, and the interactive message type is required to use the Show view flow block.

    StartChatContact - Amazon Connect API Reference · Request Body: SupportedMessagingContentTypes · Checked 2026-10-01
44. 44
    The StartChatContact API requires InstanceId, ContactFlowId and ParticipantDetails, and it starts the named flow for the new chat.

    StartChatContact - Amazon Connect API Reference · Request Body: ContactFlowId, InstanceId, ParticipantDetails ('Required: Yes') · Checked 2026-10-01
45. 45
    StartChatContact and CreatePersistentContactAssociation each have a default rate limit of 5 requests per second and a burst limit of 8, shared per account and Region.

    Connect Customer service quotas · API throttling quotas, Connect Customer API throttling quotas table · Checked 2026-10-01
46. 46
    The test chat environment uses BasicQueue and the Basic Routing Profile, which is set up for 2 concurrent chats.

    Test voice, chat, and task experiences in Connect Customer · Test chat, item 7 Tip · Checked 2026-10-01
47. 47
    The admin website's Channels, Test chat page simulates a customer web page beside the agent CCP and runs the Sample inbound flow unless another flow is chosen under Test Settings.

    Test voice, chat, and task experiences in Connect Customer · Test chat, items 1-4 · Checked 2026-10-01
48. 48
    A timer configuration changed while an agent and customer are already connected is stored but only applies when a new agent or custom participant joins the chat.

    Set up chat timeouts for chat participants · How chat timers work, seventh bullet · Checked 2026-10-01
49. 49
    On an auto-disconnect, every participant other than the customer is disconnected, and if a Set disconnect flow block was configured the chat is routed to that disconnect flow.

    Set up chat timeouts for chat participants · How chat timers work, final bullet · Checked 2026-10-01
50. 50
    AWS recommends calling UpdateParticipantRoleConfig from a Lambda function in the flow, placed at the start of the flow or just before the contact is routed to a queue.

    Set up chat timeouts for chat participants · Recommended usage · Checked 2026-10-01
51. 51
    Chat timeouts offer customer idle, customer auto-disconnect, agent idle and agent auto-disconnect timers, each set in minutes from 2 to 480 through the UpdateParticipantRoleConfig action.

    Set up chat timeouts for chat participants · introduction, timer table and 'Specify all timers in minutes' list · Checked 2026-10-01
52. 52
    The chat transcript bucket and KMS key are set in the Amazon Connect console under the instance's Data storage page, Chat transcripts, Edit.

    Update settings for your Connect Customer instance · Update data storage, Chat transcripts bullet · Checked 2026-10-01
53. 53
    AWS advises setting the Wait block time well below the chat duration, because a customer who resumes near the duration limit can be cut off when the chat ends.

    The chat/SMS channel in Connect Customer · When do chats end?, third paragraph · Checked 2026-10-01
54. 54
    The pre-built communications widget supports Chrome 85.0, Safari 13.1, Edge 85 and Firefox 81.0 and later.

    Add a chat user interface to your website hosted by Connect Customer · Supported browsers · Checked 2026-10-01
55. 55
    A communications widget is created in the Amazon Connect admin website under Customize communications widget, Add communications widget, and its name must be unique within the instance.

    Add a chat user interface to your website hosted by Connect Customer · Step 1: Customize your communications widget, items 1-3 · Checked 2026-10-01
56. 56
    In the widget domain allowlist, subdomains and all URL paths of an allowed domain are automatically allowed, but the http:// or https:// protocol must match the configured entry exactly.

    Add a chat user interface to your website hosted by Connect Customer · Step 2: Specify the website domains, 'Domain allowlist behavior' list · Checked 2026-10-01
57. 57
    The communications widget loads only on allowlisted website domains, and up to 50 domains can be added per widget.

    Add a chat user interface to your website hosted by Connect Customer · Step 2: Specify the website domains, item 1 · Checked 2026-10-01
58. 58
    Saved widget configuration changes reach customers within a few minutes, but changes to widget icons produce a new code snippet that must be placed on the website.

    Add a chat user interface to your website hosted by Connect Customer · Step 3, Communications widget script, Note and following paragraph · Checked 2026-10-01
59. 59
    Amazon Connect hosts the communications widget, so the latest widget version is always live on the website that embeds its snippet.

    Add a chat user interface to your website hosted by Connect Customer · introduction, paragraph beginning 'Because Connect Customer hosts the widget' · Checked 2026-10-01
60. 60
    Choosing Yes for widget security makes Amazon Connect issue a 44-character security key and add an authenticate callback to the embed script that the website must implement to supply a JWT for each new chat.

    Add a chat user interface to your website hosted by Connect Customer · Step 2: Specify the website domains, item 2 (Add security for your communications widget) · Checked 2026-10-01
61. 61
    Widget JWTs are signed with HS256, carry the widget ID in the sub claim, and have an expiration of at most 10 minutes.

    Add a chat user interface to your website hosted by Connect Customer · Step 3, Security key, 'JSON Web Token specifics' · Checked 2026-10-01
62. 62
    When the widget security key is rotated, Amazon Connect issues a new key and keeps the previous key valid until the administrator deletes it.

    Add a chat user interface to your website hosted by Connect Customer · Step 3, Security key, first paragraph · Checked 2026-10-01
63. 63
    Enabling a pre-chat form on the communications widget first requires a view with a connect action button that selects the StartChatContact action.

    Add a chat user interface to your website hosted by Connect Customer · Step 1: Customize your communications widget, item 4 (Communications options) · Checked 2026-10-01
64. 64
    AWS documentation states that the legacy Amazon Connect contact centre product is now called Amazon Connect Customer, and that Amazon Connect now refers to a portfolio of agentic solutions for business functions.

    What is Connect Customer? · Note callout immediately under the heading What is Connect Customer? · Checked 2026-09-07
65. 65
    An Amazon Connect instance includes a default routing profile named Basic routing profile and a default standard queue named BasicQueue.

    How Connect Customer uses routing profiles · Default routing profile: Basic routing profile · Checked 2026-10-01
66. 66
    By default instance creation creates Amazon S3 buckets for call recordings, chat transcripts, exported reports, flow logs and email messages, with data encrypted using AWS KMS.

    Create a Connect Customer instance · Step 4: Data storage, first paragraphs and bold note 'By default, Connect Customer creates buckets' · Checked 2026-09-30
67. 67
    Apple Messages for Business, SMS, WhatsApp Business Messaging and push notifications integrations are not available in AWS GovCloud (US-West).

    Availability of Connect Customer features by Region · Messaging integrations table, AWS GovCloud (US-West) row · Checked 2026-09-30
68. 68
    In the flow designer, Save stores a draft of the flow and Publish activates it immediately, and every connector must be attached to a block before a flow can be published.

    Use the flow designer in Connect Customer to create flows · Section Create an inbound flow, final numbered step and the following Note · Checked 2026-09-07
69. 69
    The flow designer exposes previously published versions of a flow through a Latest: Published dropdown, and a rollback is performed by opening a previous version and choosing Publish.

    Flow version control: Roll back a flow · Sections View a previous version of a flow and Roll back a flow · Checked 2026-09-07
70. 70
    A routing profile is created in the Amazon Connect admin website under Users, Routing profiles, Add routing profile.

    Create a routing profile in Connect Customer to link queues to agents · To create a routing profile, step 1 · Checked 2026-10-01
71. 71
    Removing a channel such as Voice from Channel availability on a routing profile stops that channel's contacts to the profile's agents across every queue in the profile, and re-selecting it restores them.

    Create a routing profile in Connect Customer to link queues to agents · Tips for setting up channels and concurrency, first bullet · Checked 2026-10-01
72. 72
    A claimed or ported number is attached to a flow under Channels, Phone numbers, choosing the number and selecting the flow in Flow / IVR, and only published flows appear in that list.

    Attach a claimed or ported phone number to a flow in Connect Customer · To associate a claimed or ported phone number with a published flow, items 1-4 · Checked 2026-09-30
73. 73
    Agents have 20 seconds to accept a voice or chat contact (30 seconds for a task), after which their status becomes Missed and the contact routes to the next available agent; this window is not configurable.

    Configure agent settings in Connect Customer · Note above 'To configure agent settings' · Checked 2026-09-30

Documents

Cite this page

WarmTransfer. (2026, October 1). Setting up chat and messaging channels in Amazon Connect. WarmTransfer. https://warmtransfer.net/guides/amazon-connect-chat-setup

@misc{warmtransfer-amazon-connect-chat-setup,
  title  = {Setting up chat and messaging channels in Amazon Connect},
  author = {{WarmTransfer}},
  year   = {2026},
  url    = {https://warmtransfer.net/guides/amazon-connect-chat-setup},
  note   = {Verified 2026-10-01}
}