Hourzero

Messenger

Connect your Facebook Page so your agent answers the messages customers send it on Messenger.

Connect your Facebook Page, and your agent answers the messages customers send it on Messenger. Questions that come in from your posts, ads, or Page button get an answer right away, instead of waiting in your inbox.

Where to find it: open your agent and go to Channels → Messenger.

What customers see

Customers message your Facebook Page in Messenger, as they do today. The agent replies in the same chat, as your Page. Each answer arrives as one complete message after the agent has finished writing it.

The agent answers messages that customers send. It doesn't start conversations or send broadcasts.

How it works

  1. 1ConnectSign in with Facebook and choose your Pages.
  2. 2Choose the agentPick which agent answers each Page.
  3. 3PublishTurn on replies for Messenger.
  4. 4TestMessage your Page and check the reply.

Before you start

  • You're a workspace owner or admin in Hourzero. Other members can't see the setup buttons.
  • You can manage the Page on Facebook. Use a Facebook account that has full control of the Page, including its messages.
  • You know which Pages you want to connect. You can connect several Pages at once and give each one its own agent.

Connect your Facebook Pages

  1. Go to Channels and find the Messenger row.
  2. Select Connect Facebook. If Pages are already connected, the button says Add Facebook Pages instead. Facebook opens in a new tab.
  3. Log in to Facebook if asked.
  4. Choose the Pages you want Hourzero to use, and approve the permissions. Facebook asks to let Hourzero see your list of Pages, send and receive messages for the Pages you chose, and manage the Page settings that make this work.
  5. When you finish, the tab returns to the Hourzero Channels page with a message like "Facebook Pages connected. Publish Messenger to start replies."
  6. Your Pages appear under the Messenger row, and the badge says Connected.

Adding more Pages later

When you add Pages later with Add Facebook Pages, keep your earlier Pages selected in Facebook. If you unselect one, Hourzero loses access to it.

Choose which agent answers

When you connect from an agent's Channels page, Hourzero assigns each new Page to that agent, unless another agent already answers it. Pages that were already assigned keep their agent. Each Page has exactly one agent.

To check or change it:

  1. Under the Page, select Reply settings.
  2. Turn on Use this agent for this Page. Turn it off to keep the Page connected but unassigned.
  3. Select Save choices. A message confirms: "Choices saved. Publish Messenger to apply them."

Under each Page you can see who answers: This agent is selected. Publish to start replies., Assigned to another agent, or Not assigned to an agent.

If another agent already answers a Page, the dialog says Currently assigned to that agent and the switch is locked. To move the Page, open the other agent, turn the switch off in its Reply settings, and save. Then assign it here, and publish Messenger on both agents.

Tip

Running two Pages? Acme connects its main Acme Page to Acme Support, and its outlet Page to a second agent trained on clearance rules.

Publish Messenger

  1. In the Messenger row, select Edit agent. The Playground opens with Messenger selected.
  2. On the Overview tab, make sure Agent replies says Replies on after publishing. Select Save draft if you changed anything.
  3. Select Publish → Messenger. The Publish Messenger dialog shows whether the draft is saved and the connection is ready.
  4. Select Publish saved draft. The next time, the button says Publish latest draft.

A message confirms "Messenger published". The agent now answers new messages to your Page.

Important

Connecting doesn't start replies, and neither do later changes. New instructions, a different model, or a new assigned agent only reach customers after you publish Messenger again.

Test it for real

  1. From a personal Facebook or Messenger account, send a message to your Page, for example "Do you ship to Canada?".
  2. Check that the agent answers in Messenger.
  3. In Hourzero, open Activity → Conversations and select Visitors. The chat appears with the Messenger label.

A Playground preview can't prove that Messenger delivery works; a real message can.

Stop or disconnect

To pause the agent but keep the Page connected, open the Playground for Messenger, turn off Agent replies on the Overview tab, save, and publish.

To remove a Page from Hourzero:

  1. In Channels, select the trash icon next to the Page.
  2. Read the warning and select Disconnect.

All agents stop replying on that Page. Your past conversations stay saved in Hourzero. If an Instagram account linked to the same Page is also connected, Instagram keeps working.

Troubleshooting

"No Facebook Pages were selected"

You finished the Facebook steps without choosing a Page. Select Connect Facebook again and choose at least one Page.

"Some Facebook Pages connected"

Facebook returned only some of the Pages you chose. Publish Messenger for the Pages that connected, then select Add Facebook Pages to try the missing ones again. Keep the connected Pages selected.

"Those Facebook Pages are already connected to another Hourzero workspace"

A Page can only belong to one Hourzero workspace. Disconnect it in the other workspace first, or connect it there.

The agent doesn't reply

  • Did you publish Messenger after connecting?
  • Does the Page show This agent is selected, and is Agent replies on?
  • Does your workspace have credits left? Check the Usage page.
  • Did someone on your team take over the conversation? The agent stays quiet while a teammate is replying.

The button says "Messenger is not available yet"

Messenger isn't ready to connect in Hourzero yet. Contact your workspace administrator.

Next steps

InstagramAnswer direct messages on the Instagram account linked to your Page.PlaygroundGive Messenger its own instructions and test your draft.ConversationsRead Messenger chats and step in when a customer needs a person.