Keeping a backup way to reach customers if one channel goes down
Every messaging channel goes quiet sometimes. A platform has an outage, an account is signed out or restricted, a phone is lost, a mailbox stops sending. If most of your customers only know one way to reach you, those days cost you bookings and trust. This guide shows you how to set up a sensible second channel before you need it, what to tell customers, how your AI agent should behave when a channel is down, and the rules that still apply when you move a conversation elsewhere.
The ways a channel goes down
| What happens | How long it usually lasts | What it affects |
|---|---|---|
| A platform outage | Minutes to a few hours | Everyone on that platform, not just you. |
| Your account is signed out or asked for a security check | Until you reconnect | Only that account. |
| Your account is restricted, blocked or suspended | A day to several weeks, or for good | Only that account, sometimes only some actions. |
| The phone with your WhatsApp number is lost or broken | Until you restore the number on another phone | WhatsApp on that number. |
| Your mailbox stops sending or lands in spam | Days, until the cause is fixed | Email from that mailbox or domain. |
A good backup plan covers all of these with the same few steps, because from your customer's side they look the same: you have gone quiet.
How Spaces behaves when a channel is down
Spaces does not keep sending into a channel that is not working. Your agent is told what is going on, in plain words, so it can tell you.
| What your agent is told | What it means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| PROVIDER_UNAVAILABLE | The platform did not answer in time. Nothing was sent. | Nothing. Your agent tries again shortly with the same message, so it is never sent twice. |
| ACCOUNT_NOT_CONNECTED | The platform signed the account out, or asked for a security check. | Open your dashboard and reconnect the account. Sending stays paused until you do. |
| ACCOUNT_RESTRICTED | LinkedIn restricted the account or asked for a security check, so Spaces paused everything your agent sends from it for three days. | Open LinkedIn on your phone or computer and do what it asks. Sending starts again on its own when the pause ends. |
Anything from an account the platform has restricted, until it is reconnected. Messages that were refused were not sent, so your agent can safely try again later without anyone getting the same message twice.
Pick a second channel for each kind of customer
You do not need every channel. You need one sensible second route for each group of customers, ideally one they already use with you.
| If most customers reach you on | A good second channel | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Email, or Instagram if they follow you | Most customers have both, and email is not tied to one phone. | |
| WhatsApp or email | An Instagram restriction often lasts days, and many customers will happily switch. | |
| Business contacts expect email and it does not depend on one profile. | ||
| WhatsApp or a phone number | Useful when a mailbox lands in spam or stops sending. | |
| Messenger | Instagram or email | Many Facebook customers are also on Instagram. |
Spaces can connect more than one channel to the same AI agent, so the same agent can answer on the backup with the same notes and tone. Each account has its own limits and counts towards your plan.
Collect the second contact in a way people agree to
A backup channel only helps if you already have permission to use it. Ask for it at natural moments, and record that people said yes.
- At booking: "Can we also have an email in case WhatsApp is down on the day?"
- On your website and Google listing: list two ways to reach you, not one.
- In your Instagram bio and WhatsApp business profile: add your email or website.
- On receipts and confirmations: include the second channel.
On WhatsApp, Spaces only lets your agent start a new chat with someone who has messaged your number before or whom you marked as opted in, so a customer who agreed to be contacted on WhatsApp should be marked that way on the Accounts page.
| What your agent is told | What it means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| CONSENT_REQUIRED | On WhatsApp, a new chat to someone who has not messaged your number and whom you have not marked as opted in. | Mark the person as opted in on the Accounts page if they agreed to hear from you, or wait for them to message first. |
What not to do when a channel goes down
The tempting move is to message everyone on the backup channel at once. It is also the one most likely to cause a second problem.
- Sending the same "we are on email now" message to your whole list. The same cold message sent to many people. Spaces refuses copy-paste blasts.
- Opening a new account on the same platform to replace a restricted one. Platforms can see it as a way round their decision.
- Moving every conversation to a brand-new WhatsApp number in one day. A new number has no history and many new chats in a short time is what WhatsApp watches for.
- Messaging people who asked you to stop on another channel. Any message to someone who said stop, unsubscribe or similar in that chat.
Instead, answer people as they get in touch, and tell those you are actively working with, one by one, how to reach you.
Messages to have ready
Write these once, and keep them in your agent's notes so it can adapt them for each person. Names and details are examples.
For a customer waiting on a booking (sent by email when WhatsApp is down):
Hi Leah, it is Sam from Oakwood Dog Grooming. Our WhatsApp is having problems today, so I am replying here instead. Bella is booked for 10:30 tomorrow as planned. Just reply to this email if anything changes.
For your website banner:
Our Instagram messages are not working at the moment. You can reach us by email at hello@oakwood.example or on WhatsApp, and we will reply as usual.Notice that the first message is about the customer's booking, not about your problem. It answers their real question and only mentions the channel in passing.
Example: a quiet morning on WhatsApp
Here is how a good agent handles it when WhatsApp stops working. Names and details are examples.
| Who | Message |
|---|---|
| AI agent | WhatsApp has not answered for the last ten minutes, so Spaces is holding my replies and nothing has been sent twice. Two customers are waiting: Leah about tomorrow's groom, and a new enquiry from Tom. |
| Owner | Leah gave us her email at booking. Can you reach her there? |
| AI agent | Yes. I have drafted a short email confirming Bella's 10:30 slot. Tom has only ever messaged on WhatsApp, so I will answer him there as soon as it is back. Shall I send the email to Leah? |
| Owner | Send it. |
The agent does not guess at other ways to reach Tom, and it does not message everyone. It uses a second channel only where the customer gave one.
Back-up plan checklist
- List your channels and decide on a second route for each group of customers.
- Connect the second channel in Spaces and let it warm up before you need it.
- Add two ways to reach you on your website, Google listing and profiles.
- Ask for a second contact at booking or order, and record consent.
- Write the ready-made messages and add them to your agent's notes.
- Decide who in the team watches each channel by hand if the agent cannot.
- Keep the email and phone behind each account up to date, with two-step sign-in on.
- Test the plan once: pretend one channel is down for a morning and see what happens.
Warm up the backup before you need it
A backup channel connected on the day of an outage is a brand-new connection, and it starts at the bottom of the warm-up. Connect it weeks ahead and use it normally, so it has room when you need it.
| Since connecting | New email threads an hour | New email threads a day |
|---|---|---|
| First 3 days | 3 | 10 |
| Rest of week 1 | 4 | 15 |
| Week 2 | 5 | 22 |
| Weeks 3 and 4 | 6 | 30 |
| After that | 8 | 40 |
A reply to an email that arrived in the last week is never held back. Each mailbox sends up to 100 emails a day, at least 30 seconds apart, one person at a time.
Notes to give your AI agent
If a channel is down:
- If Spaces says the platform is not answering, wait and try again later. Do not resend from another channel straight away.
- If an account needs reconnecting or is restricted, tell me which one.
- Only contact a customer on another channel if they gave us that contact and it is about something they are waiting for.
- Never send a "we have moved" message to everyone. Mention the backup channel in replies, one person at a time.
- Never message anyone who asked us to stop.Who you message
Summing up
Every channel goes down sometimes. Pick one sensible second route for each group of customers, collect that contact with their agreement, connect it in Spaces well ahead, and keep short ready-made messages in your agent's notes.
When a channel is down, Spaces holds messages rather than sending them twice and tells your agent why. Use the backup for people who are waiting on something, one by one, and resist the urge to move everyone at once.
Pricing
FAQ
Does Spaces switch to another channel automatically when one goes down?
No. Spaces holds messages on the channel that is down and tells your agent why. Your agent can then use another connected channel for a customer who gave you that contact, following the notes you give it.
Will a message be sent twice when the platform comes back?
No. When the platform does not answer in time, nothing was sent, and your agent retries with the same message so it is never sent twice.
Can I message all my WhatsApp customers by email when WhatsApp is down?
Only people who gave you their email and are expecting to hear from you, and one by one. Spaces sends one email at a time to one person and refuses the same cold message sent to many people.
Should I keep a second WhatsApp number as a spare?
It can help, but a spare number that is never used has no history, which makes it fragile. If you keep one, use it normally for a while and connect it well before you need it.
What if Instagram is my only channel?
Add at least one more way to reach you today, such as email on your bio and website. Ask existing customers for a second contact when they next book or order.
How do I know if it is an outage or just my account?
If friends or other businesses report the same problem, it is probably an outage. If only your account is affected, check your dashboard: an account that needs reconnecting or is restricted shows there.
Does a backup channel cost extra?
Each connected account counts towards your plan, as the pricing page explains. Many owners find one extra mailbox or number is enough as a backup.
Should the AI agent tell customers a channel is down?
Only when it helps them, such as when they are waiting on a booking. Keep it brief, answer their real question first and mention the other channel in passing.