With this integration, every direct message sent to your Viber bot appears in HelpCrunch as a regular customer conversation. Your team can reply, assign chats, change statuses, send files, share knowledge base articles, and manage Viber requests together with all other support channels.
This integration supports direct messages to your Viber bot only.
The integration is available in all HelpCrunch subscription plans.
Table of contents
- Before you start
- Create a new Viber bot
- Connect existing Viber bot to HelpCrunch
- Connect your Viber bot to HelpCrunch
- Manage Viber messages from HelpCrunch inbox
- Billing and limitations
- Viber integration FAQ
Before you start
To connect Viber to HelpCrunch, you need an active Rakuten Viber bot and its API token.
Please note that Rakuten Viber introduced a new commercial model for chatbots on February 5, 2024. Under this model, new bots are created through an application process managed by Rakuten Viber or its verified official partners. Bots created before that date can still be integrated with HelpCrunch.
HelpCrunch does not create, approve, or bill Viber bots. Any Viber-related fees, commercial terms, bot approval, verification, or message pricing are managed by Rakuten Viber.
Create a new Viber bot
If you don’t have a Viber bot yet, you need to apply for one through Rakuten Viber.
You can do this in one of two ways:
- Apply directly through Rakuten Viber for Business
- Contact one of Rakuten Viber’s verified official partners
After your application is reviewed and approved, Rakuten Viber will guide you through the next steps, including the contract, commercial terms, bot setup, and access to your bot credentials.
Once your bot is created and you receive the API token, you can connect it to HelpCrunch.
Connect existing Viber bot (created before February 5, 2024)
Note that once you connect a Viber bot to HelpCrunch, it will no longer be available for other apps or services where this bot is already connected. This restriction is set by Viber.
1. First, navigate to https://partners.viber.com and sign in with a phone number connected to your Viber account:
2. Select the bot you want to connect to HelpCrunch by clicking the proper bot's avatar:
3. Scroll down the page with the bot's settings, find and copy the API token:
Once you get the API token, you can connect it to HelpCrunch.
Connect your Viber bot to HelpCrunch
- Open your HelpCrunch account and go to Settings → Channels → Viber.
- Click Add Viber Bot.
- Paste your Viber bot API token and click Apply to save.
That’s it. Once the bot is connected, new direct messages from Viber users will appear in your HelpCrunch Inbox.
Manage Viber messages from HelpCrunch Inbox
All Viber conversations appear in HelpCrunch Inbox like regular chats.
You can:
- Reply to Viber messages
- Assign conversations to team members
- Launch Chabot flows in new Viber chats
- Change chat statuses
- Add tags
- Snooze conversations
- Send files
- Share knowledge base articles
- Use HelpCrunch workflows available for inbox conversations
Viber chats are marked with the Viber icon, so your team can easily identify the channel.
HelpCrunch also creates a separate Viber inbox where you can view all Viber conversations in one place.
Billing and limitations
Rakuten Viber charges a monthly maintenance fee (100EUR) for new bots. For the latest pricing, terms, and country-specific message rates, visit Viber’s official page.
Bots created and set up for billing before February 5, 2024 may continue to operate under Viber’s legacy commercial model.
The Viber integration supports direct messages to your bot only. Number integration and group chats are not supported.
You can have only one active chat with the same Viber user at a time. An active chat means a conversation with one of four statuses (New, Open, Pending, On-hold). If there is already an active chat with a Viber user, you can’t reopen an older chat or start another new chat with the same user until the current active chat is closed.
Viber integration FAQ
Viber messages don’t appear in HelpCrunch
Check the following:
- Make sure your Viber bot is active and available to users.
- Make sure you copied the correct API token.
- Make sure the bot is connected in Settings → Channels → Viber.
- Check whether the same bot is connected to another service.
- Ask the customer to send a direct message to your Viber bot.
If viber bot was connected elsewhere, it's important to reconnect it in Settings → Channels → Viber by switching the toggle OFF and back ON in a few seconds.
I can’t create a Viber bot from the Viber Admin Panel
For new bots, Rakuten Viber now uses an application-based commercial model. Apply through Rakuten Viber for Business or contact one of Viber’s verified official partners.
Will HelpCrunch charge me for Viber messages?
HelpCrunch does not manage Viber’s commercial fees. Viber bot maintenance fees, chatbot-initiated message costs, and country-specific rates are handled by Rakuten Viber according to its commercial terms.
Are replies to users paid?
According to Rakuten Viber, messages exchanged during a 24-hour session are not billed by Viber. A session starts when a user messages the bot or replies to a chatbot-initiated message.
For the latest billing rules, always check Rakuten Viber’s official Bot Commercial Model documentation.
