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Upgrading from Standard to Enhanced Messaging
When you upgrade your standard SMS, Facebook Messenger, or WhatsApp channel to an enhanced channel, you gain access to key customer service tools. Learn what to expect in an upgrade.
Required Editions
| View supported editions. | |
This article applies to:
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Enhanced WhatsApp, Standard and Enhanced Facebook Messenger, and Standard and Enhanced SMS channels |
This article doesn’t apply to:
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Enhanced In-App Chat, Enhanced Web Chat, Enhanced Apple Messages for Business, Enhanced LINE, and Bring Your Own Channel |
Key Differences Between Standard and Enhanced Channels
- Service reps have more ways to exchange information with customers. In enhanced channels, reps can typically share longer messages and larger files as well as more types of files. They can also send interactive content using messaging components, whose formats include questions with options, time selectors, and rich links.
- Support teams have more options for responding to customers. In enhanced channels:
- With Agentforce, admins can include AI agents and enhanced bots in their support strategy. Standard channels support standard bots only, and aren't compatible with AI agents.
- Service reps can transfer an active messaging session to another rep, queue, or routing flow.
- Service reps can free up their capacity by marking a messaging session inactive if the customer stops responding.
- More session statuses means more insight into messaging activity. Enhanced sessions include several extra session statuses, including Inactive, Consent, and Error. You can reference these session statuses when setting up reports and designing message routing logic.
- Service reps have more options in the Service Console. In the Enhanced Conversation component, reps have access to a row of action buttons that let them send content such as quick text, messaging components, files, and emoji. Reps can also raise a flag to request help from a supervisor and exchange “whispered” messages with the supervisor that are captured in the session transcript.
- Service reps use a different quick action to start conversations. To initiate messaging sessions in enhanced channels, reps use the Send Message global action. In standard channels, they use the Start Conversation quick action. The Send Message action is available in the global action menu, which means that reps can initiate a messaging session from any page in Salesforce.
- Automated outbound messages are sent in a different way. Message notifications are template-based messages that are sent to customers via a flow at particular times—for example, when a case status changes or an order ships. In standard channels, the admin creates their templates in Setup and sends them with the Message Notification flow action. In enhanced channels, the admin creates notification messaging components and sends them with the Send Conversation Messages flow action.
This video walks you through the tools available to service reps in enhanced channels.
Understanding the Upgrade Timeline
Standard Facebook Messenger and standard SMS channels were retired on February 14, 2026. Standard WhatsApp channels were retired on October 22, 2025. To avoid service interruptions, upgrade your standard channels now.
Preparing for an Upgrade
We recommend completing these tasks before you upgrade a standard channel.
| Task | Details | Learn More |
|---|---|---|
| Know what to expect. | Compare the capabilities of standard and enhanced channels for your channel type. | Compare Standard and Enhanced SMS Channel Capabilities Compare Standard and Enhanced Facebook Messenger Channel Capabilities Compare Standard and Enhanced WhatsApp Channel Capabilities Trailhead: Upgrading to Enhanced Messaging |
| Turn off two-step verification for your number. (WhatsApp only) | Submit a request to whatsappenablement@salesforce.com to turn off two-step verification for your number. | Create or Upgrade to an Enhanced WhatsApp Channel in Service Cloud |
| Create an enhanced bot. | Replace any standard Einstein bots that you’re using with an enhanced bot that you can include in your routing logic. Standard bots can’t be used in enhanced channels. | Using Enhanced Bots in Messaging Channels |
| Update your routing logic. | Create an Omni-Channel flow that routes messages sent to your account. Messages sent to your upgraded channel can then be routed to enhanced bots, service reps, and queues. If you’re using standard skills-based routing, you must switch to a skills-based Omni-Channel routing flow. This task includes additional tasks that you must complete after the upgrade:
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Route Service Cloud Messaging Sessions with Omni-Channel Flows |
| Update your automated messaging. (SMS & WhatsApp only) | If you’re using message templates in your standard channel, replace them with notification messaging components sent by a flow. Standard message templates can’t be used in enhanced channels, and you’ll use a different flow action to send automated messages in enhanced channels. Currently, you can’t send automated messages in enhanced Facebook Messenger channels. | Send Automated Messages in Enhanced Messaging Channels |
| Set up productivity tools. | Create a Messaging Session page layout for enhanced channels that includes the Enhanced Conversation page component. The Conversation page component, used in standard channels, can’t be used in enhanced messaging sessions. Create sensitive data rules for enhanced channels to mask certain text patterns such as credit card numbers. Sensitive data rules created for standard channels don’t work in enhanced channels. Optionally, create messaging components that service reps and bots can send to customers. |
Add Messaging to the Service Console |
| Update your channel’s End Conversation auto-response to let customers know about the upgrade. (SMS & Facebook Messenger only) | Unassigned messaging sessions are automatically ended during an SMS or Facebook Messenger channel upgrade. When a session is ended, the customer receives the End Conversation auto-response that’s configured in your channel settings. Optionally, update this auto-response before you upgrade to set customers’ expectations. Here’s an example: We’re doing some planned maintenance so we can serve you better in WhatsApp. If you still need help, please respond to this message. After the upgrade, change the message back to its previous version. |
Customize Auto-Responses in Service Cloud Messaging Channels |
| Pause activity in your channel. (SMS & Facebook Messenger only) | If your standard channel has any active messaging sessions that are assigned to a service rep, we can’t complete the upgrade. Ask all reps to close their active sessions in the channel and log out of Omni-Channel. Optionally, you can also reassign the channel to a queue with no assigned service reps until the upgrade is complete. Unassigned messaging sessions are automatically ended during the upgrade, so after it’s complete, clear the holding queue by assigning its sessions to reps in Omni Supervisor. |
Ready to Upgrade?
After completing the preparation tasks, you can perform the upgrade yourself.
- To upgrade a standard SMS or Facebook Messenger channel, find your channel on the Messaging Settings page and select Upgrade to Enhanced. This process typically takes less than a minute. If you were using a standard bot in your channel before the upgrade, your customers may experience some downtime while you update your routing settings to route to an enhanced bot.
- For help with WhatsApp, see Create or Upgrade to an Enhanced WhatsApp Channel in Service Cloud.
When the Messaging Settings page shows your channel with a Platform Type of Enhanced, the upgrade is complete. Optionally, click the channel name to review and update its routing, auto-response, or opt-in settings.
- Messaging Video Demos
For in-depth walkthroughs of upgrading standard messaging channels to enhanced channels or migrating from legacy to enhanced Chat, watch our video demos.
