Channels and unsubscribe

A channel in GCM is the bridge between your church and a messaging provider — WhatsApp via WAHA, SMS via Twilio, email via Resend. This article covers configuring channels, setting rate limits, and managing the unsubscribe list.

Open the channels page

Go to Settings → Channels. You'll see every channel currently configured for your organization, with its provider, enabled flag, and recent throughput.

Adding a channel

1. Click the create button.
2. Pick the channel category:
   • WhatsApp
   • SMS
   • Email
   • Web push
   • In-app
3. Pick the provider for that category (e.g. WAHA / Twilio / Resend).
4. Fill in the provider-specific config:

Provider	Config fields
WAHA-backed WhatsApp	Session URL + API token + QR scan
WhatsApp Official	Phone number ID + Meta access token + business account ID
Twilio SMS	Account SID + Auth Token + Sender (number or alphanumeric)
smsmobileapi	API key + sender
Resend	API key + verified sending domain
SendGrid	API key + verified sending domain
SMTP	Host + port + username + password + From address

5. Run the test send to confirm the connection works.
6. Set as default for the category if you want.

Multiple providers per category

You can have more than one provider configured for the same category — e.g. two SMS providers, one for domestic and one for international. The first provider that supports the recipient's country is used; you can also pick the provider per-send manually.

Rate limits

Each provider has a per-second / per-day rate. We respect these automatically — bulk sends throttle so you stay under the limit.

Provider	Default per-second	Notes
WAHA-backed WhatsApp	1 / sec	Higher with WACRM's per-day spread
WhatsApp Official	80 / sec	Meta's published rate
Twilio SMS	1 / sec per number	Multi-number to scale up
Resend	100 / sec	Per-account
SendGrid	100 / sec	Plan-dependent

You can lower the configured rate per channel if you want extra headroom. You can't raise it above the provider's hard limit.

Plan-tier max bulk recipients

GCM caps the size of a single bulk send based on your subscription plan, to protect your provider account from accidental megabulks:

Plan	Max recipients per bulk send
Free	100
Starter	500
Growth	2,500
Network	10,000
Unlimited	no cap

Sends exceeding the cap show a friendly error. Split the recipient list and run two sends.

Disabling a channel

Toggle the active flag off to keep the config but stop sending. Useful when a provider has an outage and you want to fall back to a secondary.

Delete only when you really won't return — historical messages stay attached to the channel record by ID, so the log still renders correctly.

Unsubscribe list

Members who opt out land on the unsubscribe list per channel. Open Messaging → Unsubscribe to view:

• Channel — which one they opted out of.
• Member — who.
• Date — when.
• Source — how (auto via STOP/click, manual entry by staff).

You can also manually add members to the list — useful when someone calls and asks to be removed.

WARNING

Removing a member from the unsubscribe list re-enables sends to them. Only do this with explicit consent. Re-subscribing someone you previously opted out is a compliance violation in most jurisdictions.

Cross-channel opt-out

By default opt-outs are per-channel. A member who unsubscribed from email can still receive WhatsApp. If they ask to be removed from everything, add them to all relevant channels' unsubscribe lists — or mark them lost so they're skipped from bulk sends regardless.

Provider-specific tips

WhatsApp WAHA-backed (WACRM)

• Re-scan the QR if your linked phone goes offline for more than a few minutes.
• WhatsApp doesn't love high-velocity bulk sends from a single number — the auto-pacing in WACRM is designed for this exact reason. Trust it.

WhatsApp Official (Meta)

• Templates are required for any message outside the 24-hour customer window. Plan templates ahead.
• Meta requires business verification — expect a few weeks for first-time setup.

SMS via Twilio

• Buy a dedicated number per country code you send to.
• For US/Canada, register your number as A2P 10DLC or expect high failure rates.

Email via Resend

• Verify your sending domain with DKIM + SPF before any bulk.
• Resend's free tier covers 3,000 emails/month — usually plenty for small churches.

Common questions

Can I have two WhatsApp numbers active at once? Yes — configure two channels, each with its own provider instance. Pick which one to send from per-send.

Why did a member receive a duplicate message? Usually because two workflows fired the same send, or a workflow was re-triggered. Check Workflows → Runs for the source.

Are unsubscribes reversible? Yes by admin, but should require explicit member consent.

Next steps

• WhatsApp / SMS / Email — per-channel guides.
• Conversations — inbound replies.
• Workflows — connect channels to automation.