@copilotkit/channels

@copilotkit/channels is the batteries-included CopilotKit Channels package. One install provides the engine, JSX vocabulary, UI primitives, testing API, and every supported adapter.

Channels require a CopilotKit Intelligence connection (an API key — a free tier is available, so this is "connect your Intelligence account," not "pay for it"). There is no standalone / DIY way to run a Channel: the CopilotRuntime starts and owns each Channel's lifecycle once Intelligence is configured.

Install

pnpm add @copilotkit/channels

Configure TypeScript to use the Channels JSX runtime:

json

{
  "compilerOptions": {
    "jsx": "react-jsx",
    "jsxImportSource": "@copilotkit/channels"
  }
}

tsx

import { createChannel, Message, Section } from "@copilotkit/channels";
import { slack } from "@copilotkit/channels/slack";
import {
  CopilotRuntime,
  CopilotKitIntelligence,
  createCopilotRuntimeHandler,
} from "@copilotkit/runtime/v2";

const channel = createChannel({
  name: "support-bot", // project-unique Intelligence Channel name
  adapters: [
    slack({
      botToken: process.env.SLACK_BOT_TOKEN!,
      appToken: process.env.SLACK_APP_TOKEN!,
    }),
  ],
});

channel.onMessage(({ thread, message }) =>
  thread.post(
    <Message>
      <Section>Echo: {message.text}</Section>
    </Message>,
  ),
);

// The runtime owns the Channel's lifecycle — there is no `channel.start()`.
const runtime = new CopilotRuntime({
  intelligence: new CopilotKitIntelligence({
    // apiUrl and wsUrl default to the managed Intelligence platform — override
    // both together only for a self-hosted deployment.
    apiKey: process.env.COPILOTKIT_INTELLIGENCE_API_KEY!, // free tier available
  }),
  identifyUser: async () => ({ id: "support-bot", name: "Support Bot" }),
  channels: [channel],
});

const handler = createCopilotRuntimeHandler({ runtime });
await handler.channels.ready(); // starts the channel; handler.channels.stop() tears it down

Adapter entry points

@copilotkit/channels/slack (plus /slack/codec and /slack/render)
@copilotkit/channels/teams (plus /teams/render)
@copilotkit/channels/discord
@copilotkit/channels/telegram
@copilotkit/channels/whatsapp
@copilotkit/channels/intelligence for the curated intelligenceAdapter factory and IntelligenceAdapterOptions type

One package version gives you a tested snapshot of the core engine, JSX/UI vocabulary, testing helpers, and every adapter listed above.

For adapter authoring or a selective dependency graph, install @copilotkit/channels-core plus the direct adapter package you need, for example:

pnpm add @copilotkit/channels-core @copilotkit/channels-slack