ClerkChatMoving from respond.io to ClerkChat
Two things make this move different from the others. Your WhatsApp number has to migrate between providers, and respond.io supports channels we do not. For some businesses that second point ends the conversation, and it should.
- Realistic time
- A few days, mostly waiting on the number
- The catch
- Check channels first
What you lose
The question everyone actually has, answered first.
- LINE, Viber, WeChat, SMS and emailWe do not support these at all. If any of them carries real volume for you, this is not a migration, it is losing a channel. Check this before anything else.
- WorkflowsThere is no import path, and no equivalent to rebuild them into. ClerkChat answers from your content rather than from branches, so the work is writing documentation rather than porting logic.
- The contact database, custom fields and lifecycle stagesrespond.io holds a contact record with attributes you have built up. Export it before you cancel; it does not come across.
- Team routing, assignment and supervisor viewsThese assume a staffed inbox, which is the model we deliberately do not follow. If your team works this way daily, you are giving up the thing you are paying for.
What carries across
- Your WhatsApp numberrespond.io is a Meta business solution provider, so the number is registered through them. It can be migrated to another provider and your customers keep the number they know.
- Instagram, Messenger and Telegram connectionsThese reconnect through the platforms themselves rather than transferring, so it is a matter of authorising us instead. Minutes, not days.
- Whatever your agents were copying and pastingSaved replies and internal notes are excellent training material, because they are answers your team already settled on.
How to do it
- 1Audit your channels firstCount the last ninety days by channel. If LINE, Viber, WeChat, SMS or email are more than a rounding error, stop here — we cannot serve those customers.
- 2Export contacts and saved repliesThe contact database is the asset you cannot recreate. Export it while the account is live.
- 3Train the agent and test on the hosted pageUse saved replies and help content. Get it answering well before any number moves.
- 4Reconnect the social channelsInstagram, Messenger and Telegram authorise directly, so you can run these in parallel with respond.io while you evaluate.
- 5Migrate the WhatsApp number lastEverything else is reversible. The number is the step with an interruption, so do it once you are confident.
What catches people out
- Monthly active contacts means timing affects your final billrespond.io bills on unique contacts in a period. Cancelling mid-cycle after a busy month still counts that month. Move at the start of a quiet period rather than the end of a busy one.
- Workflows are load-bearing more often than people thinkBefore switching, list what your workflows actually do. Office-hours routing and keyword triage translate naturally into an agent that just answers. Anything that updates records in another system does not, and you will need Zapier or an equivalent.
- Find the two-step verification PIN before you startAs with any provider move, a number with a WhatsApp two-step PIN set cannot migrate without it. This stalls more migrations than any other single thing.
When not to move
If any of these describe you, staying with respond.io is the right call and we would rather say so than sell you a migration you regret.
- You need LINE, Viber, WeChat, SMS or email, which we do not support
- You have a staffed team that relies on assignment, routing and supervisor oversight
- You run many numbers across several markets and need provisioning at that scale
- Your contact volume is low and stable, where contact-based pricing usually costs less
Questions
- Does ClerkChat support every channel respond.io does?
- No. respond.io supports LINE, Viber, WeChat, SMS and email in addition to the channels we share. If your customers use those, moving would cut them off, and you should stay.
- Can I import my workflows?
- No, and there is nothing to import them into. ClerkChat answers from your help content rather than from branches. Most of what workflows cover is handled by the agent reading your material; anything that writes to another system needs an automation tool.
- What happens to my WhatsApp number?
- It migrates between providers and your customers keep messaging the same number. There is a short interruption during the handover, so plan it for a quiet period and have the two-step verification PIN ready.
Still deciding
Moving from something else
Test it before the number moves
Connect Instagram and Telegram in parallel and compare for a week. Free plan, no card needed.