Messaging Setup (Vapi)

Overview

A messaging connection lets your Vapi AI assistant handle text-based conversations — inbound SMS, WhatsApp, Instagram DMs, Facebook messages, webchat, and more. The AI reads each message, generates a response, and sends it back through GHL Conversations.

Need a Vapi account?Use this Vapi link. Sign up through this link.Vapi.ai

Messaging connections are separate from voice connections. If your assistant handles both calls and messages, create one voice connection and one messaging connection.

Create a Vapi messaging connection

Open the Vapi page

In the Sympana dashboard, click Vapi.

Switch to Messaging

Click the Messaging tab at the top (next to Voice).

Click Add Messaging Connection

Click the button to create a new messaging connection.

Name your connection

Give it a clear name like “SMS Support Agent” or “WhatsApp Bot.”

Select your Vapi messaging assistant

Choose the Vapi assistant that will handle messages. This should be an assistant configured for text conversations.

Link a GHL calendar (optional)

Only needed if the messaging assistant uses appointment functions.

Configure Contact Access

Control who the AI is allowed to message:

Setting	What it does
Allowed Tags	Only contacts with these tags get AI replies
Blocked Tags	Contacts with these tags are skipped
Handoff Tags	Contacts with these tags are treated as handed-off to a human
Opt-out Keywords	Words like “stop”, “unsubscribe” — AI stops replying

Select functions

Enable the functions your messaging assistant needs — same 11 functions as voice.

Configure dynamic variables

Add variables the assistant needs — contact name, email, custom fields, etc.

Configure Human Handoff

Set up handoff keywords. When a contact says “talk to a person” or “human”, the AI stops and fires the Handoff Requested trigger in GHL.

Save

Click Save. The connection is now available for GHL workflows.

Build a messaging workflow

Trigger: Message Received (Sympana)
  → Optional: Filter by channel (SMS, WhatsApp, Instagram, etc.)
  → Optional: If/Else — Contact has tag "ai_msg_enabled"
  → Action: Send AI Message (Sympana) — select your Vapi messaging connection

Channel filtering belongs in the GHL trigger, not in the messaging connection.

Build a handoff workflow

Trigger: Handoff Requested (Sympana)
  → Action: Add Tag "ai_msg_handoff"
  → Action: Assign contact to team member
  → Action: Send internal notification to your team
  → Optional: Create Task "Follow up with {{contact_first_name}}"

Recommended tag strategy

Tag	When to apply
`ai_msg_enabled`	When you outbound a contact or opt them in for AI messaging
`ai_msg_blocked`	When the contact opts out
`ai_msg_handoff`	When handoff is triggered

Test your messaging connection

Make sure the messaging connection is active
Publish the Message Received workflow
Send a test inbound message to your GHL number
Verify the AI responds in GHL Conversations
Test handoff with a keyword like “I want to talk to a person”

Unlike Retell, Vapi messaging may incur charges on your Vapi account for each AI response generated.

Connect

Actions

Functions

Messaging

Overview

Create a Vapi messaging connection

Build a messaging workflow

Build a handoff workflow

Recommended tag strategy

Test your messaging connection

Next steps

Messaging Connection Setup

Workflow Recipes

​Overview

​Create a Vapi messaging connection

​Build a messaging workflow

​Build a handoff workflow

​Recommended tag strategy

​Test your messaging connection

​Next steps

Messaging Connection Setup

Workflow Recipes

Overview

Create a Vapi messaging connection

Build a messaging workflow

Build a handoff workflow

Recommended tag strategy

Test your messaging connection

Next steps