# Getting started with a Facebook Messenger channel

This article details the steps required to set up a Facebook Messenger channel for use with the Sinch Conversation API. Your Conversation API app can send messages from Facebook Pages that you have integrated with the app.

Note
Your Facebook Pages can't initiate conversations using the Conversation API; the conversation must be started by a contact.

## Prerequisites

Before you can set up a Facebook Messenger channel on the Conversation API, you need to do the following:

### General requirements

Note
If you have already completed the [Conversation API Getting started](/docs/conversation/getting-started) steps, you can skip this section.

1. Sign up for the Sinch Build Dashboard.
2. Get access to the Conversation API.
3. Create your app.
4. Create your access key. Any API calls you make will require authentication information provided by your access key.


Refer to the [Conversation API Getting started](/docs/conversation/getting-started) section for more information on any of these steps.

### Facebook Prerequisites

To integrate Facebook Messenger with the Sinch Conversation API, you must have a Facebook account and be an admin of a Facebook Page. Additionally, you must have a Messenger Chat Button assigned to your Facebook Page. If you don't already meet these requirements, refer to the following Facebook pages, which describe how to complete these steps:

- For information on how to set up a Facebook account, see [How do I create a Facebook account](https://www.facebook.com/help/188157731232424).
- For information on how to set up a business Facebook Page, see [Create a Facebook Page for Your Business](https://www.facebook.com/business/help/473994396650734?id=939256796236247).
- You must be an admin of the Facebook Page you plan to connect to your Conversation API app. For more information on Page roles, see [What are the different Page roles and what can they do?](https://www.facebook.com/help/289207354498410).
- For information on adding a Facebook Messenger Chat Button to your Facebook Page, see [How do I add an action button to my Facebook Page?](https://www.facebook.com/help/977869848936797).


## Configuring the Conversation API and Facebook Messenger integration

Next, you must enable the Facebook Messenger integration for your Conversation API app. For a full description of how to connect your Facebook Page to your Conversation API app, see [How do I connect my Facebook Page to a Conversation API app?](https://community.sinch.com/t5/Conversation-API/How-do-I-connect-my-Facebook-Page-to-a-Conversation-API-app/ta-p/8551). A summary of the process is provided below:

1. Log in to the [Sinch Build Dashboard](https://dashboard.sinch.com/convapi/apps) and navigate to your Conversation API app.
2. Select Facebook Messenger in the Set up channels section.
3. Choose whether you want to connect using a **User access token** (for a personal Facebook Page) or a **System User access token** (for a Facebook Page associated with a busines in the Meta Business Manager).
4. Log in with your Facebook credentials and complete the integration process.
Don't deselect any previously connected Facebook Pages. Doing so will remove the Facebook Page from the Conversation API app and invalidate an existing Conversation API app integration.
During this process, you are prompted to review permissions assigned to the Conversation API app. For information on these permissions, and why they're required, see [What Facebook permissions are required when integrating with the Conversation API?](https://community.sinch.com/t5/Conversation-API/What-Facebook-permissions-are-required-when-integrating-with-the/ta-p/8569).


You must also configure at least one Conversation API webhook which will trigger POST callbacks to the given URL. For more information on how to do this using the Sinch Build Dashboard, see [How to add a webook to a Conversation API app](https://community.sinch.com/t5/Conversation-API/How-to-add-a-webhook-to-a-Conversation-API-app/ta-p/8100).

Once the integration is ACTIVE and your Conversation API webhook has been configured, send a test message to your Facebook Page using the Test Button option of your Facebook Messenger button.

Note
For more information on the Test Button feature, see [How do I add an action button to my Facebook Page?](https://www.facebook.com/help/977869848936797).

Note that Facebook Messenger has a standard messaging window of 24 hours. For information on how to send a message outside of the standard messaging window, see [Facebook Messenger channel properties](/docs/conversation/channel-support/facebook-messenger/properties). If you want to use Marketing Messages to send messages outside the standard messaging window, see [Marketing Messages](/docs/conversation/channel-support/facebook-messenger/message-support#marketing-messages).

## Next steps

After configuring the channel, you need to [set the channel priority](https://community.sinch.com/t5/Conversation-API/How-to-prioritize-your-channels-in-Conversation-API/ta-p/8613) in your app.

In order to send a message using the Conversation API, you must have your contact's ID. To get a list of your contact IDs, make a GET request to the contact webhook. For more information, see the [API reference](/docs/conversation/api-reference/conversation/contact/contact_listcontacts).

Once you have set your channel priority and have your contact's ID, you can begin sending and receiving messages in your preferred language:

Node.js SDK
Java SDK
.NET
Python