Once connected, the AI assistant receives the messages customers send to your Zalo OA and answers for you. Connecting takes about 2 minutes.
Before you start
You need all three:
- Your COREBIZS account is an owner or manager, with two-step verification turned on. See Account security.
- Your Zalo account is an admin of the OA.
- The OA is on Zalo's "Growth" ("Tăng trưởng") or "Full" ("Toàn diện") package. Only these two packages allow outside software to connect (Zalo calls it "API integration"). The "Basic" and "Standard" packages cannot be used with the AI assistant. The OA package fee is paid by you to Zalo and is not part of the COREBIZS price.
Check and upgrade the OA package on Zalo's OA management page, or see the Zalo OA price list.
Personal Zalo accounts cannot be used: COREBIZS only works with official OAs.
Connection steps
In COREBIZS:
- Open Channels.
- Press Connect Zalo OA. The button changes to Opening Zalo… and then goes to Zalo's page.
On Zalo's page:
- Sign in with the Zalo account that is an OA admin (if Zalo asks).
- Choose your business's OA.
- Read the permissions COREBIZS asks for, then press the button that grants them.
Back in COREBIZS:
- Zalo sends you back to the Channels screen. When you see Zalo OA connected. The AI assistant now receives new messages., you are done.
- The new OA appears in the list with the Working label.
Finish all steps within 10 minutes. After that, press Connect Zalo OA again to start over.
Warnings after connecting
The system checks the OA's package as soon as it is connected:
- The OA is connected, but its current package has no API. Upgrade the OA to the Growth package so the assistant can reply. This warning stays on the OA's card until the package is upgraded. Upgrade on Zalo, then press Disconnect and connect again.
- The OA is connected, but its package could not be determined. Check that it is on the Growth or Full package. Zalo did not return a clear package name. Check the package yourself on the OA management page.
When it does not connect
The Channels screen shows the reason in a red line:
| Message | What to do |
|---|---|
| Zalo refused access. Check that you are an admin of the OA and try again. | Sign in with an OA admin account. |
| You did not allow access, so nothing was connected. Try again and press "Allow" or "Continue". | Start again and grant the permissions on Zalo's page. |
| The OA returned does not match. Try again and choose the right OA. | Start again and choose the right OA. |
| This channel is connected to another business. Disconnect it there first, or message COREBIZS for help. | An OA belongs to only one business on COREBIZS. |
| Your plan has no channel slots left. Disconnect a channel you no longer use, or upgrade in Plan. | See Channel limit by plan. |
| Zalo is not responding. Try again in a few minutes. | Wait a few minutes and try again. |
Zalo's 48-hour limit
Zalo only lets an OA reply freely for 48 hours after the customer's last message.
- Within 48 hours: the AI assistant and staff reply normally. The reply box in Chats shows the time left, for example 5 hours left to reply on Zalo OA.
- After 48 hours: nothing more can be sent. The screen tells you to call the customer, or wait for them to write again. When they do, the 48 hours start over.
After connecting
- The AI assistant only answers new messages, not older messages from before the connection.
- The assistant's first message to each customer always says they are chatting with an AI assistant and can ask for a staff member. The law requires it; it cannot be turned off.
- Every conversation appears in Chats. See Answer customers in Chats.
- Make sure the assistant has been put live for customers. See AI assistant.
- If the OA later shows Problem or Access withdrawn, see Reconnect.