Can we create a custom Omnichannel messaging channel without using Direct Line or a bot?

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Posted on by AD-30101205-0

Hi everyone,

I’m exploring ways to integrate a custom communication channel provider into Dynamics 365 Omnichannel for Customer Service.

According to the Microsoft Docs article on Configuring a custom channel provider, it seems the “Custom Channel” setup works through Direct Line, which requires a bot built on the Bot Framework.

However, in our scenario, we’d like to send and receive messages directly between our external messaging system and Omnichannel — without a bot layer in the middle.

Before we start implementing a workaround, I’d like to confirm:

Is it possible to build a non-bot custom channel provider?
Or is Direct Line + Bot the only supported route for custom message channels?
If not supported directly, has anyone successfully implemented a middleware approach to integrate a proprietary chat service?

Any guidance or experience would be appreciated.

Thank You !!

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MVP-Daniyal Khaleel 651 on at

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Can we create a custom Omnichannel messaging channel without using Direct Line or a bot?

While you can’t directly connect a non-bot endpoint, many organizations use a middleware approach:
Create a lightweight Azure Bot using Bot Framework SDK.
Within the bot, implement logic to:

Receive incoming Omnichannel messages.

Transform and forward them to your external messaging service via APIs.

Listen to webhook events or API callbacks from your system and post them back to Omnichannel through the bot.

This allows you to:

Maintain official support and compatibility.

Keep your external system integration logic outside the Omnichannel environment.

Optionally log and transform data as needed.

This “relay bot” approach is currently the recommended enterprise-safe pattern.

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AD-30101205-0 on at

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Can we create a custom Omnichannel messaging channel without using Direct Line or a bot?

Hello MVP-Daniyal Khaleel ,

Thanks for the response !!

So what you are suggesting is that we register a bot channel (via Azure Bot Framework + Direct Line) and instead of implementing full conversation logic we use it as relay or pass-through that does the following:

Forwards messages from Omnichannel to your external messaging platform via REST APIs or webhooks.

Receives messages/events from that external platform and posts them back to Omnichannel using the Bot Framework message schema.

Please correct me if I am understanding this wrong.

Regards !!

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