Connecting VKontakte to Bitrix24 Open Channels
VKontakte is natively supported in Bitrix24 open channels — no third-party providers are needed. Through the connection, messages from VKontakte community messages are received: when a user writes to a group or community inbox, the message goes into the Bitrix24 operator queue.
What Is Connected
The integration works with community messages (not personal messages of regular accounts). You need a VKontakte community with administrator rights.
In addition to personal messages, the following can be processed through separate settings:
- Post comments — through special apps from the Bitrix24 marketplace.
- Brand mentions — requires a separate integration, not supported in the native version.
Core value: a client writes to the VKontakte community → the operator replies from Bitrix24 → everything is recorded in CRM.
Connection Process
Step 1. Permissions in VKontakte.
In the VKontakte community → Management → Settings → API Usage → make sure community messages are enabled. In the "Access Keys" section → create a key with messages permissions.
Step 2. Connecting in Bitrix24. CRM → Contact Center → Open Channels → select a channel → Channels → VKontakte → "Connect".
A VKontakte authorization window will open. Log in with the community administrator account and grant permissions to the Bitrix24 application.
Step 3. Select the community from the list (if the account has multiple communities — a list will appear). Confirm the connection.
Step 4. Verify: write to the VKontakte community messages from a test account → confirm that the message appeared in the queue.
Client Identification from VKontakte
Bitrix24 receives from VKontakte: user's first and last name, avatar, profile link. Phone number — only if the user has specified it publicly in their VKontakte profile, which is rare.
On the first contact, Bitrix24 creates a lead (if enabled in the channel settings). The lead card displays a link to the VKontakte profile. On repeated contact — it looks for an existing contact by vk_id and links the new inquiry.
For additional identification by phone — the operator manually requests contact details in the conversation.
Common Issues
"No communities available for connection." Cause: the VKontakte account used for authorization is not an administrator of the required community. Make sure authorization is performed under the correct account.
Messages arrive, but only text — no media. The native integration handles text, images, and documents. VKontakte voice messages — support is limited. Stickers display as [Sticker].
When the operator replies, the message doesn't reach the client. Check: community messages are enabled in VKontakte (Management → Sections → Messages → Enabled). Sometimes after connecting to Bitrix24, the VKontakte Long Poll session expires — reconnect the channel.
One community cannot be connected to multiple channels simultaneously — each community works with only one open channel.