Zalo — Usage Tips
Use your COCO AI employee on Zalo, Vietnam's most popular messaging platform with over 75 million users.
Zalo (Official) vs Zalo Personal (Unofficial)
COCO supports two ways to connect to Zalo. Choose the one that fits your needs:
| Zalo (Official) | Zalo Personal (Unofficial) | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Uses the official Zalo Bot Platform API to create a bot that users can message | Uses a real Zalo account via QR code login (similar to WhatsApp Web) |
| Protocol | Official API — endorsed by Zalo/VNG | Reverse-engineered protocol (zca-js) — not endorsed by Zalo/VNG |
| Account needed | A Zalo account to register a bot on the Bot Platform | A dedicated Zalo account (separate from users who will chat with it) |
| Setup | Create bot → paste Bot Token in Dashboard | Scan a QR code — no tokens or developer setup |
| Account risk | None — official API | Possible account restriction or ban — use at your own risk |
| Deployment time | ~5 minutes | ~2 minutes |
| Deployment guide | Zalo (Official) deployment → | Zalo Personal (Unofficial) deployment → |
Capability Comparison
| Capability | Zalo (Official) | Zalo Personal (Unofficial) |
|---|---|---|
| Text messages (send & receive) | ✅ | ✅ |
| Images (receive) | ✅ | ✅ |
| Images (send) | ⚠️ Public URL only | ✅ Local files supported |
| Files & documents (send & receive) | ❌ | ✅ |
| Voice messages (send) | ❌ | ✅ |
| Stickers (send & receive) | ✅ | ✅ |
| Sticker search | ❌ | ✅ |
| Reactions (send & receive) | ❌ | ✅ 6 types |
| Quote-reply | ❌ | ✅ |
| Typing indicator | ✅ | ✅ |
| Read receipts | ❌ | ✅ |
| @Mentions | ❌ | ✅ |
| Group chats | ✅ Basic | ✅ Full (smart + mention modes) |
| 1:1 DMs | ✅ | ✅ |
| Friend / group management | ❌ | ✅ |
Which one should I choose?
Zalo (Official) is stable and risk-free, but limited to text, images, and stickers. Choose this if reliability matters more than features.
Zalo Personal (Unofficial) supports the full Zalo experience — files, reactions, voice, quote-reply, smart group modes — but uses an unofficial protocol that could lead to account restrictions. Choose this if you need richer capabilities and accept the trade-off.
Zalo (Official) — Usage
Direct Messages
Send any message to your bot on Zalo. No special commands needed — the bot responds immediately.
Getting Started
- Search for your bot name in Zalo
- Start a conversation — the bot responds automatically
- The first user to send a DM becomes the Owner (administrator)
Managing Access
By default, only the Owner can chat with the bot. To allow others:
Allowlist mode — only specified users can chat:
Send to bot:
Enable allowlist mode, add phone number +84 xxx to the list
Open mode — anyone can chat:
Send to bot:
Enable open mode, anyone can DM you
Zalo Personal (Unofficial) — Usage
Direct Messages
Anyone who messages your dedicated bot Zalo account will receive AI-powered responses.
Getting Started
- Your AI employee sends you a QR code during setup
- Scan with the dedicated bot Zalo account
- Connection is established — start chatting
Managing Access
Same as Zalo (Official): Owner-only by default, with Allowlist and Open modes available.
Connection Stability
Zalo Personal uses an unofficial protocol, so connections may occasionally drop. If this happens, ask your AI employee to reconnect:
"Reconnect Zalo Personal"
Pro Tips
Voice messages: Send voice messages — the bot transcribes and responds to them.
Images & files: Send photos or documents for the bot to analyze.
Multilingual: The bot responds in whatever language you write in — Vietnamese, English, Chinese, or others.
Multiple channels: You can connect both Zalo (Official) and Zalo Personal (Unofficial) simultaneously on the same AI employee, alongside other channels like Telegram or WhatsApp.
Troubleshooting
| Issue | Solution |
|---|---|
| Bot not responding (Official) | Verify the Bot Token is correct. Check the connection status in COCO Dashboard |
| Bot not responding (Personal) | Ask your AI employee to reconnect — the session may have expired |
| Others can't message the bot | By default only the Owner can chat. Enable Allowlist or Open mode |
| Account warning (Personal only) | Stop using the unofficial integration and switch to Zalo (Official) |
| Want to disconnect | Click Disconnect on the respective Zalo card in the employee detail page, or ask your AI employee |