WhatsApp Integration
The WhatsApp Integration enables you to communicate with customers through WhatsApp Business API, manage message templates, send automated messages, and track conversations within your CRM.
Overview
WhatsApp Integration provides:
- Two-way messaging with customers
- Pre-approved message templates
- Automated messaging workflows
- Media sharing capabilities
- Conversation tracking and analytics
- Compliance with WhatsApp Business policies
Getting Started
Prerequisites
- WhatsApp Business Account
- Facebook Business Manager access
- Verified business phone number
- Business verification completed
- API access approved
Initial Setup
- Navigate to Settings > Integrations > WhatsApp
- Click Connect WhatsApp Business
- Follow the authorization flow:
- Log in to Facebook Business Manager
- Select your WhatsApp Business Account
- Grant necessary permissions
- Verify phone number
- Complete configuration
Account Configuration
- Display Name: Your business name on WhatsApp
- Business Description: About your business
- Industry: Select your category
- Business Hours: Availability schedule
- Away Message: Auto-reply when offline
WhatsApp Templates
Understanding Templates
WhatsApp requires pre-approved templates for business-initiated conversations:
- Marketing messages
- Transactional updates
- Appointment reminders
- Customer support follow-ups
Creating Templates
Accessing Template Manager
- Go to WhatsApp > Templates
- Click Create New Template
- Choose template category:
- Marketing: Promotional content
- Transactional: Order/appointment updates
- OTP: One-time passwords
Template Components
Header (Optional):
- Text: Up to 60 characters
- Image: JPEG/PNG
- Video: MP4
- Document: PDF
Body (Required):
- Main message content
- Up to 1024 characters
- Support for variables:
{{1}},{{2}} - Formatting: bold, italic
Footer (Optional):
- Additional information
- Up to 60 characters
Buttons (Optional):
- Quick Reply: Pre-defined responses
- Call to Action: URL or phone number
- Up to 3 buttons per template
Template Best Practices
- Clear, concise messaging
- Proper variable placeholders
- Compliance with policies
- No promotional content in transactional templates
- Test before submission
Template Approval Process
- Submit template for review
- Facebook reviews (24-48 hours)
- Status updates:
- Pending: Under review
- Approved: Ready to use
- Rejected: Needs modification
- Edit and resubmit if rejected
Managing Templates
Template List View
- Template name and category
- Approval status
- Language versions
- Usage statistics
- Last modified date
Template Actions
- Edit: Modify draft templates
- Clone: Create variations
- Delete: Remove unused templates
- Translate: Add language versions
- Preview: See customer view
Sending WhatsApp Messages
Individual Messages
From Contact Profile
- Open contact record
- Click Send WhatsApp
- Choose:
- Template message
- Direct message (if 24-hour window open)
- Personalize variables
- Send or schedule
Message Composer
- Template selection
- Variable personalization
- Media attachments
- Preview before sending
- Delivery scheduling
Bulk WhatsApp Campaigns
Creating Campaigns
- Go to Campaigns > Create New
- Select WhatsApp as channel
- Choose audience segment
- Select approved template
- Personalize variables
- Schedule delivery
Campaign Features
- Audience segmentation
- A/B testing templates
- Scheduled delivery
- Time zone optimization
- Delivery reports
WhatsApp Automation
Trigger Types
- Form Submission: Auto-response
- Lead Status Change: Updates
- Appointment Booking: Confirmations
- Purchase Events: Order updates
- Custom Triggers: Business-specific
Automation Builder
- Create new automation
- Set trigger conditions
- Add WhatsApp action
- Select template
- Map variables
- Test and activate
WhatsApp Conversations
24-Hour Messaging Window
- Customer initiates: 24-hour window opens
- Business can send any message type
- Window extends with each customer response
- After 24 hours: Only templates allowed
Conversation Management
Conversation View
- Message thread display
- Customer information sidebar
- Quick actions toolbar
- Template shortcuts
- Media preview
Conversation Features
- Rich Media: Images, videos, documents
- Location Sharing: Maps integration
- Contact Cards: Share contact info
- Voice Messages: Audio recordings
- Read Receipts: Delivery confirmation
Team Collaboration
- Assign conversations to agents
- Internal notes on threads
- Conversation tags
- Transfer between teams
- Supervisor monitoring
WhatsApp Business Features
Business Profile
- Company information display
- Catalog integration
- Business hours
- Location details
- Website links
Quick Replies
Set up instant responses for:
- Greetings
- Away messages
- FAQs
- Common inquiries
- Business hours
Labels
Organize conversations with:
- Custom label creation
- Color coding
- Filter by labels
- Bulk labeling
- Label analytics
Media Handling
Supported Media Types
- Images: JPEG, PNG (5MB max)
- Videos: MP4, 3GPP (16MB max)
- Documents: PDF, DOC, XLS (100MB max)
- Audio: MP3, OGG, AMR (16MB max)
Media Management
- Automatic compression
- CDN delivery
- Preview generation
- Virus scanning
- Storage optimization
Compliance and Policies
WhatsApp Business Policy
- No spam or bulk messaging
- Respect opt-out requests
- Accurate business information
- Appropriate content only
- Template compliance
Opt-in Requirements
- Explicit consent needed
- Clear opt-in process
- Easy opt-out mechanism
- Consent documentation
- Regular list cleaning
Message Categories
- Utility: Transaction updates
- Authentication: Security codes
- Marketing: Promotional (requires explicit opt-in)
Analytics and Reporting
Message Analytics
- Sent, delivered, read rates
- Template performance
- Response rates
- Media engagement
- Click-through rates
Conversation Metrics
- Active conversations
- Response times
- Resolution rates
- Customer satisfaction
- Agent performance
Campaign Performance
- Reach and engagement
- Conversion tracking
- ROI analysis
- A/B test results
- Audience insights
Integration Features
CRM Integration
- Automatic contact syncing
- Conversation history in CRM
- Activity timeline updates
- Custom field mapping
- Workflow triggers
Marketing Automation
- Journey builder integration
- Lead scoring updates
- Behavior tracking
- Campaign attribution
- Cross-channel orchestration
Support System
- Ticket creation from WhatsApp
- Conversation context
- Agent handoff
- Knowledge base integration
- SLA tracking
Troubleshooting
Common Issues
Message Delivery Failures
- Check template approval
- Verify phone number format
- Confirm opt-in status
- Review account status
Template Rejections
- Review rejection reason
- Check policy compliance
- Remove promotional content
- Verify variable usage
Connection Problems
- Re-authenticate account
- Check API limits
- Verify webhook configuration
- Review error logs
Best Practices
Message Timing
- Respect time zones
- Business hours delivery
- Avoid late night messages
- Consider cultural factors
Content Strategy
- Value-driven messaging
- Personalization
- Clear call-to-action
- Mobile-optimized content
List Management
- Regular consent verification
- Engagement monitoring
- Inactive user cleaning
- Preference management
Advanced Features
WhatsApp Flows
- Interactive message flows
- Form collection in chat
- Appointment booking
- Survey deployment
- Lead qualification
Catalog Integration
- Product showcase
- In-chat shopping
- Inventory sync
- Order processing
- Payment integration
Multi-agent Support
- Team inbox
- Skill-based routing
- Workload distribution
- Performance tracking
- Quality monitoring
API and Webhooks
Webhook Events
- Message received
- Message delivered
- Message read
- Status updates
- Error notifications
API Capabilities
- Send messages
- Manage templates
- Upload media
- Download messages
- Update business profile
Rate Limits
- Business-initiated: Based on tier
- Customer-initiated: Unlimited
- Media uploads: Per-file limits
- API calls: Hourly limits