Connecting WhatsApp and email

Email: nothing to set up

Email works from the start. Emails go out with your business's name as the sender, and replies come back to the person who sent them. Check your Company name in Settings → Brand, because that's the name customers see. See Email.

WhatsApp: connect your number

Each business connects its own WhatsApp number through its own Meta app (Meta owns WhatsApp). It takes about 30 minutes, once. The same steps are in the app, on Settings → WhatsApp → Step-by-step guide.

1. Get your Meta business account ready

1. Go to business.facebook.com and sign in with the Facebook account that runs the business.
2. Create a business portfolio (or pick the one you have), with the business's real name and details.

2. Create your Meta app

1. Go to developers.facebook.com → My apps → Create app.
2. Choose the WhatsApp use case (or Other → Business), name the app and link it to your business portfolio.
3. In App settings → Basic, add a privacy policy URL, then switch App mode to Live. Apps left in development mode don't receive your customers' messages.

3. Add your WhatsApp number

1. In the app, open WhatsApp → API setup and choose Add phone number.
2. Enter the display name customers will see and your category, then verify the number with the code Meta sends.
3. Use a number that isn't on the WhatsApp or WhatsApp Business phone app. If it is, delete that account in the phone app first (Settings → Account → Delete account).
4. Copy the Phone number ID and the WhatsApp Business Account ID shown under the number.

4. Make a permanent access token

1. In business.facebook.com, open Settings → Users → System users → Add, and create an Admin system user.
2. Choose Assign assets: give it full control of your app and of your WhatsApp account.
3. Choose Generate new token, pick your app, set it to never expire, and tick whatsapp_business_messaging and whatsapp_business_management.
4. Copy the token straight away: Meta shows it once.

5. Copy your app secret

In developers.facebook.com, open your app → App settings → Basic → App secret → Show, and copy it.

6. Connect in the app

1. Go to Settings → WhatsApp.
2. Paste the Phone number ID, WhatsApp Business Account ID, Access token and App secret.
3. Click Connect WhatsApp.

7. Point your app's webhook to your business

1. After connecting, copy the Callback URL and Verify token shown on Settings → WhatsApp.
2. In your Meta app, open WhatsApp → Configuration → Webhook → Edit, paste both, and click Verify and save.
3. Under Webhook fields, subscribe to messages and message_template_status_update.

8. Add a payment method and check

1. In WhatsApp Manager (Meta Business Suite), add a payment method, so Meta can deliver template messages beyond its free allowance.
2. On Settings → WhatsApp, click Check connection. It checks the token, the number, the webhook and your templates with WhatsApp, and says what to fix.
3. Send a WhatsApp to your number from another phone, then click Check again. Everything should be green.

Get your first templates approved

WhatsApp only lets you start a conversation (or write after 24 hours of silence) with a template it has approved.

1. Go to Settings → Message templates and click New template.
2. Choose WhatsApp, write the message (for example a renewal reminder) and save it.
3. Open it and click Send to WhatsApp for approval. Most are checked within minutes.

See Message templates and WhatsApp.

Then let Duke answer

Once WhatsApp is connected, you can put Duke on duty to answer customers, starting with drafts that you send yourself. See Duke on duty.