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Overview

The WhatsApp channel connects a WhatsApp Business number to Autocampaign AI so customers can message you on WhatsApp. You can reply from the Inbox, send from workflows and sequences, or let an AI Employee answer. Connect it under Settings → Channels → WhatsApp (/settings/channels/whatsapp); manage templates under Templates → WhatsApp (/templates/whatsapp).
In short: 1) Connect your WhatsApp Business number through Meta. 2) Create message templates and get them approved. 3) Reply from the inbox, workflows, or AI Employees.
Time to complete: ~15–30 minutes to connect, plus Meta’s template review  ·  Difficulty: Intermediate  ·  You need to be an Owner or Admin, or ask an admin to give you permission to manage channels and WhatsApp templates.

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Before you start

  • A Meta Business account with a WhatsApp Business Account and a phone number registered to it. One connection (one number) per workspace.
  • Pop-ups allowed — the connection runs in a Meta window.

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Connect WhatsApp

Open the WhatsApp card

Go to Settings → Channels, find WhatsApp under Meta Platforms, and click Configure.

Connect with WhatsApp

Click Connect with WhatsApp. In the Meta window, sign in, choose the WhatsApp Business Account, and select the phone number. Finish within two minutes or the attempt times out.

Check the status page

You’ll see your business name, number, a health badge (Connected, Needs attention, or Disconnected), and a Manage WhatsApp templates link. Disconnect stops all sending and receiving.
Every incoming WhatsApp message opens a 24-hour customer-service window for that contact and records them as opted in to WhatsApp.
  • Window open — send free-form text (up to 4,096 characters) and media.
  • Window closed (no incoming message in the last 24 hours, or none ever) — only an approved template can be sent. That’s how you start or restart a conversation.
  • Opted out — a contact who replies with an opt-out keyword (for example STOP, as set under Settings → Opt-out) can’t be messaged on WhatsApp at all. That includes templates. Their STOP still appears in the thread.
A WhatsApp STOP doesn’t silence SMS (though an SMS opt-out also blocks WhatsApp). It also can’t be undone for now — there’s no switch on the contact record to opt them back in.

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Message templates

Templates are pre-written messages Meta reviews and approves. Open Templates → WhatsApp; the grid filters by All, Draft, Pending, Approved, and Rejected.

Purpose

Click Create template and pick a purpose: Appointment reminder, Order update, Welcome message, Follow-up (all Utility), Promotion (Marketing), or Other, where you choose the Meta category yourself. Only Marketing and Utility are offered.

Editor

Enter a Template name and Language code (default en_US), then write the Message body (up to 1,024 characters). Use Personalize to insert merge tags (placeholders that fill in each contact’s details) such as {{first_name}}; add a fallback with {{first_name|"there"}}. Optionally add a Header and Footer (60 characters each) and up to three Buttons — Quick reply or Website link. Merge tags work only in the body.

Review

Check the phone preview, then Save draft or Submit for review.
Statuses run Draft → Under review → Approved / Rejected; Meta can later mark a template Paused or Disabled. Only drafts and rejected templates (which show Meta’s reason) can be edited, then resubmitted. Click Sync status to pull the latest approval state. Built-in System templates can’t be edited — Clone to use copies one into your workspace; Duplicate copies your own.

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Reply and compose in the inbox

Incoming WhatsApp messages land in the Inbox on the contact’s WhatsApp channel tab; unknown numbers become a new contact named “Unknown”. Text, images, and documents arrive with captions; other types show a placeholder such as [Voice message]. While the window is open the composer shows You can reply normally. When it’s closed, click Choose a template, pick one, and click Send template. To start a conversation, open the inbox’s Message composer menu and choose WhatsApp (shown only when connected). In Compose WhatsApp, add up to 50 existing contacts under To, then write a Message or pick a Template. If any recipient’s window is closed the panel switches to template mode, and opted-out contacts are listed so you can Remove them. The WhatsApp quick action on a contact’s page or drawer opens the same composer.

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Workflows, sequences, and AI Employees

  • Send WhatsApp (workflows) and the WhatsApp step (sequences) send free-form text. Set If WhatsApp can’t message this contact right now to Skip this step or Send an approved template instead with a Fallback template.
  • Send WhatsApp Template / WhatsApp Template sends an approved template directly. You can’t publish while a step uses a template that isn’t approved yet.
  • Both steps respect quiet hours and skip contacts who opted out of WhatsApp.
  • AI Employees reply on WhatsApp with WhatsApp-style formatting. If the window closes before the reply goes out, the run is logged as skipped (WhatsApp window closed), not as an error. The AI never sends templates on its own.
WhatsApp isn’t a campaign channel yet — use sequences or workflows for automated WhatsApp sends.

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Check status and limits

Delivery shows as Sent or Delivered (read receipts count as delivered). Sends and templates count toward your plan’s allowances.

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FAQ

The 24-hour window has closed. Use Choose a template; a reply from the contact reopens the window.
No — WhatsApp compose accepts existing contacts only, because a new number has no consent state to check.

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Troubleshooting

Allow pop-ups, check the number belongs to the selected WhatsApp Business Account, and click Connect with WhatsApp again.
Names are unique per language in your workspace — rename it or change the Language code.
The contact opted out, or the window was closed and the step is set to Skip this step. Add a Fallback template to send instead.

Work the inbox

Reply to WhatsApp, SMS, and email conversations in one place.