Connecting WhatsApp Channels

Social Media Management offers full support for WhatsApp Business accounts. We provide an easy step-by-step flow to help you request a WhatsApp phone number and Business account that integrates with Engage. Furthermore, we maintain end-to-end encryption and General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) compliance.


Requesting a WhatsApp number and WhatsApp Business account

Connecting WhatsApp to Social Media Management requires a WhatsApp Business account (WABA) and an approved WhatsApp phone number. Both can be easily requested from within the Social Media Management platform. Before following the step-by-step instructions provided in this article, we recommend that you review the requirements for getting your number and your WABA requests approved by WhatsApp.

Warning:

If you have used the same phone number with another third-party tool like Social Media Management, please make sure the number is completely disconnected from that tool before you initiate the request process through Social Media Management.

Tip:

Once you register a phone number with a WABA, it is possible to migrate that phone number to another WABA in future under certain conditions. Please refer to Meta's help center article on migrating a phone number to a different WABA to learn more.

WhatsApp Business account requirements

A WhatsApp Business account (WABA) is registered to a Facebook Business Manager. Therefore, you need an existing Facebook Business Manager account before you can start a request for a WABA.

Note:

You need to be an Admin in the Facebook Business Manager account in order to request a WhatsApp Business account.

WhatsApp phone number requirements

WhatsApp has some requirements for the type of phone number that can be used. There are also certain requirements for what the display name of your number can be. We recommend reviewing WhatsApp's articles on picking a phone number and a display name, as well as their Commerce Policy.

Request a number and WABA

Please follow the below instructions for requesting a WhatsApp number and attaching it to a WhatsApp Business account (WABA):

  1. In Social Media Management's left-hand navigation sidebar, click the Manage settings (gear) icon and select Channel admin.Screenshot 2023-05-03 at 9.58.31 AM.png
  2. Click Add Channels in the top right.Screenshot 2023-08-07 at 11.17.42 AM.png
  3. Choose Connect under WhatsApp.Screenshot 2023-08-09 at 3.18.38 PM.png
  4. Click Continue to create a request for a WhatsApp Business account (WABA). If you have one or more WhatsApp numbers already connected to Social Media Management, you can add additional phone numbers by clicking Request New and continue with the below steps.
  5. Provide a phone number and a display name for the WhatsApp account that you'd like to use for messaging. Click Continue.

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  6. Choose either an existing WhatsApp Business account to connect your number to or create a new Business account.

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  7. If you choose to create a new Business account, enter your Facebook Business Manager ID that the WABA should be associated with. Also, add a name for your WABA. Then click Create Account.
  8. Your request for a number (and optionally a Business account) will be sent to WhatsApp for approval. You will receive an email once there is an update for your request. Choosing to add another phone number will initiate the request flow from the start again.
  9. In the meantime, you will receive an On Behalf Of (OBO) request in your Facebook Business Manager account. It asks for approval for Social Media Management to post on your behalf to your WhatsApp account. Log into your Facebook Business Manager and navigate to Business Settings > Requests > Received, and approve the request there.
  10. If your Facebook Business Manager account is not verified yet, you can also start the required verification while you wait for an update on your WhatsApp request. You can learn more about the verification process via Facebook's help center.

After you've requested your WhatsApp number and/or WABA, and after you've approved the OBO request and verified your BM, WhatsApp will process the request. This takes at least 4 business days, and up to 10. You will be notified per email about any updates we receive from WhatsApp. In the email, you'll find instructions on further actions required. 


WhatsApp request responses

If you requested a new WABA, WhatsApp will process it separately from your phone number request. Since these requests are handled separately, they can also get a response at separate times. Only when both requests are approved, can you establish the connection between your WhatsApp channel and Social Media Management.

In the meantime, you can always check on the status of your requests. In Social Media Management, navigate to Channel admin > Channels followed by the WhatsApp Requests tab from the top left.

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Request statuses

There are four possible statuses for your number requests and your WABA requests:

Approved
Your request was approved by WhatsApp. If both your number and WABA are approved, you can go ahead and connect your WhatsApp Channel to Social Media Management.
Pending
Your request is pending approval by WhatsApp. This takes at least 24 hours, and up to a few days.
Action required
WhatsApp has approved your requests. The On Behalf Of request in your Facebook Business Manager needs to be approved by you. Log into your Facebook Business Manager and navigate to Business Settings > Requests > Received, and approve the request.
Rejected
Your requests can be rejected for various reasons. Your business might be related to alcohol, drugs, or betting. Your WhatsApp name might be rejected for using all-caps or including abbreviations, among other reasons. Review the WhatsApp phone number requirements and their Commerce Policy, and adjust your request accordingly before retrying.

Connecting an approved WhatsApp channel to Social Media Management

Once you have both your WhatsApp Business account and phone number approved, you can now complete the connection process and start using your WhatsApp number in Social Media Management.

Note:

If you need to reconnect a WhatsApp channel, follow the steps in our Reconnecting Channels article.

  1. In Social Media Management's left-hand navigation sidebar, click the Manage settings (gear) icon and select Channel admin.Screenshot 2023-05-03 at 9.58.31 AM.png
  2. Click Add Channels in the top right.Screenshot 2023-08-07 at 11.17.42 AM.png
  3. Choose Connect under WhatsApp.Screenshot 2023-08-09 at 3.18.38 PM.png
  4. Select the WhatsApp number that you want to connect and click Connect. If you won't be able to receive text messages on the phone number, you can choose the option to receive a call. If you can also not receive calls, please contact the Social Media Management Support team.

    screenshot-app.falcon.io-2020.06.12-11_24_27.png
  5. You will receive a text message on the WhatsApp number you selected. Retrieve the four-digit code from the SMS message and enter it in Social Media Management. Click Verify Number. Next, click Continue when you've verified the account. 
  6. From your list of teams in Social Media Management, select one or more teams to add your channel to.Screenshot 2023-10-24 at 11.04.40 AM.png

    Note:

    You must select at least one team to add your channel to. Please visit our Managing Teams article for instructions on setting up a team in your organization.

  7. Click Finish.

Your WhatsApp channel will now be connected to Social Media Management and you're ready to start handling WhatsApp content in Engage.


Sharing your WhatsApp number with your customers

Now that your WhatsApp number is up and running, you can start driving the adoption of your new service channel.

The best way to spread the availability of your number is to make it available on your contact page as a Click to Chat link. Doing so allows your customers to simply click the phone number you've listed and instantly open a WhatsApp conversation with your customer service team. Learn more about creating a Click to Chat link via WhatsApp's help center.

Alternatively, you can also create a clickable WhatsApp button by inserting a code snippet into your website. Inserting the following code will generate the button shown below:

<div class="wa-message-us" number="15551234567"> <script src="https://cdn.smooch.io/whatsapp/message-us-btn.min.js" type="text/javascript"> </script> </div>

whatsapp_btn_green.png

Be sure to replace the number attribute value with your own WhatsApp number. Other attributes can be added to the <div> element as html attributes, to further customize the button.

Attributes Default value Description
class “wa-message-us” Required This value must be included as it is needed to generate your custom button.
number n/a Required This is your WhatsApp Business number without spaces, dashes or special characters .
label “Message Us on WhatsApp” Optional You can customize the button label.
pre_filled_message   n/a Optional This is the text that is prefilled in the user’s chat input when WhatsApp opens.
color "green" Optional You can set your preferred button color. Choose between white, green, and teal.
size "standard" Optional You can set your preferred button size. Choose between compact and standard.
border_radius "4px" Optional Set the border-radius of the button. You will need to include the unit as well, either px or %.

Below is an example of a customized button script snippet, and the resulting button:

<div class="wa-message-us" number="15555555555" label="Contact Us" pre_filled_message="I need help" color="green" size="compact" border_radius="20px"> <script src="https://cdn.smooch.io/whatsapp/message-us-btn.min.js" type="text/javascript"> </script> </div>

screenshot-docs.smooch.io-2019.11.20-13_48_24.png


FAQs and troubleshooting

Why has my request been rejected?
Your requests can be rejected for various reasons. Your business might be related to alcohol, drugs, or betting. Your WhatsApp name might be rejected for using all-caps or including abbreviations, among other reasons. Review the WhatsApp phone number requirements and their Commerce Policy, and adjust your request accordingly before retrying.
After the Social Media Management integration, can I use my number in WhatsApp on my phone?
No, WhatsApp does not allow usage of your number in the WhatsApp mobile app after it has been added as a business number in a WhatsApp Business account.
What if I already have a WhatsApp number in use?

If you are already using a non-business WhatsApp number for your business, you can switch it to a WhatsApp Business account through Social Media Management. Simply follow the normal flow described in this article and provide your current WhatsApp number when asked which number you'd like to use.

When your WABA and number get approved, please reach out to the Social Media Management Support team to coordinate the number switch from your personal account to your business account.

What if I already use WhatsApp Business?
If you already use a WhatsApp Business account and number, they will show as approved in Social Media Management. You can choose to connect your WhatsApp number as described in the last few steps of this article.
What if I already use a WhatsApp Business account, but don't have an approved number yet?
You can start the flow described in this article and request your preferred number. Your existing WABA can be chosen to connect your new number to.
Does Social Media Management ensure end-to-end encryption?
Yes, Social Media Management provides full end-to-end encryption and is GDPR compliant with servers in the EU.
Can I add multiple WhatsApp numbers to one WhatsApp Business account?
Yes, you can request multiple numbers and add them to one WABA. For example, you can create separate numbers for your local markets, and add them to a Business account.

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