General

You can connect your chatbot to your WhatsApp channel (WhatsApp Business Account) using our native integration feature.

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Note: The WhatsApp channel has more limitations compared to a widget-based chatbot due to Meta's constraints. These limitations are detailed below in the implementation section.

Setup

To add a WhatsApp channel to your chatbot:

1. Go to the Channels page under the “Integrate” menu and add a new user channel.
2. Select WhatsApp as the client channel and choose the language.
3. Follow the steps in the “Guidelines” and “Connection Setup” sections to configure your credentials (permanent token or temporary access token, phone number ID) and test your connection with WhatsApp.

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This setup is primarily done on the Meta platform. While programming is not required, a technical background is helpful to understand the documentation and setup process.

The "Connection test" ensures ViaSay can send messages to users via WhatsApp, but it does not confirm that ViaSay is receiving messages from users. If the bot is not responding correctly, check the steps related to the Webhook configuration.

Once completed, implement and test your chatbot according to the guidelines in the next section.

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Need Technical Support?

For assistance with WhatsApp integration, please email [email protected] . You can also refer to Meta's documentation: Learn how to create a permanent token .

Implementation

WhatsApp Limitations

While using the ViaSay chatbot on the WhatsApp channel, consider the following API limitations that restrict display capabilities:

• Text: Each message must be under 1024 characters. Links can be included in messages.
• Buttons: Maximum of 3 buttons, each less than 20 characters; can only be clicked once.
• Images: Displayed one at a time with a title; no carousel is possible.

These limitations affect the platform as follows:

• Bot messages are limited to 1024 characters.
• Quick replies and "go back" buttons are limited to a maximum of 3 per step, with text under 20 characters each.
• Web links are not supported.
• CSAT surveys are not supported and will not be displayed if added, without causing an error.

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Agent handover via Zendesk is not supported.

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Some links in text messages may not be clickable on certain iOS devices for clients without an "Official Business Account" due to WhatsApp limitations. Users should add the business phone number to their address book to initiate the conversation.

Testing the Chatbot

WhatsApp-specific limitations are not checked within the ViaSay platform, so no specific error messages are displayed in the Flow Builder, Advanced Builder, or the test widget.

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Testing with a Temporary Token and Phone Number

You can test your chatbot with either a temporary or permanent token and phone number, depending on the Meta platform setup. Temporary tokens and phone numbers allow quick testing but have limitations (24-hour validity and limited reach). Permanent tokens and numbers remove these limitations.

For best results, test the chatbot directly on WhatsApp to identify any issues related to WhatsApp limitations. If an interaction does not comply with WhatsApp-specific rules, the chatbot may:

• Not display the element (e.g., subtitles in a template).
• Display a standard error message: "Sorry, a technical error occurred: this bot message does not respect WhatsApp guidelines."

Sharing the Link with Your Users

WhatsApp provides a guide on how to create a link that directs users to your chatbot. Since the chatbot cannot initiate conversations, use this link to pre-fill a message that users can send. For example, if your chatbot is at +15550451352, the link could be: https://wa.me/15550451352?text=Hello bot . You can also create a personalized link in WhatsApp Manager.

WhatsApp Push

Once connected to your WhatsApp channel, you can send push messages (business-initiated messages) to users.

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The WhatsApp push block will only be visible if you have a connected channel.

The following API endpoint allows you to send a pre-configured template message as the first push message to a list of phone numbers, directing them to a specific use case

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Prerequisites for Using WhatsApp Push API:

• A connected WhatsApp user channel
• The name of the approved template message in your Meta Business Suite
• A list of prior opted-in phone numbers
• The UUID of the follow-up use case, if applicable

Template Message

A template message is the first push message in a business-initiated WhatsApp conversation. It must be approved by Meta before sending to users. Learn more about template messages on Meta . Approval typically takes 24 hours.

Accepted template types:

• Text-based
• Interactive CTA (call-to-action)
• Interactive QR (quick reply)

Refer to this article if you are unsure about the template message you created.

After the first push message, users can interact with the bot as configured on your WhatsApp channel.

Follow-Up Use Case

For interactive QR-type template messages, assign a Flow Builder follow-up use case by including the use case's UUID in the QR button's payload. Meta only allows 128 characters per QR button payload.

Find a use case's UUID here:

The follow-up use case will start from the first step after the start intent. Note that the "Go back" button in the first step will not work since the previous push message is sent via API, not from the use case. The general WhatsApp limitations mentioned above also apply here.

Push Conversations

Once push messages are sent, you can filter and search for conversations initiated by push messages on the Conversations page. Refer to the relevant documentation for more details.

Key points to remember:

• Only the template message's name will be displayed in the conversation details.
• After the first push message, users have 24 hours to reply or interact with the bot to be included in the initial conversation.
• Subsequent interactions after the first push message revert to the 15-minute conversation time frame rule.
• After 24 hours, any new user reply or interaction generates a new conversation.
• If there is no further user interaction after 24 hours, the initial push message remains in the original conversation.