● The prerequisite to apply for WhatsApp Business API
● Apply for WhatsApp Business API
● Restrictions on some companies on applying WhatsApp Business API
● Get Facebook Business Manager ID verified
● Is the "Start Verification" button inactive?
● Get the Facebook Business Manager ID verified
● Facebook Business Manager and how to create one?
There are majorly 2 requirements to apply for WhatsApp Business API apart from the Business Registration:
1. Verified Facebook Business Manager ID. This isn't a necessary prerequisite anymore but without a verified Facebook Business Manager, you will have limited access to WhatsApp Business API. To enjoy unrestricted access, get your FB Business manager Verified.
2. A proper Business Website with all your Business details.
3. A fresh phone number on which WhatsApp Business API will be procured. Fresh Number implies that the number shouldn’t be registered on any WhatsApp at the moment.
There is an application form for WhatsApp Business API. One just needs to fill that on behalf of the company. This includes basic details of the Business and some specific entries related to the WhatsApp Business API.
Yes, there are some companies that are restricted to procure the WhatsApp Business API. These are essentially those companies that deal in illegal products & services, unsafe indigestible supplements, alcohol etc.
Check the complete document in WhatsApp Legal Commerce Policy here.
PRE - REQUISITES
Pre-requisites for getting WhatsApp business API
1. Facebook Business Manager (Verified Recommended)
3. Number (A fresh number should not be registered over WhatsApp application/business Application, Should be available for OTP)
Step 4: Facebook business manager (Verified)
1. Any Legal doc (Like GST, Bank statements)
Video to verify Facebook Business manager
Website should be up & working:
1) Domain + Email id with same domain
2) A website with the domain, and website should have
- Business name in header and GST registered business name in footer
- Terms & Conditions *
- Privacy Policy *
- Social Media (Fb, Instagram, LinkedIn, telegram links)
- Contact us details (Email id, Phone number, Office Location)
Here are the steps to get the Facebook Business Manager ID verified:
1. Log in to the FB account which has admin access to the Facebook Business Manager account.
2. Visit this link and select the Business Manager (in case you have multiple Business Managers) which has the company’s page.
3. Click on the “Start Verification” button under the Business Verification section and complete the verification process by providing details of the company.
4. All the details that will be filled in this form are not at all related to the WhatsApp Business API. It’s just for the Facebook Business Manager. They both are mutually exclusive.
Check the step-by-step guide to get your Facebook Business Manager Verification done.
Note: If the “Start Verification” button is not active, jump on to the next question!
Many customers face the issue where the 'Start Verification' Button does not show or isn't visible.
This generally happens as you haven't completely submitted your Business details to Facebook Business Manager.
Here are the steps to activate the “Start Verification” button:
1. Create an app for the Facebook Business Manager. Go to this link and select “Get Started” or “My Apps” from the menu bar.
2. Create an app by clicking on the “Create App” button.
3. Once done, go back to the verification page and refresh. This will activate the “Start Verification” button.
Check out how to enable the Start Verification Button in case it isn't showing/ isn't visible during the Facebook Business Manager Verification process.
It usually takes 1-3 days to get the Facebook Business Manager ID-verified. If there is some problem in the application form then Facebook updates you regarding that so you can correct it. Facebook usually matches the company details & documents with the company presence on Facebook and Google.
Facebook Business Manager is a tool that allows you to manage multiple Facebook Pages, business assets and ad accounts, as well as Instagram accounts and product catalogues, in one place.
Visit this link to create a Facebook Business Manager Account.
How to Apply for WhatsApp business API
1. In partner dashboard go to Projects>Setup>Embedded SignUp URL (share it to the customer or spoc who has Facebook business manager account access)
● Click on the “Continue with Facebook” button to start the application process of WhatsApp Business API procurement.
● Make sure you have admin access of the Facebook Business Manager account to continue with the application.
*Note - Make sure to get your Facebook Business Manager Account verified to get complete access to WhatsApp Business API. You can get it verified simultaneously while applying for WhatsApp Business API or even after procuring the WhatsApp Business API.
2. Click 'Get started'
Clicking the button will redirect you to the Meta window where you can apply for WhatsApp Business API.
Click on the 'Get started' button to start filling out the WhatsApp Business API procurement application.
3. Connect your Facebook account with Dashboard
On the next screen, read the permissions shared & click 'Continue' to connect your Facebook account with the dashboard.
9. Select your Facebook Business Manager Account
Next, select your Facebook Business Account which you wish to be associated with your WhatsApp Business API Account.
After selecting the one, click 'Continue'.
In the next step, you'll need to create a new WhatsApp Business Account or set up an existing business account.
*Note - This is not the Display Name you need for your WhatsApp Business API that will be visible to the end users. This is just the name of your WhatsApp Business Account created inside the FB Business Manager.
To create a new Business account, add your Business name & Timezone and press 'Continue'.
13. Create a WhatsApp Business Profile
WhatsApp Display name is the name that will be visible to your users. If your Display Name is different from the Legal Name of the company, you can provide a relevant business website to proceed ahead and establish the relationship between both.
There are specific rules you must follow to create this Display Name which you want to be display.
14. Choose the Category & add the Business Description
Pick the category most relevant for your business & add a suitable description (optional) that will be visible to customers when they click your profile button. The description can be added/changed anytime in future as well.
Once you do this, continue to the final step of your WhatsApp Business API application.
15. Verify your WhatsApp Business Number
Last, you need to enter the Phone Number on which you need to get the WhatsApp Business API. Make sure the number is connected and able to receive code via SMS or Voice for verification.
After adding your number, press 'Send Code'.
Finally, add the code you receive & press 'Submit'.
16. Click on Okay, and it is done!
Your API is now LIVE
Are international Phone Numbers accepted for WhatsApp Business API?
Can I change the phone number anytime for my WhatsApp Business API?
Can I register the WhatsApp Business API number on the WhatsApp Apps?
Can the API number be used for normal functionalities?
Can I use multiple WhatsApp Business API clients on a single phone number?
Can 1-800 and toll-free numbers be used for WhatsApp Business API?
What are the phone number rules for Whatsapp Business API?
Are international Phone Numbers accepted for WhatsApp Business API?
Can I change the phone number anytime for my WhatsApp Business API?
Can I register the WhatsApp Business API number on the WhatsApp Apps?
Can the API number be used for normal functionalities?
Can I use multiple WhatsApp Business API client on a single phone number?
Can 1-800 and toll-free numbers be used for WhatsApp Business API?
Yes. The phone number could be of any country given that Facebook allows WhatsApp Business API to work in those countries. The countries that WhatsApp excludes from communicating are Crimea (+7978), Cuba (+53), Iran (+98), North Korea (+850) and Syria (+963).
WhatsApp does not allow businesses in these countries to take advantage of WhatsApp Business API. Likewise, WhatsApp end-users with numbers from these countries will not be able to send or receive messages from businesses on WhatsApp. This restriction is based on the user’s WhatsApp number, not their current location.
No. Once a number is registered on WhatsApp Business API, that number can’t be changed. You’ll have to apply for a new WhatsApp Business API if you need to change the number.
No, the number which is active on WhatsApp Business API can not be registered on WhatsApp Apps. Also, if a number is already registered on WhatsApp Apps and you want to get the WhatsApp Business API on the same number, then the WhatsApp account must be deleted from that number. Deleting the app is not mandatory, the account must be deleted.
Here is How you can Delete your Whatsapp Business App before Applying for the API:
1. Open WhatsApp
2. Tap More Options (three dots) > Settings > Account > Delete My Account
3. Enter your phone number in full international format and tap DELETE MY ACCOUNT
4. Select a reason for why you’re deleting your account in the dropdown
5. Tap DELETE MY ACCOUNT
Yes, the number can be used for making calls, sending and receiving SMS etc. It’s only that WhatsApp Apps can not be registered on this number.
No, a single number can get access to a single WhatsApp Business API client only. The company can procure multiple WhatsApp Business API clients in the name of different departments within the company such as Finance, Procurement, Sales, Customer Support etc. on different phone numbers.
These types of numbers are usually behind an Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system, which a WhatsApp registration call cannot navigate. Instead, WhatsApp is able to share with you 1 to 2 phone numbers that the registration phone call will come from.
You can use this information to create an allow list for those numbers so that you can redirect the registration call to an employee or mailbox where the registration code will be captured.
If creating an exception in your IVR tree is something that you can do, add the phone number to your WhatsApp business account and open a Direct Support ticket asking for the registration call phone numbers and stating the phone number you are trying to register in the ticket.
Wish to send a WhatsApp Broadcast but don't know how? You're at the right place.In this tutorial, we'll tell you the step-by-step process to Broadcast messages on WhatsApp
1. In Dashboard, click 'Manage'
To send a WhatsApp Broadcast, you first need to approve a Template message from WhatsApp since you can only send pre-approved template messages to users. So, go to Dashboard & click Manage to create a new template message.
2. Click '+New' to create a Template Message
Click the +New button to create a New template message.
3. Fill in the required fields to create a Template message
Here, you must fill in the necessary fields including Template Category, Template name, type of message, message format, CTA buttons (optional) & template language.
We've already covered this in detail in this Template message guide. Check it out!
4. Submit your WhatsApp Template for approval
Created your Template message? Great!
After filling in the required fields, Submit the template message for approval.
5. In Template Message, go to 'Approved' & click 'Sync Status'
To verify the approval status of your submitted Template message, go to the Approved section in the Template message & click Sync Status.
Please note that it might take some seconds to some hours to get the template messages approved as they are subjected to WhatsApp’s approval.
6. Go to the Contacts Page & click 'Import'
After getting your template approved, you need to import your contacts using a .csv format.
On the Contacts page & click Import to add your contacts.
8. Now, go to Sheets & add the Contacts you wish to Import to
The easiest way to upload your contacts is to add them to a spreadsheet document and then import them in a .csv format.
Add a tag attribute to the contacts so that you can easily filter & find the latest contacts among a sea of contacts whom you wish to Broadcast.
9. Download in .csv format
After adding the contacts, click File at the top right corner & Download the file in .csv format as shown in the below image.
7. Upload .csv File (create it from Sheets)
Now, come back to the app & click Upload File to add the .csv file you just created.
10. Map to Attributes
Next, you need to map the contacts to particular attributes you wish to import. In the above file, we added three attributes: Name, Mobile Phone & Tag. Map these attributes to import the contacts successfully.
Note: Mapping the wrong attribute might lead to the failure of the import process. So, kindly do this carefully.
11. Now, segregate the Contacts by clicking 'Filter'
Once you have imported your contacts, you can filter them by selecting who you want to send a WhatsApp Broadcast.
Click the Filter button to filter the contacts you wish to Broadcast.
12. Select the attribute of contacts you wish to Broadcast
In this step, apply the filter that will segregate your contacts. There are multiple filters available like a user's last seen, created at, Opted in, Incoming blocked & attributes using which you can smartly filter your contacts.
13. Select your preferred attribute, like a tag
Since we added a common tag to each imported contact, we'll use the attribute Tags to select our added contacts.
14. After picking the Attribute, click 'Apply'
After selecting the tag (which in this case was leads which we added to the contacts in our Sheet file), click Apply to view the contacts that contain the tag Leads.
15. Select the Contacts & click 'Broadcast'
As you can see, all 19 contacts which we added now show on the contacts page.
Select all contacts & click on Broadcast to create a new Broadcast campaign.
Note: If you're worried about whether the filter is applied or not, verify whether there's a dot above the filter button as shown in the below image.
16. Add the Campaign name & select your pre-approved Template message
Here, add your Campaign name (Campaign name should be unique for every campaign) & select your pre-approved template message.
17. Add Parameter values & Media file
Parameters are exact values that will replace the variable parameters (i.e., there need to be 2 brackets on the left and 2 on the right of the variable).
The users will receive the message with these values.
You can also personalise by sending messages with the user's first name by using attributes like $FirstName. Check out how to add attributes like $FirstName, $Email, $Country & more in a single click.
18. Verify your Campaign & Click 'Send Now'
Last, verify your WhatsApp Broadcast Campaign & click Send Now to share the Broadcast with users.
Additionally, you can also Schedule your WhatsApp Broadcasts (Pro plan feature) for up to two months in future.
19. Track the Analytics by going to Campaigns Page
After the campaign is sent, click Go to Campaign to verify your Campaign analytics.
This will help you track how your campaigns are performing and make any changes if required.
20. Track Campaign Analytics seamlessly
This is the Campaign analytics where you can view analytics for the number of messages that have been Sent, delivered, read, clicked (Pro plan feature), replied & failed.
You can further Retarget users based on these filters for 7x higher conversions.
The Platform gives you an option to import the lead data of the users that you have generated till now on Whatsapp.
Table of Contents
● How to import the contact details of the users in the CRM/Contacts Page?
● What is the format of the CSV file which needs to be uploaded on the Contacts Page?
● How to Export the data and in which format it will be exported?
● Can I export the data of a certain group of users?
● What if I import a contact that already exists on the Contacts Page?
● Can I change the values of the fields from the Contacts Page?
● How to view Contact History?
● How to download the contacts list from Alendei?
The Platform gives you an option to import the lead data of the users that you have generated till now through various sources such as Ads, Organic Lead Generation etc. which are not on WhatsApp.
Note: For Indian numbers, you don't need to enter the country code. However, for numbers outside India, you must enter the country code along with the '+' prefix before each country code.
Here’s the stepwise process to import the contacts:
Step 1: Click on the “Import” button which is placed on the top right corner of the Contacts Page adjacent to the “Export” button.
Step 2: A window will open after clicking on the Import Button where you need to upload the contacts file. Click on “Upload File” and select the file from your system. The format of the file should be .csv
Step 3: After uploading the required file, you’ll have to map the attributes with the column entries of the .csv file.
On the left side, there would be the Column Headings of the .csv file. On the right, there would be the attributes of your app Contacts Page.
For example, “Name” will be mapped to “user name”, “Mobile Number” will be mapped to “phone number” and so on and so forth.
Step 4: Once every entry is mapped, the final step is to click on the “Import” button placed at the bottom right of the page and all your contact details of users will get imported.
While uploading the CSV file of the contacts, some fields are automatically created in the Contacts Page and other needs to be mapped manually which has a specific format.
Fields that are automatically created and don’t need to be in the CSV file-
1. Source: This field shows the source of contact creation. For example, “IMPORT” for imported contacts, “ORGANIC” for contacts created when the user initiated its first conversation with the WhatsApp Business API number, “API” for the contacts created through API campaigns and so on so forth.
2. Status: This field simply shows whether the user is ACTIVE (in 24 hours window) or INACTIVE.
3. State: This field shows the current state of the user. For example, “Intervened” if the chat is intervened, “Requesting” in case the user is waiting to get intervened, “Closed” if the query is resolved by the Agent and ticket is closed and “Handled by Assistant” if the WhatsApp Chatbot is handling the chat completely.
4. Last Active: This field shows the Date and Time of the last message sent by the user.
5. Created At: This field shows the Date and Time when the user contact was first created in the Dashboard.
Fields that need to be entered manually in the CSV file and their format-
1. Name: This field is simply the user name of the user. It has the standard Name format. The Name Attribute in the dynamic broadcast messages is fetched from this field such as $FirstName, $Name or $LastName.
Example-
Name: John Doe
$Name: John Doe
$FirstName:John
$LastName: Doe
*The Name field is mandatory to upload a CSV file.
2. Mobile Number: The field contains the WhatsApp Mobile Number of the user. The format of the Phone Number is-
For INDIAN Phone Numbers: It’s just the 10 digits mobile number or with 91 (the country code) or +91. All of them are valid.
Example- 9876543452 or 919876543452 or +919876543452
For NON-INDIAN Phone Numbers: The Phone number should have the country code with the '+' sign as the prefix.
Example- +15417543010 (For USA) or +61412345678 (For Australia) and so on and so forth for other countries.
Note: If a phone number is entered without a country code and + sign, the Platform considers it as an India Phone Number and automatically adds 91 as the prefix.
*The Phone Number field is mandatory to upload a CSV file.
3. Tags: Various tags can be assigned to the users based on lead qualification, current state, specific stages and many other parameters.
If a single needs to be assigned to a contact, just write the tag name exactly as mentioned in the Platform. In case multiple tags are assigned to a contact, then the tags should be separated by a “|”.
Example- Let’s suppose there are multiple tags in the education sector namely MBA, Marketing and Finance. Now, if you want to allot a single tag, then simply write the tag name against the contact. E.g. Contact name: 'tag Name'
But, in case you want to assign multiple tags to the same contact, you need to add '|' this divider. By adding this divider, you can allot as many as 100 tags to a single contact. E.g. Contact Name: 'Tag 1'| 'tag 2'| 'Tag 3| and so on..
The format of the tags will be:
Contact 1: MBA
Contact 2: MBA | Finance
Contact 3: Marketing | Finance | MBA
Note: Make sure the Tags which need to be uploaded with contacts must be created beforehand in the Tags Section of the Platform otherwise the Tags won’t be assigned to the users.
Also, the Tags field will remain empty in case you don’t put any value or even don’t have the Tags header in the CSV file.
4. Source: The Source field is the Source Name of the Lead generated. But since it is customisable and can be changed as per the will of the business while uploading, it can be used for specific intents of actions planned through the Platform.
The format is quite simple, just write the Source Name in the CSV file and it will be replicated in the Contacts Page.
The Source Field in the Contacts Page also gets mapped automatically such as “API” if the contact is created through the API campaign, “Organic” in case the user creation is done organically when a new user sends an incoming message and “Imported” if the CSV file is being imported without the Source Field.
Note: The Source field will remain empty in case you don’t put any value or even don’t have the Source header in the CSV file.
5. First Message: This is a Tag automatically assigned to the users on the basis of their first message. The format of this field is exactly the same as that of the Tags field. The only difference is that it can’t have multiple values, it is singular.
Now you must be wondering about how to configure the First Message Tag? We have the guide ready for you. Check out how to configure the First message Tag.
Note: The First Message field will remain empty in case you don’t put any value or even don’t have the First Message header in the CSV file.
6. $Custom_Attribute: This field contains some data points or qualification parameters or attributes of each user.
These attributes are used to filter down the contacts on certain interest points in order to send them targeted WhatsApp Broadcast campaigns.
These can be automatically collected in the form of questions from the users using a chatbot or can be manually uploaded while importing the contacts.
To create these Attributes fields in the Contacts Page, go to “User Attributes” in the “Manager” section of the Platform.
Note: The $Custom_Attribute field will remain empty in case you don’t put any value or even don’t have the $Custom_Attribute header in the CSV file.
Example-
Please refer to the above image as the standard format of the CSV file. The First Message Tag field is empty for Mohit Dua, it simply means this field will be empty in the contacts page as well after importing.
The headers City, email and State are the Custom Attributes. Also, the mobile number is written with the country code and a + sign.
All the other fields which are not in the CSV file will be updated automatically or will remain empty according to the field’s property.
On the Contacts Page, there is a Dropdown button named 'Actions' beside the Import Button. In the dropdown, you'll find the 'Export' button. By clicking on the button, all the contacts on the page get exported in a CSV file.
In case you need to export some specific contacts, you can simply segregate them using the filter option and get them exported in a CSV file.
Yes, you can export the data of a certain group of users.
Just filter down the audience on the basis of various attributes such as Campaigns, Tags, Name, Created At, etc. you want to export and click on the Export Button to get the data in the CSV file.
If you import a contact that already exists on the Contacts Page of the Platform then the contact gets updated with the new values imported through the CSV file.
No. The values of the fields can not be changed from the Contacts Page. In case you need to change some specific values of a particular contact, then you can import that contact with new values in a CSV file. Only Tags can be updated from the Contacts Page.
You can view the Contact History & verify whether each of your contacts was imported successfully or not.
Click the button 'View History' to view the list of all contacts added to the Alendei.
Clicking the "View History" button will load a window as shown in the image on the left. There you can see the number of contacts added, contacts updated or contacts that could not be added.
The Contacts that are already added and you have again added them with updated attributes will show under 'Contacts Updated'. For updated contacts, chats won't be deleted!
To know the reason for message failure, download the report & view the reason for failure.
How to use Live Chat Panel in Alendei?
An overview of the Live Chat Page in Alendei. Live Chat Page is the one-stop destination to receive & respond to all WhatsApp Chats. The Chats are organized in three sections: Active, Requested & Intervened Chats.
This tutorial is all about how to optimally use the Live Chat Panel.
Let's get started with understanding the different types of Chats:
Active Chats
All the chats that are been done by the WhatsApp chatbot come under Active Chats in the platform.
The chats here mean they don’t require any human agent intervention as they are perfectly handled by the chatbot itself.
Also, if any new user initiates a chat with the business or replies to a message, the chat appears under the Active Chat section.
Whenever there is a query that the chatbot isn’t able to solve or if they want to speak to a human agent, the chat goes from Active Chats to Requesting Chats.
All the chats in this section basically mean they are waiting and need human agent intervention to get their unresolved query solved.
Also, all these requesting chats come on the top bar as well so that it is instantaneously seen by the agents. The chatbot is still active and running in Requesting Chats.
Once the Requesting Chats are intervened, they go from Requesting Column to Intervened Column.
Here, the chatbot is no more active and it has become a pure Live Chat system. The Agents can reply to the user’s query and once they are done, they just need to click on the ‘Resolve’ button on the top to transfer the chat again to the chatbot.
This brings the chat back to the Active column. Similar to Requesting Chats, Intervened Chats also stays in the top bar as well.
1. A user sends you a text on WhatsApp
Whenever a customer messages you, the chat transfers to Active Chat. In Active Chat, the WhatsApp Chatbot handles all customer queries.
The Chatbot instantly replies with an automated text. If the user isn't satisfied with the answer, they can request intervention after which the chat goes to the intervened state.
2. User asks for Intervention
When a user requests 'Intervention', this means that they want to talk to your Live Chat Agent to resolve their query.If you already have a Live Chat Agent Active on Dashboard, they can intervene the Chat by clicking on the 'Intervene' Button.
3. Live Chat Agent Intervenes the Chat
Upon Intervention, your user & Live Chat Agent can talk in real-time. This enables your agent to provide answers to the user's query!
4. Click 'Resolve' upon completion of the query
The agent that intervenes in the chat is the only one who can view the Chat. So, upon successfully resolving a query, ask your agent to click the 'Resolve' button so that the chat is visible to everyone.
24 hours after the last conversation with the user, the chat will go to History Page.
5. Add/ Edit User Attributes
So, your agent successfully answered the user's query. But, while answering the query, they discovered that the user's email id had changed & wanted to save the new email ID.
The attributes section in the User Profile allows your agent to update the user's Email ID in the User Profile.
6. Adding/ Editing Tags
There are 2 Types of Tags: Automated & Manual Tags.
Automated tags include "First Message Tag", "API Tags", and "Broadcast Tags".
Manual Tags are added by you or your live chat agents. Assigning tags to users is really simple. First, configure all the tags that are relevant to your use case from Tags Category in Manage Section.
Next, your agents can click the drop-down button as shown in the image on the left & manually allot the tag to a particular user.
7. Monitoring a user's Customer Journey
Customer journey keeps a track of all the events exchanged between the Agent and the User.
For example, which Agent intervened in the chat, which agent added which tag, what all campaigns have been sent to the user and so on and so forth.
Moreover, the date and time of each event are also mapped.
Customer Journey gives you a proper idea of a user's intent & helps you send them better campaigns & template messages that lead to conversions.
FAQs
Q. What is the Chat Profile?
The chat profile contains all the parameters of the user interaction with the business.
Also, it maps all the events triggered by the business to qualify the user according to their interests which are used for sending personalized and targeted campaigns to the users in future.
The chat profile includes Basic Parameters, Campaigns, Attributes, Tags and Customer Journey.
Q. What are Tags and how to assign them?
Tags are the qualifying parameters that agents can assign to the users on the basis of their interaction with the business.
There are automated tags along with manual tags that agents can assign. Automated Tags include First Message Tags, API Tags and Broadcast Tags.
Assigning tags to users is really simple. First, configure all the tags that are relevant to your use case from Tags Category in Manage Section.
Once they are defined, the Agent needs to click on the drop-down option and select any of the pre-defined tags which he needs to assign to the user. The last step is to just click on the “Add” button.
Also, if the Agent wants to add a new tag that isn’t pre-defined already, a new tag can be created and added from the Tag section itself from the chat profile.
Q. What is the attributes section?
Attributes define user traits that help you differentiate them from others. These include email, country, gender, age etc.
This has all the attributes parameters of the users collected automatically via a chatbot in a conversational manner. The attributes are considered as the qualification parameters of the users.
Moreover, according to these attributes, the WhatsApp chatbot will suggest to the users some products or courses according to different use cases.
Q How to create new tags?
New tags can be created from the Tags Category in Manage Section or from the Tag Window itself in the User Profile
What all chats go to the History Page? All the users that become Inactive go to the History Page
Table of Contents
● What all chats go to the History Page?
● Can the Agents intervene the chats in the History Page?
● How do I initiate a chat with the users in the History Page?
● If a user in History Page initiates a conversation, will it remain in the History Page?
All the users that become Inactive go to the History Page. A user becomes inactive if it doesn’t reply for straight 24 hours. For example, a user sent the last message today at 7:30 PM IST. Now, if the user doesn’t reply till 7:30 PM tomorrow, the user becomes inactive and goes to the History Page.
The Agents can only intervene in the chats of the Active Users. Since all the users/chats in the History Page are Inactive, the Agents can not intervene. WhatsApp has provided a 24 hours window for businesses to interact with the users. Once it is over, the business can not intervene in the chat. This is done to protect the privacy of the users and also to avoid spamming.
The business can only initiate the chat with an Inactive user via a Template Message and these Template messages have to be pre-approved by WhatsApp itself. Hence, these messages can not be promotional in nature to avoid spamming users. Once the user replies to that message, the user becomes Active and goes back to the Active Section of the Live Chat Page. Now, the Agents can intervene in the chats and start interacting with the users.
If a user in History Page initiates a chat or replies to a message, the user becomes Active and goes to the Active Section of the Live Chat Page. Hence, the user won’t remain on the history page. If a business wants to re-initiate the chat, it can be done through the “Send template” option.
Guide to create & add FREE WhatsApp Button to your website.
A WhatsApp Button allows you to engage customers on WhatsApp, even after they've left your website. With this button in place on your website, users need to just 'click-to-chat to talk to connect with you on WhatsApp.
With a WhatsApp Button, you can:
● Drive website visitors to WhatsApp
● Instantly receive user's names & WhatsApp numbers
1. Reach the WhatsApp Button Creator Page
First, go to the WhatsApp Button generation tool page to create your own website WhatsApp Button.
Add your WhatsApp number with your country's dial code. E.g.- If you have an Indian number, add '91' behind your number.
Customize the button with a range of options such as:
● Button Background
● CTA (call to action) Text (E.g.- Chat with us)
● Margin from the bottom, left and right
● Margin Radius
● A pre-filled message that customers will send you (By default it's 'Hi'. You can change it whatever you find suitable)
● Button Position
To create a WhatsApp Button that catches your website visitor's eye, the button should have a healthy contrast with the background colour of your website.
Configure the dimensions of the WhatsApp Button which will define where the button will open on the screen when a user clicks the WhatsApp Button
By default, Margin Bottom, left & right are kept 30 while the radius is kept 24 by default.
You can either place the button on the left or on the right-hand side of your website.
Reports suggest 80% of people pay attention to the left side of a website. So, it would be beneficial to place the WhatsApp Button on the left-hand side.
CTA Text is basically the text displayed on the WhatsApp Button. On the right, "Chat with us" is the CTA text for our sample WhatsApp Button.
A pre-filled Message is a message that will pre-fill in a user's chat when they connect with you on WhatsApp after clicking the WhatsApp Button.
The pre-filled message should be based on your first message tag to automatically allot the tag to the user. By default, the pre-filled message is 'Hi'.
The image on the right is the Chat Widget. This pops up upon clicking the website button.
The next step is customizing the Chat Widget window that customers will view after clicking on the WhatsApp Chat Button.
Fill in the necessary details such as your Brand name, Brand image, Widget C.T.A. text and a default on-screen message. as shown in the image below.
As you can guess, the brand name in the image is, the on-screen message is "Hi, How can I help you?", and the Widget CTA Text is "Start Chat"
After customizing the Chat Widget, you are good to go. However, you also get the option to customise the chat button for a particular page.
Basically, you can configure the WhatsApp Button Content for a particular URL, including display message, pre-filled message etc as shown in the image on the right
Carefully fill in the necessary details such as source URL (keep in mind the parameters), pre-filled message and on-screen message. You can create Chat buttons personalized according to different web pages on your website.
Preview your WhatsApp Button by clicking it! Finalize the changes & proceed towards the final step.
As the last step, hit the "Generate Snippet" button. Copy the snippet code & paste it below the body tag of the webpage.
You are good to GO!
Enjoy 3x more engagements & conversions with your WhatsApp Button!
The eligibility criteria for WhatsApp Green Tick after applying for WhatsApp Business API.
● What is the eligibility criteria for WhatsApp Green Tick?
● Will I get that WhatsApp Green tick if I apply for Whatsapp Business API?
● Can I use my Whatsapp Business API account without the WhatsApp Green tick?
Follow the steps mentioned in the below video to apply for FREE WhatsApp Green Tick.
Following is the eligibility criteria to apply for the WhatsApp Green Tick for your Business:
1. You must be using WhatsApp API Approved Business Account.
2. You must enable 2 Step Authentication.
3. Facebook Business Manager should be verified by Facebook.
4. Must be a business (Individuals are not allowed as of now).
5. Recommended you are in Tier 2 or above messaging level.
6. Must be a notable and reputed brand
7. Your business should have atleast 3 published organic PR/ News articles (Paid PR doesn't count).
Note: Providing Green Tick to a business is entirely the decision of WhatsApp. The role of the WhatsApp Business API vendor/service provider is to pass on the Green Tick application of the Business to WhatsApp. They are not the decision-makers.
There is a separate application for the WhatsApp Green Tick. You won’t get the Green Tick as soon as you go live on the Official WhatsApp Business API. Team will submit the WhatsApp Green Tick application once the business becomes eligible for it.
Yes, you can use your Whatsapp Business API without the WhatsApp Green tick. The green tick doesn’t affect the functionalities and benefits you get with the API. It just shows that your business profile is verified by WhatsApp. You can still use all the API features without the Green tick.
No! If at any time, you downgrade your WhatsApp Business API account after getting the WhatsApp Green Tick, the Green tick will disappear from your profile.
Only a Live WhatsApp Business API account is eligible to apply for a Green Tick & keep it live on your Business Profile.
Effective from 1st June, 2023 WhatsApp pricing is categorised into four distinct categories:
Marketing conversation category - Include promotions or offers, informational updates, or invitations for customers to respond / take action. Any conversation that does not qualify as utility or authentication is a marketing conversation.
Authentication conversation category - Enable businesses to authenticate users with one-time passcodes, potentially at multiple steps in the login process (e.g., account verification, account recovery, integrity challenges)
Utility conversation category - Facilitate a specific, agreed-upon request or transaction or update to a customer about an ongoing transaction, including post-purchase notifications and recurring billing statements
Service conversation category - all user-initiated conversations will be categorized as service conversations, which help customers resolve inquiries.
Important Points
WhatsApp Conversation is a 24-hour messaging window initiated only when a business messages a user.
Starting April 1, 2023 template approval will require category validation using our new categories — Utility, Authentication and Marketing.
If a business replies to a user with a template message or sends a template message in an open service conversation, this opens a new conversation based on the template category.
For all Service Category conversations charges, it will only start when there are no other three category conversations ongoing, and a business responds to a user within 24 hours This means that you are only charged for service category conversation when there is no previous conversation window open with the user.
1000 initial conversations per month are free for Service category messages (user initiated conversation) only from 1st June 2023
When businesses engage in conversations that involve multiple categories such as Marketing, Authentication, Utility, or Service, charges will be applied separately for each category's conversation window initiated.
When you send different types of message categories to users, there are a few important things to know about the charges:
Separate Charges: Each category of messages you send, like Marketing, Authentication, Utility, or Service, has its own charges. Business will be charged for each category separately. This means that if you send messages that fall into different categories to the same user in a 24-hour window, you will be charged for each category separately.
24-Hour Window: When you start a conversation in a specific category, you have 24 hours to chat without any extra charges. This gives you ample time to communicate with your customers
Examples for Pricing Explanation are as below
Please be informed if you have created multiple projects you can not delete the projects, to delete the account and subscription please follow the steps below
If you wish to shift back to WhatsApp messenger or WhatsApp Business App, then kindly follow the below steps:
1. Downgrade your WhatsApp Business API number
2. Cancel your Plan. However, if you wish to switch to a different WhatsApp API provider, then you need to follow the two steps listed below:
2. Cancel your Plan
Step 1. Downgrading WhatsApp Business API number
1. Go to your Facebook Business Manager
The first step to downgrade your WhatsApp Business API number is to open your Facebook Business Manager account.
Go to Facebook Business Manager
2. Open Business Settings & choose WhatsApp Accounts from the left panel
3. If you have multiple WhatsApp Business API accounts, select the one you want to downgrade.
4. Go to 'Settings' & scroll down & click on 'WhatsApp Manager'.
5. Click on 'Account Tools' & choose 'Phone Numbers'.
6. Click the trash bucket icon to downgrade your WhatsApp Business API Account.
It takes anywhere between 24 hours to 30 days for your WhatsApp API number to downgrade successfully.
Note: Downgrading your WhatsApp Business Account is now a Reversible process. You can re-create a WhatsApp Business API account using the same phone number. But, you'll permanently lose all data including messages, contacts & more stored in the WhatsApp Business API account.
Once your WhatsApp Business API number gets downgraded, go ahead & cancel your Plan.
If you wish to switch to a different WhatsApp API provider, these are the 2 steps you need to follow:
1. Submit a request to disable 2FA with customer support
2. Cancel your Plan
Note: Skip this & move to the next step if all you want is to switch back to any of the WhatsApp Apps.
To shift to a different WhatsApp API provider, you'll need to disable 2-Factor Authentication.
This process will require you to submit a request by connecting with our support team available on our website via Live chat, call or email. You can also contact our team from here
Last, you'll need to cancel your plan to ensure that you aren't charged in the upcoming months.
1. In Manage, go to Billings & Usage
To cancel your Subscription, you first need to go to Manage & click on Billings & Usage.
2. Scroll down & click Cancel Plan
Now, scroll down on Billings & Usage page & click Cancel Plan as shown in the below image.
3. Press 'Confirm'
A pop-up will appear re-confirming if you really wish to cancel your Subscription. Press Confirm to cancel your Monthly/ Yearly plan. '
Note here that since all plans are pre-paid, your plan will continue to work until the term ends which in the below case is 5 November 2023.
Things to know before cancelling your plan
● Ending your subscription doesn't automatically delete your WhatsApp Business API account. You'll still need to downgrade your WhatsApp Business API to go back to using the normal WhatsApp App.
● The data in your account will still be there till you downgrade your WhatsApp Business API number. But, once you downgrade your WhatsApp Business API number, all your data will be permanently deleted & can't be restored.
● The plan will continue to work till the next billing date. E.g. - Your monthly plan activates on 3rd Jan 2023 & you cancel your subscription on 23rd January. The plan will continue to work till 3rd February after which your subscription will end.
● No refunds will be issued for cancelled subscriptions. Once your plan expires, the WhatsApp Conversation Credits in your account will also expire. Make sure to use them before your subscription ends.
● All pending payments in your account must be settled before you can cancel your plan.
● You can reactivate your subscription anytime. If you have downgraded your WhatsApp API by then, you'll have to re-apply for the WhatsApp Business API.
Opted-in means that the user has given their consent to receive messages from you. As per WhatsApp (Meta) user opt-in is a crucial metrics to judge any WhatsApp business API’s health
Whenever you are attaining a user lead it is advised that you share the disclaimer that they will receive notification and updates on the number
If you are not sure weather the leads you have received are opted-in or not when bulk broadcasting be sure to send a template footer saying “Reply Stop to Unsubscribe”
How to add Agents & Managers to Dashboard
Know how you can add agents & managers to your projects in Panel
There are two types of Agents in the Dashboard
1. Live Chat Agent- Live Chat Agents only have permission to intervene & respond to chats in Alendei. Also, they have access to modify user profiles on the Live Chat & History Page.
2. Managers- Managers, on the other hand, can overlook everything and shoot WhatsApp Broadcasts & API campaigns.
As the owner, You can add multiple agents & assign roles to those agents in Alendei easily.
In this tutorial, you'll know how to assign roles to managers & agents in Alendei.
1. Go to Agents Page in Manage Section
Only the owner can add Managers & Agents to Alendei.
Once you have the owner's access, go to the Agents Page in the Manage Section.
Now, click 'Add Agents' as shown in the image on the right.
Clicking this will open a pop-up box where you need to fill in the details of your agents.
These details include:
1. User Name- This is the name the agent will use to log in to Alendei. E.g. Xyz112.
2. Display Name- The Display Name is the name of the agent that will appear in the Alendei.
3. Password- Add a login password for your agent to log in to Alendei
After adding the details, press ‘Create’.
The final step involves assigning roles & responsibilities to the Agents. You can either assign 'Agents' or 'Managers' in the Alendei.
Click the dropdown button as shown in the image on the right & assign them roles accordingly.
API reference doc:
Wish to automate WhatsApp campaigns by connecting your CRM with platform?
In this doc, we'll tell you the exact steps you need to perform to automate WhatsApp notifications via API campaigns using platform.
For this step, you would need your development team to help you out with the integration process.
Fields | Description |
apiKey | string
Required. API key generated from the dashboard. |
campaignName | string |
destination | string |
userName | string |
source | string |
media | object |
templateParams[] | string |
tags[] | string |
attributes | object with key-value pairs. The only string is allowed as the key's value. Optional. The object should contain keys already added as assistant attributes paired with values that you want to set as user's attributes. |
Q. How to change Agent Login Password?
If you forget your password, don’t worry- you can change it easily.
To change the User Password, go to your profile & click ‘Edit’. Change the password and re-enter the latest password to confirm the change.
Q. How many agent dashboards can I use in the Platform?
You can have unlimited agents answering customer queries 24×7 with the platform.
You can create upto 5 Free Agents in Free Trial & Unlimited Agents with all paid plans.
Q. Can the Agent make changes to the User Profile on History Page?
Yes, the Agents can make changes in the User Profile by adding/removing Tags. Only the intervention can not be done.