Here’s a quick walkthrough on how to connect your number to the WhatsApp Business API. This will help you streamline WhatsApp customer interactions via Albato.
At first, your messaging is limited to pre-approved templates featuring dynamic text variables like Name. To send any message beyond these templates, the recipient must first respond to your company's message. After that, you have a 24-hour window to send any desired message.
Available Triggers:
Triggers are events that trigger an automation. All triggers run in real time; that is, data is transferred the moment the event occurs.
- New message
Available Actions:
Actions are what Albato performs when your automation is running. Actions also allow you to transfer data to other apps and systems.
- Send a direct message (after the template is sent).
- Send a template action. To send templates, you must first specify the payment method in WhatsApp Manager. The first 1,000 messages are free.
How to create business accounts
Start by setting up business accounts on Facebook and WhatsApp. You can find more detailed instructions here. If your number was previously linked with another WhatsApp Business API provider, you might want to think about migrating it (removing two-factor authentication or unlinking the number from the account).
💡 Just a heads-up: Make sure your Facebook business account is confirmed, because you can't transfer numbers in trial mode. Disable two-factor authentication.
How to connect to Albato
- Sign in to your Albato account, and open the Apps section.
- Click the Add a connection button and choose WhatsApp Business API.
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Come up with a name for your connection and click Continue.
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Grant Albato access.
How to set up Facebook
Sign in to your Facebook account.
Grant Albato access to your account and billing by clicking Get started.
If you're setting up a new business account on Facebook, you'll need to provide some basic company details. If you already have an account, you can just select it.
When you're setting up a new Facebook business account, be sure to include your company's legal name, phone number, website, and email address.
💡 If you want to get your WhatsApp connection up and running as quickly as possible, it's a good idea to verify your company on Facebook Business before you apply. Just a heads-up: the verification process might be different depending on where your business account is based.
How to create a WhatsApp Business Profile
Choose a name for your WhatsApp Business account that follows WhatsApp's guidelines and does not violate their Trade Policy or WhatsApp Business Policy
If the name differs from your company name, specify the corresponding website.
💡 Official WhatsApp business accounts typically reserved for renowned companies, display the company name and a green checkmark in chats. Other accounts show a phone number and profile.
Select the relevant profile category and provide a brief company description.
How to register the Number on WhatsApp
Enter the phone number to register and select the confirmation method (SMS or voice message).
For the first-time connection to WhatsApp Business API, ensure the number is unlinked from mobile applications (WhatsApp or WhatsApp for Business).
💡 After linking the number to WhatsApp Business API, chat history from the WhatsApp application becomes inaccessible, and the number can't be used in the application in the future.
Paste the confirmation code you received via SMS or voice message.
Grant access to Albato and click Continue to complete the setup.
Your number is now successfully linked to WhatsApp Business API via Albato.
An account will be created in WhatsApp Manager and linked to the number. The number's status should change to Connected within 30 minutes to 24 hours.
Message Sending Issues
Got a problem sending messages via the WhatsApp Business API? There are two possible reasons for this:
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The recipient did not give consent. WhatsApp might block message sending if recipients haven't given you explicit consent to send them messages from your business. Make sure you get consent from each user before you start sending messages.
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A message template was not sent. Before you start chatting with a customer, you've got to send them the first message template to prevent spam and unwanted messages. If you haven't sent the first message template, the system won't let you start a conversation with the customer.
Even though there are some restrictions, Albato's New Message trigger is still pretty effective. It activates with every new user message, which helps to keep people aware of incoming messages and to stay within the WhatsApp rules.
If you have trouble sending messages despite following these guidelines, please contact Albato support for additional assistance.
Stay tuned for future articles exploring workflow setups with other applications.
