How to enable WhatsApp messaging in YakChat
Overview
This guide explains how to enable WhatsApp messaging in YakChat. It covers:
- Required setup on the customer side (Meta business prerequisites)
- How to configure the WhatsApp integration
Customer Prerequisites
Before enabling the WhatsApp channel in YakChat, customers must meet the following requirements.
- A Meta business portfolio is required to create a
WhatsApp Business Account (WABA) and be able to send and receive WhatsApp
messages.
- Many businesses with a Facebook Page already have this in place.
- View Meta documentation here on how to create a business portfolio.
- You must add a payment method (e.g. credit card) to your Meta business portfolio and provide your company's billing information before you can send messages via the WhatsApp platform.
- Meta will directly invoice the customer for the costs of WhatsApp messages, using the published rate cards.
- Follow Meta instructions here to add a payment method.
- View the latest WhatsApp rate cards.
- This is not a mandatory step, but is highly recommended. When you verify your business
with Meta, you obtain the following benefits:
- Show the approved WABA display name in the
WhatsApp client
- Add up to 20 phone numbers to a WABA
- Deliver up to 1,000 messages within a 24-hour
period
- Unverified business can only add 2 phone numbers to a WABA
and are limited to 250 delivered messages.
- Follow these instructions to verify your business with Meta.
Follow these steps to configure YakChat for WhatsApp messaging.
- First, you must configure a YakChat inbox with the phone number that will be used for WhatsApp messaging. See: Adding inboxes guide.
- During the process of adding the phone number to your WhatsApp Business Account, Meta will send a code via SMS to this inbox to verify the phone number.
- You can use any SMS-capable phone number with your preferred service provider. However, the phone number must not be in use for WhatsApp elsewhere, otherwise it will be rejected by Meta.
Landline and toll-free numbers can also be used for WhatsApp messaging. However, Meta will not send an SMS verification codes to most toll-free and landline numbers outside of US. In such cases, the verification must be completed via a phone call and the number must be voice-enabled and able to receive calls.
2 - Add the phone number to your WhatsApp Business Account
- Login to the YakChat Admin Portal
- In the Numbers menu, search for the phone number that will be used for WhatsApp messaging and select Edit SMS Number.
Tick the WhatsApp checkbox in the Capabilities section.
Click the Continue with Facebook button that appears.
This will open a pop-up window, called Login with Facebook. You need to provide the login credentials of the administrator account with full control of your company's Meta business portfolio.
This process is controlled by Meta. Follow the instructions on screen that will guide you though the creation of a WhatsApp Business Account and adding the phone number to it.
On the verification screen, select the option to send a code via SMS.
Go to the Inbox you previously configured and copy/paste the verification code in the verification screen. Note: If you don't receive a code, request a new code or choose to receive a phone call for toll-free and landline numbers.
Follow the steps until the end and press Finish.
Wait for a YakChat notification: "Phone number successfully added to WhatsApp".
Save the changes in YakChat Admin Portal.
Your Inbox is now enabled for WhatsApp messaging!
In you receive an error at any time during the process, please contact the YakChat Team at
support@yakchat.com with the error description.
Video Tutorial: How to integrate WhatsApp into YakChat
Please look at the accompanying video tutorial that walks you through the process visually.
