Overview

WhatsApp is the premier OTT (Over-The-Top) messaging app for smartphones that is free to download and that is nearing surpassing the two billion users mark. It uses the internet to send messages, images, audio, or video, although the subscription to the service requires a verifiable mobile phone number. In its evolution, WhatsApp has expanded its offerings, opening different ways to communicate: WhatsApp, WhatsApp Business, and WhatsApp Business API.

Our implementation is the WhatsApp Business API, which has rules of usage that must be adhered to in order to enjoy its use. Although it represents a powerful tool for enterprises, medium and large, it comes with some pros and cons. Here is a brief summary,

• WhatsApp Business Account approval from Meta is required
• Template messaging must be approved by WhatsApp (response generally in 24 hours)
• Best for automation of processes via API.
• Mainly for central support and call centers at medium to large companies
• Used in automated systems.
• Does not have a real mobile interface
• It is not free, although some free messaging is available based on the reply patterns
• API can send messages through session and template messaging.
• No calling capabilities
• API broadcasts are not limited

The above gives you an overview of the scope of how WhatsApp Business API can be used for the purposes of your enterprise and in consequence, how to plan for it to take advantage of this messaging service. You can review WhatsApp Business Policy in detail by clicking here and WhatsApp Commerce Policy here.

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FIRING UP WhatsApp

WhatsApp is a service that requires to submit an application. If WhatsApp has not been set up and enabled in your platform, it will not be in production. Please contact your Account Manager to initiate the application, set up and enable WhatsApp in your space.

Please refer to the WhatsApp Status section for a detailed explanation of message status. The first section outlines the sequence of status values for outbound messages, while the second section details the three potential final statuses once a message is sent.

Sending a WhatsApp campaign or message

After selecting New Campaign, entering the Campaign Name, and selecting WhatsApp from the campaign options, you are brought to the WhatsApp campaign creation section, which has the following steps

1. Detail
2. Recipients
3. Message
4. Summary

Detail

In the ‘Detail’ step,

1. Select Sender WhatsApp Business Account from the dropdown menu.
2. Select Next.

Recipients

As you begin using WhatsApp, your account will be set at a starting level designated as Tier 1. There are four Tiers, and each Tier allows you to send messages according to the following:

• Tier 1: to 1K unique customers in a rolling 24-hour period.
• Tier 2: to 10K unique customers in a rolling 24-hour period.
• Tier 3: to 100K unique customers in a rolling 24-hour period.
• Tier 4: to unlimited customers in a rolling 24-hour period.

In consequence, it is important that when you specify the subscribers, their numbers need to fall within the limits established by the Tier that your business is currently at. For further details click here.

The Recipients can be defined in one of three ways,

• Subscribers in Platform
• Upload a CSV List
• Write down Subscribers

For the case of WhatsApp, given that the engagement policies are very specific and impact your Tier level, you should choose carefully which one is best suited at any given time, as each of the methods of defining recipients serves a different need.

The details for defining the recipients are outlined in Define Recipients in the Campaign Elements section, nevertheless here are the basic steps:

1. In the Subscribers list dropdown menu, choose one of the options.
2. Optionally apply a filter if the campaign requires it
3. After selecting the Recipients, click Next to continue.

Message

The ’Message’ step in the process is context-dependent, and it will consistently vary between two scenarios throughout your use of the service.

There are two ways of creating a message for a WhatsApp campaign or message:
• Using a Template
• Without a Template

Using a Template

In the case that the you are initiating the contact with one of your customers, you must use a previously WhatsApp approved template in the communication.

The templates that have been approved by WhatsApp for your enterprise appear at the top of the Message screen for ease in selection. You must use one of those templates.

In the sample screenshot that follows, there are two preapproved templates to select from. As you evolve in your use of WhatsApp with your enterprise, other templates can be included after the WhatsApp approval process. You can scroll to view all your templates with the left and right scroll arrows at each side of the templates section.

The steps to send a message for this scenario are:

1. Select the template to be used. The WhatsApp Message box will be filled with the template’s content and the emulated device will show a preview.
2. If the WhatsApp Template chosen includes a Header with a media file, upload the required media file (image, video, document) in the template. (Editable for multimedia content, such as images, videos, or documents)

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   NOTE

   When preparing to test or send an approved WhatsApp template with a header that includes a multimedia file, you must upload a media file (image, video, or document) as part of the process. Initially, when choose the template at the top displays the original media file configured when the template was created, allowing the user to review what was initially set.

   For testing or actual message sending, META requests to re-upload the media file. This upload can be either the original file or a different file, depending on the user’s preference. This ensures that the correct media file accompanies each message sent, whether it’s a test message or a live message.

   It is recommended that users read these policies to ensure that all content used in WhatsApp templates adheres to platform guidelines. Understanding these rules can help avoid rejections and ensure that images, videos, and other media align with WhatsApp’s standards for acceptable, respectful, and compliant content. Understanding these rules can help avoid rejections and ensure that images, videos, and other media align with WhatsApp’s standards for acceptable, respectful, and compliant content.

   

Depending on the template selected for the WhatsApp message, make sure that among the attributes associated to the subscriber, the values of the fields used in the template are included. For example, if the dev_ae_testing_09_03_2 template, shown in the graphic, is to be used in the message, the attributes associated with the subscriber must include the values of the [[mobile]], [[placholdermanual]], and [[testname]] fields.

2. Select Next

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ON SENDING MESSAGES

Messages are sent only if all the information associated with the personalized fields in the template are present, otherwise the message will not be sent.

Without a Template

If your business has already engaged in communications with the customer(s) you intend to send campaigns or messages to, or the customer has contacted your business within a 24-hour window, you can by-bypass the template requirement by disabling the Use Template setting at the top of the screen.

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ON ACCEPTABLE MESSAGES (24-hour window)

WhatsApp's statement on acceptable messages:

“If a person initiates a chat with you, you may continue that conversation via WhatsApp for up to 24 hours after the last message sent to you by that person without charge ("24-hour Window")."

Messages outside the 24-hour window, will not be sent and will result in a FAILED state. We encourage you to review WhatsApp's policy here.

There are two type whatsApp message responses:

• Text
• Multimedia

Text

In this scenario you can create a text message of up to 4096 characters in length with personalized content with any of the platform fields, with or without emoji, and adding tracked URLs to the message.

Multimedia

In this scenario you can create elaborate responses that include a text message of up to 4096 characters in length with personalized content, with or without emojis, include attachments of various file types, multimedia, pdf, up to 5 MB in size, and a Link tracker.

The steps to send a message for this scenario are:

1. Fill-out the WhatsApp Message box which can include emojis.

2. Optionally add one or more tracked URLs to the message.

3. Optionally include any attachments in the Add multimedia files box that does not exceed 5MB is size.

   The details below specify the types of multimedia files that supports the platform, along with their maximum file sizes and supported formats:

   • Image: Images must be less than 5MB and the format must be .jpg or ..png
   • Video: Video must be less than 5MB and the format must be .mp4, .3gpp (Only H.264 video codec and AAC audio codec are supported).
   • Document: Documents must be less than 5MB and the format must be .pdf
   • Audio: Audio files must be less than 5MB and the format must be .mp4, .3gpp (Only H.264 video codec and AAC audio codec is supported).
     
     

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   NOTE

   It is recommended that users read these policies to ensure that all content used in WhatsApp templates adheres to platform guidelines. Understanding these rules can help avoid rejections and ensure that images, videos, and other media align with WhatsApp’s standards for acceptable, respectful, and compliant content.

4. Once completed the message content, select Next

Summary

In Summary, the final step of the WhatsApp campaign creator, is where you can

• Review campaign details.
• View configured link tracking settings.
• Set the message delivery Throttle configuration.
• Set the delivery timetable.

The Messaging Overview offers a quick way to double check the Sender WhatsApp Business Account, the number of recipients, whether filters are applied or not, and the message contents in the emulated device screen.

For more information about the Summary step settings, go to Summary in the Campaign Elements section.

When you send WhatsApp messages you can view the data and analytics (Report) of each message sent by going to the WhatsApp Reports section.

Edit WhatsApp Campaign

To be able to edit the WhatsApp campaign, the notification must not be sent yet. That is, once the user has completed each step, and the campaign activation has been saved as "Draft" or "Schedule", you will be able to edit each step configuration of the campaign.

The steps to edit a WhatsApp campaign are the following:

Click on the Reports icon and select the Messaging tab. Then, locate the campaign saved as Pending (Draft) or Schedule status and click on the Report button.

From the campaign card click on the Edit button. Once clicked, it will redirect you to the last step of the campaign configuration.

From here, you can edit the settings for each step (Detail, Recipients, Message, Summary). Just click the Back button until you return to the step you want to edit.

You are able to edit the:

• Sender WhatsApp Business Account.
• Recipients who will receive the message.
• Template (WhatsApp message).
• Throttle configuration.
• Campaign activation.