Connect WhatsApp Business

Omni connects to the official WhatsApp Business Platform (Meta Cloud API). Once your number is connected, WhatsApp messages arrive in the shared inbox, and you can send approved templates, run campaigns and let an AI chatbot reply.

Connecting WhatsApp

Where: WhatsApp → Setup (/app/whatsapp/setup)

Connection uses Meta's Embedded Signup: a Meta pop-up that links your WhatsApp Business Account without any copying of tokens or webhook URLs.

1. Go to WhatsApp → Setup and click Connect WhatsApp.
2. Log in to Facebook in the Meta window.
3. Choose your business, then select an existing WhatsApp Business Account or create one.
4. Add or pick the phone number, verify it with the code Meta sends, and approve access.
5. Back in Omni, your number shows as Connected and its approved templates are imported.

Omni handles the technical steps for you: it exchanges the authorisation code, subscribes to your account's messages and syncs your phone numbers and templates.

Already using the WhatsApp Business app on this number? You don't have to give it up. In the Meta window, choose to connect your existing WhatsApp Business app account. Your chat history stays in sync, you can keep replying from your phone, and those messages also appear in the Omni inbox. Meta calls this coexistence.

No businesses or numbers listed in the Meta window? Your Facebook account may not have access to the app yet. Contact support and we'll enable it for your account.

Managing a connected number

From WhatsApp → Setup you can:

• Sync phone numbers: fetch numbers you've added in Meta Business Manager since connecting.
• Refresh status: update the number's messaging limit tier and quality rating.
• Change display name: request a new business display name. Meta reviews every name change.
• Re-register webhook: use this if new messages stop arriving in the inbox.
• Disconnect: remove the WhatsApp Business Account from this workspace.

To let a chatbot answer on a number, assign it in Inbox → Channel setup (/app/inbox/setup). See AI chatbots.

The 24-hour customer service window

WhatsApp allows free-form replies only within 24 hours of the customer's last message. After that, you can only send an approved message template until the customer writes again. The inbox tracks this for you and switches you to templates when the window has closed.

Starting a brand-new conversation with someone also requires a template.

Message templates

Where: WhatsApp → Templates (/app/whatsapp/templates)

Templates are pre-approved messages. Meta must approve each one before you can send it.

Creating a template

1. Click New template.
2. Choose a category (Marketing, Utility or Authentication) and a language.
3. Write the body. Use numbered variables such as {{1}} and {{2}} for values that change per contact, like a name or order number.
4. Optionally add a header (text or media), a footer and buttons.
5. Submit it. Meta reviews it; this often takes minutes but can take longer.

Choose the category carefully. Meta reviews templates against their category. A promotional message submitted as "Utility" is likely to be rejected or re-categorised.

Keeping templates in sync

Click Sync to pull the latest templates and approval statuses from Meta, including any you created directly in Meta Business Manager. Approved templates can then be used in the inbox, in campaigns and in automations.

Auto-replies

Where: WhatsApp → Auto-replies (/app/whatsapp/auto-replies)

Auto-replies send an instant response when an incoming message matches a rule. Typical uses are a greeting, an out-of-hours message or a keyword reply like "PRICE". You can start from a ready-made template and edit it.

For multi-step logic (conditions, waiting for an answer, tagging or handing off to a person), use Automations instead.

Website chat button

Where: WhatsApp → Widget (/app/whatsapp/widget)

Add a floating "Chat on WhatsApp" button to your website so visitors can message you in one tap.

1. Click Create, then set the phone number, greeting, position and colours.
2. Copy the embed snippet.
3. Paste it into your website's HTML, just before the closing </body> tag.

The button loads its settings from Omni, so any changes you save later appear on your site without re-pasting the code.

Next: bring in Messenger and Instagram, or send your first campaign.