WhatsApp is the world's most widely used instant messaging (IM) service app, with over 2 billion users. The ubiquity of this app is reason enough for businesses of all sizes to look at it as a channel for customer support. If your customers frequently contact your business through WhatsApp, you'll find significant benefit in integrating your WhatsApp Business Account with your Zoho Desk portal.

By integrating the WhatsApp IM feature, your agents can view WhatsApp conversations within Zoho Desk and respond to them right away. This feature also facilitates the conversion of WhatsApp conversations into tickets for your agents to work upon.

Embedded Signup is a way for Zoho Desk to let you onboard to the WhatsApp Business API directly from our website. This embedded signup process reduces the onboarding time of new and existing customers from days to minutes. With embedded signup, you own your WhatsApp Business Accounts (WABAs) and share access to them with Zoho desk. This allows you to use your WABAs and seamlessly integrate with other Facebook experiences, such as ads that click to WhatsApp. Additionally, the signup process is simplified by having all the steps in a single flow, from connecting your Facebook and WhatsApp business accounts to verifying the business phone number. You can learn more about this in the Onboarding Process section.

Yes, you no longer need to wait to complete the business verification process to start testing the API. Once signed up, you will have access to a trial experience during which you can send business-initiated messages to two phone numbers, and have up to ten customer-initiated conversations for the first 30 days. This trial is only valid for the first verified phone number for each WhatsApp Business Account.

Zoho Desk manages the billing and credit line for your WABAs. That said, there is the new Conversation-Based Pricing model announced by WhatsApp. Click here to know about the new pricing model.

The following are the prerequisites for integrating WhatsApp with your Zoho Desk account:

The WhatsApp on boarding and integration flow is a four-step process. It will consist of linking your Facebook and WhatsApp Business accounts, creating your WhatsApp Business profile, verifying your WhatsApp Business number, and configuring WhatsApp as a channel. Make sure you have signed in to your Facebook account on the same browser. 

1. Log in to your Zoho Desk account with Administrator privileges.

2. Click the Setup icon (  ) in the top bar.

3. Under Channels, click Instant Messaging.

4. Click Configure corresponding to WhatsApp on the Instant Messaging page.

5. Click Integrate on the WhatsApp page.

The Facebook authentication pop-up box will open.

6. Link your Facebook and WhatsApp Business Account.

      a. Click Continue to link your Facebook account with Zoho Desk.

      b. Click Get Started in the Chat to WhatsApp users window.

      c. Click Continue on the Connect your account to Zoho Corporation window.

      d. Select the Facebook Business account you wish to link, then click Coninue.

      e. Select the WhatsApp Business account linked to your Facebook Business account, then click Continue on the following screen.

      f. Click Continue to Step 2.

7. Create your WhatsApp Business Profile:

      a. Enter the WhatsApp Business Display Name that you will use to message customers and click Continue.

      d. Enter a brief description of your business. The category and business description will both be visible to customers messaging your business.

      e. Click Continue to Step 3.

8. Verify your WhatsApp Business Number:

      a. Select an existing WhatsApp Business number or enter a new number to register.

      Note: You cannot register a number actively registered to either WhatsApp Messenger or the WhatsApp Business App.

      b. Select a verification method of your choice. You can choose between Text Message or Voice Call.

      c. Click Send Code.

      d. In the following window, enter the 6-digit verification code received on your WhatsApp Business Phone Number.

      e. Click Verify.

9. Configure WhatsApp Channel:

      a. Back on the WhatsApp settings page, click Create Channel.

      Note: The number of channels you create cannot exceed the departments in your account.

      b. On the Add Channel page, follow the below steps:

            i. Upload an icon for the channel.
            Note: The icon size cannot exceed 1 MB and should be in the .jpg, .png, or .jpeg format.

            ii. Enter a name for the channel.

            iii. Select the WhatsApp phone number added under Step 3.

            iv. Select the department in which you want to receive messages.

            v. Click Save. 

10. You have now completed the setup process and are ready to use the trial experience.

During the unverified trial experience, you can only send business-initiated messages to two phone numbers, and have up to ten customer-initiated conversations for the first 30 days. After 30 days, you will no longer be able to send messages until you complete Business Verification and pass all WhatsApp checks.

In order to establish a fully-fledged instant messaging live conversation platform, you must get your Facebook Business Manager Account verified by providing all the necessary documents, including proof of legal entity and proof of access to the business. Only then will your expanded trial version be enabled, which allows a two-way conversation between you and a customer with 1500 customer-initiated messages. Please remember that a conversation is a 24-hour session of unlimited messaging with a given phone number.

You can deactivate a WhatsApp channel if you wish to stop sending or receiving messages in it. The channel's existing conversations will stay intact, and you can activate it again when required.

To deactivate a channel:

1. Click the Setup icon (  ) in the top bar.

2. Under Channels, click Instant Messaging.

3. Click WhatsApp on the Instant Messaging page. The channels created in your account will be displayed.

4. Turn off the toggle corresponding to the channel you want to deactivate.

5. Click Deactivate on the confirmation dialog box. The channel will be deactivated.

You can delete a WhatsApp channel if you wish to stop sending or receiving messages in it. The channel's existing conversations will stay intact, but the agents will not be able to respond, transfer or block the associated chats.

To delete a channel:

1. Click the Setup icon (  ) in the top bar.

2. Under Channels, click Instant Messaging.

3. Click WhatsApp on the Instant Messaging page. The channels created in your account will be displayed.

4. Then, click on the horizontal ellipsis at the right corner of your channel, followed by Delete Channel.

5. Click Yes, Delete on the confirmation dialog box.

Your WhatsApp Business Profile is important to your company’s growth. It acts as the digital storefront of your business, displaying key information that helps customers identify and trust your brand. Keeping it accurate and up to date can go a long way in establishing credibility and building strong customer relationships.