Using business messaging tools can indeed be a very effective way to improve customer engagement and meet their expectations, and messaging tools such as text messaging services can be particularly useful for businesses of all types and sizes. They allow businesses to reach out to customers in a more personal and direct way, providing updates, promotions, and other important information. With a personalized way to communicate with customers, businesses can build stronger relationships and increase customer loyalty, ultimately leading to greater success and growth.

1. In your form builder, click the   icon in the top-right corner to access the Control Panel.
2. Click WhatsApp Configuration.
   
   
   
   
3. Once it is ready for configuration, click Link with WhatsApp.
   
   
   
   
4. You will be redirected to log in through your Facebook account in a widget to connect to your Meta Business account.
   
   Note: Ensure that your browser's pop-blocker is disabled for the widget to load.
5. Login to your existing personal Facebook account. New personal accounts may not be approved.
   
6. Once you log in, you will be prompted to get started with the setup to register and connect your WhatsApp business account to Zoho Social to send notifications to WhatsApp users via the WhatsApp business API. Click Get Started.
   
   
   
   
7. To allow Zoho Social to manage your WhatsApp Business account, you'll need to share account and billing permissions. Click Continue.
   
8. Then, you will be asked to fill in your business information. To connect your WhatsApp Business Account, you must first select a Meta Business Account from the dropdown. If you do not already have a Meta Business Account, you will be given the option to create one.
   
   Your business must have a  Meta Business account (formerly known as Facebook Business Account) in order to have a WhatsApp Business Account (WABA). The Meta Business Account is specific to a Company. If the Company has multiple Sub-brands with different names, each Sub-brand should have its own WhatsApp Business Account with their name.
   

   
   

   
9. Your Business name, Business email address, Business website, and Country will be autofilled. Click Next.
   
10. The next step is to create or select a WhatsApp Business account which will belong to your Meta business account. 
    
11. Choose Create a new WhatsApp Business profile and click Next. 
    
    
    
    
12. Give your WhatsApp business account name, WhatsApp Business profile display name and select the Category of your business. 
    The WhatsApp Business display name is the name that customers see when they visit your WhatsApp Business profile. Read the guidelines in choosing a display name for your WhatsApp profile.
    
13. You can optionally provide a description for your business and include any website you have for your business. The category and business description will both be visible to your customers. Click Next. 
    
    
    
    
14. The next step is to add a WhatsApp business phone number. This is the number that people will see when they chat with you for your business. Enter the Phone number along with your country code.
    Pre-Requisites for Phone Number
1. The number must be owned by you
   
2. The number must have a country and area code
   
3. It should be able to receive voice calls and SMS
   
4. It should not be a short code
   
5. Any other BSP should not have previously used the number
   
6. The number should not be connected to any WhatsApp Messenger or WhatsApp Business App at the instant. 
15. Choose if you would like to verify your phone number via Text message or a Phone call . You will receive a code to verify this phone number on your preferred verification method. You can change your preferred verification method if it isn't working.
    
    
    

Creating a Channel

1. In your Control Panel > Notification Settings > WhatsApp Configuration, click + New Channel.
   
2. In the pop-up, enter a name for your channel and select the WhatsApp business phone number that you have verified from the dropdown.
   
   
   
   
3. Click Create.
   

Creating a Template

When a message is sent, the placeholder values inside double curly braces {{...}} are replaced with dynamic content from your form fields. The later stages of these steps will determine which placeholder will be replaced by which form field response.

Setting up a form to send WhatApp Notifications 

1. Go to the form builder of the form that you wish to send WhatsApp Notifications for.
   
2. Navigate to the Settings tab > Email & Notifications > WhatsApp Notifications.
   
3. Click Configure Now.
   
   
   
   
4. Select the Channel and Template that you wish to use for sending WhatsApp notifications for this form.
   
5. Enter the Recipient's phone number. You can either enter a number or select a Phone field from your form by clicking the phone icon. If you select a Phone field from your form, the message will be delivered to the phone number entered by the respondent in the selected Phone field.
   You can either use US format or use International format with Country Code.
6. Under Placeholder Mapping, you can select the form fields whose responses you want to replace for the placeholders in the double curly braces you specified when configuring the WhatsApp message template.
   
7. Click Save.
   
   
   
   

Pricing

WhatsApp has updated its conversation pricing as follows which will be effective from June 1st, 2023.

1. Every conversation will be charged per the new conversation-based pricing model.
2. The charges for conversations will be determined by the template category. Unless the template is delivered during an open conversation of that category, delivering it opens a new conversation of that category and incurs the charge of that conversation category. For instance, if a utility conversation is open and a marketing template is delivered within it, a new, separate marketing conversation is opened, and a marketing conversation charge is initiated.

How to purchase credits

1. In your Zoho Forms account, click the Subscription link in the top-right corner.
   
2. Under Nonrecurring Add-Ons, click Buy More.
   
3. Specify the number of credits you want to purchase. You will be charged per credit, along with a value-added fee of 3% of the cost.
   
4. Click  Proceed and make the payment.
   
5. Once paid, your credits will be topped up and will be reflected in the  Available Balance section, and you can start sending your WhatsApp business messages.

The phone number tier of your WhatsApp Business account will determine your messaging limits - the number of unique contacts (customers) an account can message in a 24-hour period.

Tier 1 : Send 1000 business-initiated conversations to individual customers over a rolling 24-hour period.
Tier 2 : Send 10000 business-initiated conversations to individual customers over a rolling 24-hour period.
Tier 3 : Send 100000 business-initiated conversations to individual customers over a rolling 24-hour period.
Tier 4 : Send unlimited business-initiated conversations over a rolling 24-hour period.

If your business use-case requires switching between these tiers, you will have to raise your requests with Meta.