Featurecast Story 19 - WhatsApp Sandbox

Featurecast Story 19 - WhatsApp Sandbox

IM'ing (Instant Messaging) Feature Story Series  

Featurecast Story 19 - WhatsApp Sandbox

Maximize the benefits of business messaging without paying for it


What is a sandbox environment?

A sandbox environment is a virtual playground that allows you to freely test and experiment with various elements without impacting your live product. It provides a secure and isolated space for trying out new software, code, or configurations without unnecessary risks or costs. A sandbox is an excellent approach for learning, exploring, and verifying messaging functionality before integrating these elements into your business operations.

Let's say you're a developer working on a mobile app. Before releasing it to the public, you can create a sandbox environment to test the app's functionality, features, and compatibility with different devices. This lets you see how the app behaves in a controlled setting, identify and fix bugs or issues, and ensure a smooth user experience. It's like a virtual testing ground for your app before it enters the real world.

What is the WhatsApp business sandbox?

WhatsApp doesn't provide a specific sandbox environment for developers to test their apps. However, WhatsApp does offer a testing feature called "WhatsApp Business API Sandbox." It allows businesses to simulate interactions with the WhatsApp Business API before deploying it in production. This way, companies can ensure their integrations and messaging workflows work correctly before going live. It's a helpful tool for businesses to test and refine their WhatsApp integrations.

How does sandbox work? 

The sandbox comes with a pre-configured WhatsApp phone number that will be shared among all opted-in Sandbox users. You can map any of your WhatsApp test numbers to the Sandbox environment and start testing.

What is a test number?

A test number can be any default WhatsApp phone number of yours, which can be used for testing integrations within the sandbox environment.


Best practices

Zoho Desk's WhatsApp Sandbox enables you to prototype both sending and receiving messages in a test environment. You can start testing Sandbox with test numbers even before WhatsApp approves your business number and verifies your WABA. WhatsApp Sandbox is an easy way to test the functionality of WhatsApp Business Messaging APIs.

When using the WhatsApp sandbox, it's best practice to familiarize yourself with the platform's documentation and guidelines. This will help you understand the sandbox environment's features, limitations, and capabilities. Additionally, consider creating a test plan outlining the specific scenarios and use cases you want to explore within the sandbox. This will help you structure your testing process and ensure thorough coverage. Finally, collaborate with your team to gather feedback and insights from multiple perspectives, allowing you to make the most of the sandbox environment.
In summary, the sandbox environment allows businesses to validate the functionality of their WhatsApp Business API integration, resulting in a more dependable user experience.
There's more to come, so please watch this space for more IM feature stories.
 
Until next time,
 
Kavya Rao
The Zoho Desk Team



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