WhatsApp Business messaging is built specifically for businesses to communicate with customers at scale. It enables companies to send notifications, customer support messages, and promotional content while maintaining your brand identity and ensuring data integrity and compliance.

Businesses cannot send branded communications across the WhatsApp platform outside of the WhatsApp Business messaging system.

What do I need to do to use WhatsApp Business messaging?

WhatsApp Business messaging supports large-scale customer engagement through API access and integrates with Pendula to manage multiple customer conversations seamlessly.

As messages are sent as part of your company brand, you must go through a brand verification process with Meta before you can use the WhatsApp Business messaging channel.

The process of verifying your brand with Meta involves the creation of two separate Meta accounts.

Meta require you to create and maintain your own Meta and WhatsApp Business Accounts so you can freely use your brand identity across any Meta product.

Meta Business Account

A Meta Business Account allows you to define and manage all of your business identities across the Meta platform. This can include things like Facebook pages and ads, and Instagram and WhatsApp accounts.

This account ensures secure, verified, and official communication between your business and customers on the Meta platform.

WhatsApp Business Account

To use WhatsApp Business messaging through Pendula, you need a WhatsApp Business Account linked to your Meta Business Account. This connection allows Pendula to access and manage the WhatsApp Business API on your behalf, required for features like templated messages and automated responses.

The WhatsApp Business Account defines your brand and identity on WhatsApp, and allows you create, submit and manage WhatsApp messaging templates.

WhatsApp phone number

During the onboarding process, Meta will send two-factor authentication messages to the phone number associated with your WhatsApp account. This phone number cannot be used on any other WhatsApp accounts.

WhatsApp Templates

WhatsApp uses a system called Templates to define the type and content of conversations you can start with your customers.

These templates define

• the type of message - e.g. "Notification" - you can send with a selected template
• the content within the message
• the branding
• the time period within which you can respond to the customer

and must be approved by Meta before you can send any outbound messages on the WhatsApp platform.

Creation and management of Templates is done through your WhatsApp Business Account.

Can Pendula create Meta business accounts for me?

Meta do not allow the creation of business accounts on the behalf of other businesses. They require a direct relationship between each customer that uses their platform, so that the customer maintains ownership and control of their business brand across all Meta products.

This process authorises Pendula to send messages on behalf of your company, by linking your WhatsApp Business Account to Pendula.

This is achieved by logging into Facebook through our setup flow.

1. Begin connecting your WhatsApp account by opening the url provided by your Pendula Account Executive.
   
   
   
   
2. Click Login with Facebook.
3. Enter the login details of a person who has the ability to administer your WhatsApp Business Account.
4. Confirm that you want to proceed by clicking Continue as <username>.
   
   
   
   
5. Review the permissions you will share, and the terms and conditions for WhatsApp and Pendula, then click Get started when you are ready to proceed.
   
   
   
   
6. If you have an existing Business portfolio you can select it from the drop-down list.
   If you do not have an existing Business Portfolio, select Create a Business Portfolio and follow the steps to create a new portfolio.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
7. Click Next to continue.
8. Select the WhatsApp Business Account you want to link to Pendula from the Choose a WhatsApp Business Account drop-down list.
   If you do not have an existing WhatsApp Business Account, select Create a new WhatsApp Business Account and follow the steps to create a new account.
   
   
   
   
9. Select the WhatsApp Business Profile you want to link to Pendula from the Create or Select a WhatsApp Business Profile drop-down list.
   If you do not have an existing Business Profile, select Create a new WhatsApp Business Profile and follow the steps to create a new profile.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
10. Click Next to continue.
11. Review the access request, then click Continue to start the authentication.
12. Click Finish to close the window and return to the web page.
13. The web page is now updated with your WhatsApp Account ID and your WhatsApp Account Bearer Token. These values are used to connect your account to Pendula.
    Save these values to a safe place and then close the tab.

Your WhatsApp Business Account is now ready to be linked to your Pendula tenant.

1. From the Flow Builder, drag the Send WhatsApp template message node into the flow at the point where you want to send your message.
2. Select the Connection you want to use from the drop-down list.
3. Enter the number for your WhatsApp Recipient.
4. Select the Sender number from the drop-down list.
5. Select the Message template from the drop-down list.
   The parameter(s) for the selected template will load into the node.
6. Enter the value(s) for the template parameters.
7. Click Save.

The message is now ready to be sent when you activate your flow.

Outcomes

You can optionally configure a failure path on the Outcomes tab, to provide a fallback option if there is a problem sending your WhatsApp template message.