Table of Contents
- What This Feature Does
- When to Use
- Messages From Numbers That Are Not Contacts
- Prerequisites
- How the 24-Hour Session Window Works
- Step-by-Step Instructions
- What Happens After
- Notes and Reminders From the Chat Header
- Errors, Messages, and Common Fixes
- Message Delivery Troubleshooting Flow
- What happens if this fails?
- Best Practices
What This Feature Does #
The real-time chat interface for having WhatsApp conversations. Think of it as a shared inbox for WhatsApp messages.
When to Use #
- Use to respond to inbound WhatsApp messages, whether or not the sender is a contact.
- Use to initiate a conversation using an approved template (required for 24-hour session window compliance).
- Do not use to broadcast to many contacts at once — use WhatsApp → Campaigns for that (9.4).
Messages From Numbers That Are Not Contacts #
A message from a number you have never saved does not create a contact. The conversation opens in the chat inbox on its own, marked Not in contacts in the conversation list, and you reply to it exactly like any other thread. Your contact list stays yours to curate.
To turn one into a contact:
- One at a time — open the conversation and click Save as contact in the chat header. You choose the name and any tags; nothing is tagged for you. The whole message history moves onto the new contact.
- Automatically — build a workflow in Automation on the Message Received via WhatsApp trigger ending in an Add To Contacts action. Every matching inbound message then creates and links the contact for you. Add conditions to the workflow if you only want some of them saved.
Prerequisites #
- CompanyAdmin or TenantUser role.
CanUseWhatsAppChatpermission (configured by CompanyAdmin per user).- At least one connected and active WhatsApp phone number.
- For sending the first message: an approved message template.
How the 24-Hour Session Window Works #
- When a contact sends you a WhatsApp message, a 24-hour session window opens.
- Within this window, you can send any type of message freely.
- Outside this window (or to initiate a new conversation), you must use an approved template message.
- The Chat interface enforces this automatically — if a session is closed, you are prompted to select a template first.
Step-by-Step Instructions #
- In the sidebar, click WhatsApp → Chat.
- The inbox shows your recent conversations.
- Click a conversation to open the thread.
- Type in the message box at the bottom and press Send, or click the send icon.
- To start a new conversation: a. Click New Conversation. b. Search for and select a contact. c. Select an approved Template to send as the opening message. d. Fill in any template variables. e. Click Send.
- To send a media message: click the attachment icon, select your file, and send.
- To send a template during an active session: click the Templates icon and select.
What Happens After #
- Messages are delivered via the WhatsApp Cloud API.
- Delivery status updates appear on each message (sent → delivered → read).
- Incoming replies appear in real time via notifications.
Notes and Reminders From the Chat Header #
When a conversation is linked to a saved contact, the chat header (to the right of Delete conversation) shows two extra buttons:
- Notes (sticky-note icon) — opens the same notes panel described in 5.10 Contact Notes.
- Reminders & Tasks (bell icon) — opens the reminders/follow-ups panel described in 5.11 Contact Reminders & Follow-up Tasks, so you can schedule a WhatsApp or email follow-up to this exact contact without leaving the chat.
Each button is highlighted and shows a count badge when the contact already has notes / open reminders. The buttons do not appear for conversations that are not yet linked to a contact — use Save as contact first.
Errors, Messages, and Common Fixes #
| Message | Why It Happens | How to Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Contact cannot receive messages | No valid WhatsApp number on contact | Edit the contact and add a WhatsApp number |
| A new WhatsApp lead never appears in Contacts | Inbound messages no longer create contacts | Use Save as contact on the conversation, or add an Add To Contacts workflow — see above |
| Session window expired | More than 24h since last contact-initiated message | Send an approved template to reopen |
| Template not available | No approved templates | Create and get a template approved first |
| Message failed to send | Network error or Meta API issue | Retry; check Meta platform status |
CanUseWhatsAppChat permission denied | User does not have chat permission | Ask CompanyAdmin to enable WhatsApp Chat permission in your user settings |
Message Delivery Troubleshooting Flow #
If a WhatsApp message is not delivered:
- Check that the contact has a valid WhatsApp number in international format.
- Check whether the 24-hour session window is still open.
- If the session is closed, confirm you selected an Approved template.
- Check the sending number in 9.1 WhatsApp Phone Numbers.
- Check Meta service status: https://developers.facebook.com/status/dashboard/.
- Retry with a short text-only message before retrying media or a campaign.
What happens if this fails? #
- If Meta disconnects, message actions fail until 8. Meta Platform Connection is restored.
- If the phone number disconnects, chat and campaigns stop using that number immediately.
- If a required template is rejected or paused, new sends that depend on it are blocked until you replace or fix it.
Best Practices #
- Respond to inbound messages within the 24-hour window to avoid needing a template.
- Use templates with personalization variables to make automated opening messages feel personal.
- Assign contacts to specific agents so the right person handles each conversation.
