Get started with WhatsApp Automation
Doubletick allows you to easily create WhatsApp bots for free to automate conversations between your business and your customers using the official WhatsApp API (WhatsApp Cloud API).
Currently, WhatsApp Cloud API is open to everyone that wants to create WhatsApp automation for their own business.
Are my client’s compliance needs met by the WhatsApp Cloud API?
The WhatApp Cloud API is GDPR compliant and has SOC 2 certification. Servers are hosted in North America.
Business verification
It isn’t required to complete Facebook business verification to start automating messages on WhatsApp. Without business verification, your business will be able to
- Respond to unlimited customer-initiated conversations.
- Send business-initiated conversations (template messages) to 50 unique customers in a rolling 24-hour period. You will need to complete business verification if you want to initiate more than 50 business-initiated conversations in a rolling 24-hour period.
Businesses can initiate Business Verification (BV) only when they are ready to scale business-initiated conversations or request to become an Official Business Account.
Phone Numbers
When choosing a phone number, consider the following:
- If you want to use a number that is already being used in the WhatsApp customer or business app, you will have to delete your account on the WhatsApp customer or business app.
- The Phone number used for WhatsApp automation can’t be used in the WhatsApp customer or business app.
- You can still use the number for everyday purposes, such as calling and receiving messages after registering it on the WhatsApp Business Platform.
- Once you use a phone for WhatsApp Automation you can no longer use that number on the WhatsApp Business App.
- You don’t need a real phone number for testing purposes. Facebook will give you a free phone number for testing.
For now, Businesses are required to create their own Facebook App in order to access WhatsApp Cloud API because Facebook allows only a Facebook App belonging to the same Facebook business to create a WhatsApp Business Account. Soon Facebook will allow platforms like Doubletick to be able to create WhatsApp Business Accounts and we will be able to easily simplify the process of creating WhatsApp bots like Messenger Bots.
Setup WhatsApp Cloud API
Currently, Each business needs to create a Facebook app in order to get access to the Official WhatsApp API. Follow the below step to set up WhatsApp Cloud API for your Business.
- Register as a Meta Developer
- Enable two-factor authentication for your account
- Create a Facebook App: Go to your list of Facebook Apps > Create App. Select the “Business” type and follow the prompts on your screen.
Choose any name for your App and select the Business Account that owns the Phone Number you want to use for WhatsApp Automation. If you don’t have a Business account yet, leave it unselected, and Facebook will automatically create a business account for you later.
From the App Dashboard, click on the app you would like to connect to WhatsApp. Scroll down to find the “WhatsApp” product and click Set up.
Select the Business Account that owns the Phone Number you want to use for WhatsApp Automation. If you don’t have a Business Account, Facebook will automatically create one for you.
Click Configuration > Configure a webhook
Callback URL
https://app.doubletick.ai/webhooks/whatsapp.php
Click “Manage” near to “Webhook fields”
Subscribe to all fields
Now you can start testing WhatsApp automation. You will need to know the information on the below image since you will need it when creating your WhatsApp bot on Doubletick.
Please be aware that you will need to verify you personal phone number that use on the regural WhatsApp if you are using testing phone number provided by Facebook.
Go to app.Doubletick.ai and start the process of creating a new bot.
Select the Facebook Business account that owns the phone number.
Select the WhatsApp Business Account that owns the phone number.
Select your phone number.
Use your own Business phone number
After doing all the tests and you are ready to start using WhatsApp automation for your business, you will need to add your phone number.
Provide information to create your WhatsApp business profile.
After you create your WhatsApp Business Profile, you are ready to connect it to Doubletick. You can create a new bot on Doubletick or connect the WhatsApp channel to an existing Doubletick account.
If you already use WhatsApp automation using a test WhatsApp account, you can disconnect the WhatsApp test account on Doubletick (Settings > Channels > WhatsApp) and connect your real WhatsApp Business Account.
How to create WhatsApp Template Messages?
WhatsApp message templates allow businesses to use pre-created and pre-approved templates to send structured messages to customers who have opted in to receive notifications.
Messages can include appointment reminders, shipping information, issue resolution, or payment updates. Please read this article to learn how to create Template Messages.
After your template message was approved by Facebook, go to Settings > Channels > WhatsApp and sync WhatsApp templates again.