Setting up WhatsApp Business

Connect your WhatsApp Business account to Deskwoot to manage WhatsApp conversations alongside your other channels. Deskwoot uses the WhatsApp Cloud API, which is free to set up through Meta.

Prerequisites

You need a Meta Business account (business.facebook.com), a verified phone number that is not already registered with WhatsApp or WhatsApp Business app, and a Facebook App with WhatsApp product enabled. If you do not have these yet, start at developers.facebook.com and create a new app with the WhatsApp use case.

Getting your API credentials

In your Meta developer dashboard, go to your app's WhatsApp settings. You will find your Phone Number ID, WhatsApp Business Account ID, and a temporary access token. For production use, generate a permanent System User token from your Meta Business Settings under Business Settings > System Users. Create a system user, assign it admin access to your WhatsApp Business Account, and generate a token with whatsapp_business_messaging and whatsapp_business_management permissions.

Connecting to Deskwoot

In Deskwoot, go to Settings > Inboxes > Add Inbox and select 'WhatsApp'. Enter your Phone Number ID, Business Account ID, and API token. Click 'Create WhatsApp Inbox'. Deskwoot will automatically configure the webhook so incoming messages are routed to your inbox.

Message templates

WhatsApp requires pre-approved message templates for sending messages outside the 24-hour customer service window. Create templates in your Meta Business Manager under WhatsApp Manager > Message Templates. Once approved, these templates appear in Deskwoot and you can use them to initiate or re-engage conversations.

Testing your setup

Send a WhatsApp message to your connected phone number from any personal WhatsApp account. The message should appear as a new conversation in your Deskwoot inbox within seconds. Reply from Deskwoot to confirm two-way messaging works.