Onboarding

Can every business get a WhatsApp account?

No, WhatsApp restricts certain verticals from getting WhatsApp accounts. Please review the WhatsApp business policy.

How do I onboard with WhatsApp?

You will need an existing Facebook account (as newly created accounts will not be able to create Business Manager accounts) with admin access to the Facebook business manager.
The legal name of your business.
Your WhatsApp display name which needs to match the business name.
The email address and URL of your business.
The company phone number and access to receive verification calls or texts. You will not be able to use a number that's already connected to a WhatsApp account.

What if I already have a WhatsApp business account with another provider?

You can either create a new WhatsApp business account through Intercom or if you would like to migrate an existing WhatsApp account to Intercom, please reach out to our support team.

If you create a new WhatsApp account, a phone number that hasn’t been used with another WhatsApp account is required. There is no way to migrate providers or re-use a phone number that has already been used with another WhatsApp account.

What happens if I was rejected from WhatsApp?

You will need to update your materials directly with WhatsApp, via the WhatsApp Manager. Please review WhatsApp’s policies before re-submitting:

My WhatsApp application is still pending, what can I do?

Ensure the Facebook Business Manager has been verified. WhatsApp will not consider the WhatsApp application until the Facebook business manager is verified, so submitting this is critical.

You can also test WhatsApp with up to 10 phone numbers. Send a message to the phone number you just verified and see how it looks in the inbox, rules, reporting, etc. This can be valuable time for your team to understand how it works before rolling WhatsApp out to your customers.

How do I know if my WhatsApp application is approved?

WhatsApp will send you an email announcing the account has been approved.

What's the difference between WhatsApp personal app, WhatsApp Business app, and the WhatsApp Business Platform (aka the WhatsApp API)?

Unlike the WhatsApp personal app and the WhatsApp Business app, the WhatsApp Business Platform is not an app at all. It’s a collection of APIs and solutions that developers use to activate features and integrate with backend systems, such as CRM and marketing platforms.

The Intercom WhatsApp integration only works with numbers connected to the WhatsApp Business Platform: https://business.whatsapp.com/products/business-platform.

Using WhatsApp in Intercom

Are the messages between Intercom <> WhatsApp real time? Any delays expected?

There should be no delays, the messages should be delivered in almost real-time.

How can I tell if a message has been sent from WhatsApp?

You can look out for the WhatsApp icon in the bottom left of the message when viewing it in your Help Desk.

Can I connect to multiple WhatsApp accounts?

Yes you can!

Are there any usage limits?

Yes, WhatsApp enforces usage limits for new accounts into three tiers.

Can I use a number that I use with the WhatsApp Business mobile app on my phone?

Yes, you can, however, you will need to remove your number from the app first.

Important: If you use this phone number with us, you will not be able to go back and reinstall the phone number in the mobile app.

When you delete the number in the mobile app, you will also lose you past chat history. There isn't a workaround for this right now so make sure you're fully aware of this.

Does WhatsApp integration support group conversations?

No, our WhatsApp integration does not currently support group conversations.

Does WhatsApp integration support group phone calls?

No, our WhatsApp integration does not currently support phone calls.

I have reached WhatsApp’s 24 hour customer care window. How can I respond to the conversation?

WhatsApp requires businesses to send Message Templates after 24 hours have been reached. You'll need to create and submit a template for approval in you WhatsApp manager. We use a basic template:

Category: ticket update
Title: keep_live
Text: “Your message arrived when we weren’t available. Would you like to continue the conversation?”

I have changed my display name and it is not being reflected in Intercom, how can I update it?

You will need to disconnect and re-connect your WhatsApp number in order for these changes to take effect.

Can I use Intercom's API to reply to WhatsApp conversations?

Yes, you can - any replies to WhatsApp conversations via the API will be sent via WhatsApp. However, it is not currently possible to start a WhatsApp conversation via the REST API.

Note: WhatsApp templates are not support via REST API so replies to conversations outside of the 24-hour window will not be sent.

Can I use Fin AI Agent with WhatsApp?

Yes, Fin AI Agent is supported on WhatsApp.

Can I send macros through WhatsApp?

Yes, but there are limitations:

Images will be removed.
Links will be presented in parentheses.
Bullet points will turn into dashes or numbers.
Styling such as headers, bold or italics will be removed.

Removing WhatsApp

How can I remove my number from the WhatsApp Business API Platform?

Go to your Facebook Business Manager
Open Business Settings & choose WhatsApp Accounts from the left panel

If you have multiple WhatsApp Business API accounts, select the one you want to downgrade.

Go to Settings & scroll down & click on WhatsApp Manager
Click on Account Tools & choose Phone Numbers

Click the trash bucket icon 🗑️ to downgrade your WhatsApp Business API Account.

After downgrading, wait for a few minutes and then log in to your WhatsApp Business App.

💡Tip

Need more help? Get support from our Community Forum
Find answers and get help from Intercom Support and Community Experts

Install WhatsApp integration

Start a WhatsApp conversation

Troubleshooting WhatsApp errors

Using WhatsApp as a channel

Connect multiple WhatsApp business accounts