What is WhatsApp Business API (Exclusive Guide) | 2024 Edition

Do you have a huge customer base on WhatsApp and wanted to leverage them for marketing?

Have you been exploring the best WhatsApp marketing tools to streamline your business communications with customers?

Look no further than WhatsApp Business API!

With WhatsApp Business API, you can easily connect with your customers through the messaging platform where they are most active.

So, if you have been thinking of trying out WhatsApp Business API but don’t know where and how to start then we've got your back!

Bringing to you an exclusive guide to WhatsApp Business API that answers all your questions.

We strive to give you a quick primer on everything you need to know before you get started with WhatsApp Business API, including the pricing, application process, how it works, features, and how it can help boost your business ROI.

Keep reading till the end of this guide as we'll also discover the right WhatsApp marketing tool for your business and how you can leverage it to ultimately accelerate customer service, increase sales conversions, improve customer engagement, bring automation to your business and much more. 

Let’s get started, shall we? 💪

What is WhatsApp Business API?

A WhatsApp Business API is an application program interface that allows businesses to receive and send bulk WhatsApp messages in real-time seamlessly. It is designed to help businesses communicate with their customers in a more efficient and personalized way, using features such as interactive automated messages and quick replies. 

With the WhatsApp Business API, you can send and receive unlimited WhatsApp messages, track the delivery of those messages in real time, integrate the WhatsApp chatbot, and manage customer interactions, all in one place. This allows you to automate and streamline your customer communication, making it easier to provide support and handle inquiries. 

The WhatsApp API also allows you to set up a catalogue of your products and services, which customers can browse and make purchases from within the WhatsApp chat. Additionally, you can integrate the WhatsApp API into your CRM or any third-party app, giving you a comprehensive view of all your customer interactions.

In a nutshell, WhatsApp Business API is a powerful tool for businesses looking to personalize their customer communication flows and provide a better customer experience. Whether you're a small business owner or part of a larger company, the WhatsApp Business API can be customized to fit your needs.

Ready to take the first step towards success? 

Book a free demo with us now to get started!

Looking to get WhatsApp Business API for FREE?
​CLICK HERE to know how to get WhatsApp Business API for Free

Advantages of Using WhatsApp Business API

WhatsApp Business API offers a range of advantages that can help businesses improve customer satisfaction, streamline communication, and drive sales. Some of the key advantages of using the WhatsApp Business API include:

• Send unlimited WhatsApp messages to saved and unsaved contacts
• Answer queries of multiple customers at a time with the cloud-based shared team inbox
• Get real-time in-depth analytics of your broadcast campaigns and team performance. 
• Set instant auto responses for specific customer queries via WhatsApp chatbots
• Personalize customer experiences with multilingual support and build trust
• Automate simple self-serve queries by providing automated replies to frequently asked questions
• Seamlessly transfer complex queries to agents
• Automate scheduling appointments without any phone calls or email threads
• Send payment reminders through alert update templates
• Offer 24/7 customer support
• Enhance marketing efforts
• Use a powerful and secure platform for business conversations

Now that you are familiar with the advantages of WhatsApp API, let's walk you through the unique differences between the WhatsApp Business API and other WhatsApp apps.

What Are the Differences Between WhatsApp Business App & WhatsApp Business API Accounts

The WhatsApp Business App is a free-to-use application that is designed for small businesses and individuals who have a limited customer base and want to engage with their audience within a limited space. 

However, it's not built for scale and may not be the best suitable platform when it comes to engaging with a large-scale audience base due to its numerous limited capabilities, such as...

• You can shoot broadcast messages to only 256 users at once
• The broadcast messages will only be delivered to the recipients who've added you to their contact list
• No scope to track broadcast analytics
• No scope to integrate the WhatsApp Chatbot
• You can't send interactive messages with clickable buttons or quick replies
• You can't integrate WhatsApp Business App into any CRM or a third-party app
• Can be accessed by only one person as it doesn't support multiple logins

You can overcome these limitations with the WhatsApp Business API as it is designed for businesses that want to scale. 

Click HERE to read in-depth about the difference between WhatsApp, WhatsApp Business App and WhatsApp Business API

Here is how WhatsApp Business API is different from WhatsApp Business App.

From the above table, it is evident that WhatsApp Business API is the more robust version of the WhatsApp Business App that provides you with many great features. 

Let us now evaluate if the WhatsApp Business API is a suitable fit for your business.

Is WhatsApp Business API right for you?

This is one of the most crucial questions to answer before you make up your mind to get onboarded with WhatsApp Business API.

Small businesses with 1-5 members are generally able to manage their business with the free WhatsApp Business app. But as your business grows, you'll need an advanced marketing solution to scale your business. And it's the moment when you should shift to the WhatsApp Business API.

But making a decision may seem daunting. 

Fret not, as we're here to help you figure out the best solution for your business.

You should shift to WhatsApp Business API if: 

• You're a growing business with a large active customer base looking for a solution to engage with them via WhatsApp for automated communication and business updates. 
• You look forward to using WhatsApp as a channel to acquire new customers, improve customer support, and provide a personalized buying experience.
• You need an automated communication platform where all your team members can manage the high volume of expected customer conversations.
• You need a third-party automation tool to improve the efficiency of the team, specifically in terms of agent time spent on each conversation and response times.
• You need a WhatsApp conversational commerce and automation platform

All these sounds enticing, however, it's essential to determine if incorporating another messaging app is vital for your business and how it integrates into your overall business communication strategy. 

Before we proceed with evaluating it further, let's take a step back and look at the potential growth metrics and user engagement rate of WhatsApp that could provide insight into how effectively you can engage with your customers through the platform.

If you're not already using WhatsApp to market your product and services and engage with your customers, it might be worth considering starting to do so right away. The WhatsApp Business API could be a powerful marketing and customer support tool for your business for the following reasons.

• People prefer to use WhatsApp instead of voice calls or SMS
• WhatsApp is the world's most popular instant chat app, with over 2.7 Billion active monthly users in 180 countries processing 150 Million messages a day
• 100% guaranteed delivery rate as long as you have the right WhatsApp number of your customer
• WhatsApp has an open rate of 99% which means your messages are opened and read by your audience instantly
• WhatsApp has a 45-70% click-through rate/engagement rate
• Approx 175M people message a WhatsApp Business account every day
• 70% of WhatsApp users check notifications daily
• On average, users open WhatsApp 23 times per day

To give you a context, emails have an open rate of just 21% and click-through rates of only 2-5%. Likewise, SMS has an open rate of 98% and IVR has an open rate of 72%.

Additionally, a majority of people prefer to message businesses on WhatsApp due to the following reasons:

• A sense of personal connection (64% of WhatsApp users agree that it fosters a personal connection to businesses)
• More confidence in the communication method (65% of the audience feels more confident in sending WhatsApp messages than sending an email)
• Ease of use (68% consider WhatsApp the easiest way to connect with a business)
• Greater trust (71% feel more confident about a business after messaging on WhatsApp)

WhatsApp is the channel where your audience wants to engage with your brand. So, if you want to effectively use WhatsApp for marketing your business, the WhatsApp Business API is a great way to do so.

By connecting your WhatsApp Business API account with an official WhatsApp Marketing platform like DoubleTick, you can take advantage of the following benefits:

📣 Bulk broadcast your messages and catalogue to unlimited saved and unsaved contacts.

👥 Single WhatsApp number for your entire company with customer assignment and role-based access.

🤖 End-to-end automated catalogue sharing and order booking via AI-Powered Commerce BOT.

🔔 Send automated anniversaries & birthday wishes, abandoned cart notifications, pending balance reminders, bills and all kinds of alerts to customers.

WhatsApp chatbots, real-time in-depth analytics, and much more...

Read more about DoubleTick here - What is DoubleTick and How This Could Be Your Greatest WhatsApp Marketing and Sales Tool

But, still... Why should you go through the effort of getting WhatsApp Business API and pay for the messages when you can do it all for FREE with the WhatsApp Business App? 

Well, here are some reasons why it might be worth it!

Key Features of WhatsApp Business API

Some of the key features of the WhatsApp Business API include:

• Shoot broadcast messages to unlimited saved and unsaved contacts
• Multi-user access with customer assignment and role-based access
• Integrate chatbots and automate chats and updates 
• Send interactive multimedia messages with clickable buttons
• Single WhatsApp Number for your entire Company
• Integrate with any CRM or third-party apps and tools
• Get a Verified Green Tick badge

Sounds great, right? You can sign up with DoubleTick to get WhatsApp Business API and supercharge your business right away. 

You can install DoubleTick and test out the WhatsApp Business API for free

Download the application from the Playstore or Appstore

Download from Playstore

Download from Appstore

We’ll take you through the sign-up process in a later section. Meanwhile, you can book yourself a FREE demo of DoubleTick WhatsApp Business APIs by clicking below.

​👉 Get Your Free DEMO Now 👈​

Now, let’s explore various use cases of WhatsApp Business API in detail.

Use Cases of WhatsApp Business API

There are numerous potential use cases of the WhatsApp Business API. However, you can't leverage it to the fullest without a service provider. You need a trusted solution partner like DoubleTick to set up the WhatsApp API ecosystem and get the platform ready for you. 

DoubleTick is one of the best WhatsApp Business APIs solution providers in India, built using Official WhatsApp Business API, helping businesses transform WhatsApp into the ultimate sales engine.

Here are some of the use cases of WhatsApp Business API that you can execute with DoubleTick:

Marketing with Almost 99% of Open Rate

The WhatsApp Business API allows businesses to send promotional messages and updates to their customers. With an open rate of almost 99%, businesses can be sure that their messages are being seen and read by their customers.

Assist Customers on the Same Platform Right on Their Phone

The WhatsApp Business API enables businesses to offer customer support and assistance on the same platform that their customers are already using. This makes it easy for customers to get the help they need, right from their phones.

Curated Recommendation for Higher Conversion

Businesses can use the WhatsApp API to send personalized recommendations to their customers based on their shopping behaviour and past purchases or interests. This can help increase business ROI and conversion rates.

Effortless Payment on the App

The WhatsApp Business API allows businesses to accept payments directly through WhatsApp, making it easier for customers to make purchases.

Instant Feedback Collection Post-Resolution

After resolving a customer issue, businesses can use the WhatsApp Business API to collect instant feedback from their customers. This can help businesses improve their products and services.

Understand Your Users Better With Conversation

The WhatsApp Business API's AI chatbots can gather a lot of valuable user data from customer interactions. These data can help businesses gain a better understanding of their user's needs and preferences. These can be further used to improve customer satisfaction, expedite the resolution of support tickets, make better business decisions, create more targeted marketing campaigns and plan business strategies over time.

24/7 Customer Support

The AI-powered WhatsApp chatbot in WhatsApp Business API enables businesses to provide 24/7 customer support, ensuring that their customers can get help at any time of day or night even when support representatives are not available.

They can have intuitive and personalized chats with customers, understand their queries and efficiently provide them with updates or resolutions. This helps improve the efficiency of the entire customer support journey as only the complex queries are being assigned to the live agents. 

If you own an e-commerce business, the WhatsApp Business API's chatbot can really come in handy. With WhatsApp automation, you can simplify a bunch of customer communication tasks like:

• Sending order confirmations and purchase receipts
• Notifying customers about delivery updates and providing tracking information
• Handling return or refund requests
• Providing updates or changes to orders
• Responding to requests for product availability
• Assisting with billing or product service inquiries
• Sending appointment reminders
• Facilitating transaction approvals
• Communicating policy changes
• Handling account-related service requests

With these capabilities, the chatbot can help businesses streamline their customer communication and provide a more seamless experience to their customers.

Now that you have an idea of the various ways in which the WhatsApp Business API can assist businesses, let's take a look at what forms of message content you can send in WhatsApp Business API.

Want to get a verified green tick badge on WhatsApp but struggling to get it? Here is your step-by-step guide to getting a verified Green Tick Badge on WhatsApp.​

What Are the Content Types Businesses Can Send in WhatsApp Business API

WhatsApp API allows businesses and users to share more than just text. To enhance your messaging experience with users, check out what content types are supported in WhatsApp Business API.

There are a variety of content types that can be shared such as images, documents, videos, and audio files with call-to-action buttons. 

Now that we have an understanding of the content types that businesses can send in WhatsApp API, let's delve into the concept of a "conversation" in WhatsApp Business API and its significance for business growth.

What is a Conversation in WhatsApp API?

A conversation is a chat session window either initiated by a business or a customer. Businesses and customers can exchange an unlimited number of messages, including template messages, within a 24-hour conversation session window without incurring any additional charges.

Types of Conversation

There are two types of conversation windows in WhatsApp API:

1. Business-Initiated Conversations

2. User-Initiated Conversations

These conversation types are further categorized into different groups. They are:

Business-Initiated Conversations

1. Utility Conversations

2. Authentication Conversations

3. Marketing Conversations

User-Initiated Conversations

1. Service Conversations

Here’s a quick breakdown:

• Marketing – Send promotional offers, product announcements, and more to increase awareness and engagement.
• Utility – Send account updates, order updates, alerts, and more to share important information.
• Authentication – Send codes that allow your customers to securely access their accounts.
• Service - All user-initiated conversations which help customers resolve inquiries will be categorized as service conversations.

In February 2023, WhatsApp made things simpler by organizing all message templates into just four categories: Marketing, Utility, Authentication, and Service. let's now start breaking them up one by one in detail: 

Business-Initiated Conversation 

If a business sends the first message, the conversation is initiated immediately and is valid for 24 hours from the message sent time. 

The Business-initiated Conversation (BIC) is further categorised into 3 groups:

1. Utility Conversations: These conversations help facilitate a specific, agreed-upon request or transaction. For example, updates to customers about an ongoing transaction, post-purchase notifications, or recurring billing statements fall under this category.

Now, let's look at some examples of messages that align with the utility template category:

Note: Examples are illustrative only, templates containing similar content or content including this example text may be categorized differently based on their exact content.

Cost of Utility Conversations in India

Pay a one-time messaging cost of INR 34 paisa [$ 0.0042 / 0.0033 Sterling Pound / 0.00385 Euro] if a business sends the first message. The conversation is initiated immediately and is valid for 24 hours from the message sent time.

2. Authentication Conversations: This category enables businesses to authenticate users with one-time passcodes, potentially at multiple steps in the login process. Activities such as account verification, account recovery, and integrity challenges would fall under authentication conversations.

It's essential to note that authentication templates are the most restricted among the template categories. To classify a template as authentication, a business must adhere to the following conditions:

• Utilize WhatsApp’s predefined authentication message templates, which can incorporate optional elements like security disclaimers and warnings about expiry.

• Configure a one-time password button (options include copy-code or one-tap).

• Abide by content restrictions: URLs, media, and emojis are not permissible within authentication template content or parameters. Furthermore, parameter content is subject to a length restriction of 15 characters.

Note: Examples are illustrative only, templates containing similar content or content including this example text may be categorized differently based on their exact content.

Cost of Authentication Conversations in India

Pay a one-time messaging cost of INR 34 paisa [$ 0.0042 / 0.0033 Sterling Pound / 0.00385 Euro] if a business sends the first message. The conversation is initiated immediately and is valid for 24 hours from the message sent time.

3. Marketing Conversations: As the name suggests, this category includes promotions or offers, informational updates, or invitations for customers to respond or take action. Essentially, any conversation that doesn't qualify as a utility or authentication conversation is a marketing conversation.

Here's a key point: if a template blends utility and marketing content together, it'll be labelled as a marketing template. Essentially, any conversation that doesn't qualify as a utility or authentication conversation is labelled a marketing conversation.

Let’s dive into some examples to illustrate messages that would be categorized under the marketing templates category:

Note: Examples are illustrative only, templates containing similar content or content including this example text may be categorized differently based on their exact content.

Cost of Marketing Conversations in India

Pay a one-time messaging cost of INR 80 paisa [$ 0.0098 / 0.0077 Sterling Pound / 0.009 Euro] if a business sends the first message. The conversation is initiated immediately and is valid for 24 hours from the message sent time.

User-Initiated Conversation

If a user sends a message and the business replies to it, a conversation session is initiated and the session is valid for 24 hours.

The User-initiated Conversation (UIC) is further classified into 1 group i.e. Service Conversations.

1. Service Conversations: This category encompasses all user-initiated conversations which help customers resolve inquiries.

Cost of Service Conversations in India

Pay a one-time messaging cost of INR 32 paisa [$ 0.0040 / 0.0031 Sterling Pound / 0.00363 Euro] if a user sends a message and the business replies to it. A conversation session is initiated and the session is valid for 24 hours.

Understanding these categories is crucial as Meta's new pricing policy will levy different charges based on the nature of these conversations.

Understanding Conversation-Based Pricing

Simply put, conversation-based pricing is a pricing model where businesses are charged based on the number and type of conversations they have with their customers. Instead of a blanket fee for all kinds of interactions, businesses pay different rates based on the nature of the conversation.

As of June 1, 2023, Meta has embraced this pricing model for its WhatsApp Business API, instituting changes that will drastically transform the way businesses manage their customer communications.

Want to know about WhatsApp Business API conversation cost in detail? CLICK HERE to access the one-stop guide.

WhatsApp Pricing Updates: A Closer Look

Meta's pricing changes are far-reaching and will influence various aspects of your WhatsApp Business API operations. Here are the most critical updates:

1. Conversation Window Extension: As of March 1, 2023, the free conversation window has been extended from 24 hours to 72 hours for all conversations that are initiated from ads that click to WhatsApp or Facebook Page Call to Action (CTA). These CTWAs will have a 3-day conversation window.
2. Free Conversations from Specific Entry Points: Conversations initiated by users via click to WhatsApp ads or Facebook Page call-to-action buttons won't result in charges for businesses. This update can be leveraged by businesses to promote enhanced customer interaction via WhatsApp at no additional cost.
3. Free Messaging During Extended Window: With the messaging window now extended from 24 hours to 72 hours, all messages sent within this period, including WhatsApp Template Messages, are free. It's noteworthy, however, that while the conversation initiated from a WhatsApp ad is free, the cost of the ad itself isn't covered.
4. New Conversation Categories: From April 1, 2023, businesses have been required to select one of the four new conversation categories while creating a message template.
5. New Rate Cards: As of June 1, 2023, Meta has implemented new rate cards for utility, authentication, and marketing conversations. 
6. Changes to Free Tier Conversations: From June 1, 2023, business-initiated conversations are no longer included in the free tier. Each WhatsApp Business API account now gets only 1,000 free service (user-initiated) conversations per month.

The country-wise updated conversation charges can be found here

Note:

• Businesses can't initiate general conversations with customers. They can only send approved message templates to initiate a conversation and wait for the customer's reply. This is to counter spam.
• The messaging costs vary from country to country.
• Users have the privilege to initiate a conversation whenever they want.

Know in-depth about Meta's WhatsApp Business API Conversation-Based Pricing Changes: June 2023 Update HERE

The country-wise updated conversation charges can be found here.

Now that you have a clear understanding of the conversation types and charges associated with it, let's now explore the various key components of WhatsApp Business API that make it function.

Key Components of WhatsApp Business API

WhatsApp Business API Profile

With the WhatsApp Business API, you can create a professional WhatsApp business profile that would help communicate with customers in a secure and scalable manner. A WhatsApp Business API profile could help you establish a brand identity and provide instant recognition to audiences of the company’s brand. 

There are two different business account types in WhatsApp Business API:

• Standard Business Account
• Official Business Account (also known as the verified account with Green Tick badge). 

There is no significant difference between these two accounts apart from the Green Tick badge. The features remain the same for both accounts, however, the Green Tick Badge would help establish your brand identity and improve the customer experience.

Once onboarded to the WhatsApp Business API you'll initially have a standard business account, however, you can apply for the official Green Tick badge business account upon fulfilling the requirements.

Note: Irrespective of the account types, the features remain the same. 

A WhatsApp Business API profile could help audiences with more information about your product and services. You can easily optimize your business profile by updating the cover photo, business description, address, email and website.

Please refer to the above illustration to know how a Business profile looks like on the WhatsApp Business API platform. 

Know about the process of getting a verified green tick badge on WhatsApp HERE
​

WhatsApp Business API Phone Number

In order to use the WhatsApp Business API, a phone number must be linked to your account. Depending on your service provider you can either get a new number or port an existing one. However, it's recommended to use a number that is not already associated with any other app account.

While it's always possible to migrate the number from the app to the API or API to the app, the latter is never recommended as it may result in the loss of account information associated with the phone number.

The phone number is managed through Facebook Business Manager, where you can also manage other Facebook assets. Each Facebook Business Manager can support up to 20 WABA phone numbers, based on the phone number tier.

Phone Number Quality Rating and Status

Phone number quality rating and status in WhatsApp Business API demonstrate the quality of customer communication with your business and the brand trustworthiness of a phone number associated with the WhatsApp Business profile. 

The quality rating and messaging limits of every WhatsApp Business API profile are determined by continuous monitoring. The rating and status are based on various factors, such as the number's usage history, the frequency of outbound messages such as notifications or promotional messages, the response time, compliance with WhatsApp's policies, the number of blocks by customers, and customer feedback. These factors are continuously monitored by WhatsApp to ensure that the phone numbers associated with Business profiles are legitimate and trustworthy. 

Overall, there are three quality ratings:

• High (green)
• Medium (yellow)
• Low (red)

A high rating and positive status indicate that the phone number is reliable, while a low rating and negative status may indicate that the number is associated with fraudulent or spammy activity.

You can find these quality insights in the Facebook Business Manager.

To maintain a good phone number quality rating, it is essential to send only relevant and high-quality messages to your audiences. Failure to do so may result in your phone number being blocked, leading to a decrease in your quality rating from High to Medium or Low.

The quality rating of a phone number can have an impact on its status. There are five possible statuses for a phone number:

1. Pending: The status prior to completion of the Commerce Policy check.
2. Offline: The status assigned when a business fails the Commerce Policy check or cancels its WhatsApp API account.
3. Connected: The default status.
4. Flagged: The status assigned when the quality rating reaches Low. If the rating improves to Medium or High within seven days, the status will return to Connected. If not, WhatsApp will reinstate the status as Connected but impose a lower messaging limit on the number.
5. Restricted: The status imposed when a business reaches its messaging limit while having a poor quality rating.
   

Pro Tips:

It is best to subscribe to notifications regarding changes in your phone number status, including transitions between Connected and Flagged, as well as upgrades or downgrades to your number's messaging tier.

Phone Number Tiers and Messaging Limits

The quality rating of the phone number and the messaging limit are closely associated with each other, as the phone number tier will determine your messaging limit.

Messaging limit is the number of contacts an account can message.

There are five tiers that a phone number within a WABA can attain, including:

• Unverified Trial Tier: Send messages to 50 unique Contacts in a rolling 24-hour period & have up to 2 numbers
• Tier 1: Send messages to 1K unique Contacts in a rolling 24-hour period & have up to 20 numbers
• Tier 2: Send messages to 10K unique Contacts in a rolling 24-hour period
• Tier 3: Send messages to 100K unique Contacts in a rolling 24-hour period
• Tier 4: Send messages to unlimited unique Contacts in a rolling 24-hour period

Note: 

• Messaging limits only apply to business-initiated messages called Message Templates.
• Depending on the solution provider, businesses can either start at the Unverified Trial Tier or Tier 1 upon registering their phone number.
• Businesses need to verify their Facebook Business Account to upgrade from the Unverified Trial Tier to Tier 1.
• Upon reaching the messaging limit of the current tier, your messaging limit will be automatically upgraded to the next tier.
• Businesses need to send 1/2 the limit of their messaging tier in 7 days to upgrade to the next tier.
• Businesses will automatically upgrade to the next tier after 24 hours of reaching the messaging limit, provided that they have a good quality rating and a non-Flagged status.
• The messaging limit does not limit the number of messages businesses can send, just the number of unique users they are trying to message.

Messaging in WhatsApp Business API

The WhatsApp Business API supports a variety of file formats which makes it easy to send anything from a multimedia message to a video or geo-location. You can use this to send text messages, multimedia files, documents, contacts and location messages.

There are two types of message formats permitted on the WhatsApp Business API -

1. Session Messages
2. Message Templates

Let's talk about each of them in detail.

Session Messaging

A lot of businesses have a common question: what is a session message in the WhatsApp Business API and how does it impact their usage of the app?

Well, WhatsApp doesn’t allow businesses using WhatsApp API to send anything and anytime they want. Instead, they can only communicate freely with their customers through a feature called Session Messaging.

A session message refers to any message sent by a business in response to a conversation initiated by the customer. The WhatsApp API starts a messaging session when a customer sends a message to the business first, which opens a conversation window for the business to reply within a 24-hour cycle. During this time frame, businesses are able to send anything without any prior approval, provided it abides by the WhatsApp Business Policy and WhatsApp Commerce Policy. Once the 24-hour conversation window expires, businesses can no longer send session messages and they'll have to resort back to sending only approved template messages to the customers so they can respond to them with a text that will activate a new session. 

All these limitations are imposed to prevent spam and ensure that businesses reply to incoming messages quickly. 

Now that you are familiar with how session messaging works, let's go over the various types of Interactive Session Messages.

Interactive Session Messaging

In addition to regular text-based messages, businesses can also send Interactive Session Messages, which provide customers with a more user-friendly format for finding and selecting products or services that they want from your business.

These Interactive Session Messages come in four forms: List Messages, Reply Buttons, Single Product Messages, and Multi-Product Messages. These formats, specifically Single and Multi-Product Messages, are particularly useful for sending catalogues to customers.

To further enhance the customer experience, WhatsApp has introduced a new policy that includes a human agent pathway option within a chat. This allows businesses to provide a more personalized and efficient service to their customers.

Looking for free WhatsApp Promotional Message Templates?

​Click Here to access the 50+ Best WhatsApp Promotional Message Templates That Work Like a Charm!

Human Escalation Pathway

Nobody likes to talk to bots especially when they have an issue that needs human attention. 

WhatsApp has finally recognized this pain point that customers may need to speak with a human agent when they have critical concerns, so they have made it mandatory for businesses to provide a human escalation pathway. 

Some acceptable escalation methods include direct contact with a human agent, support via phone numbers, email, web support forms, and in-store visit prompts. Please note that indirect channels such as social media, help centre web pages, or app links do not meet this requirement. Failure to provide a human escalation pathway may result in a low phone number quality rating and your phone number status will shift to Flagged. A warning message will be sent to your registered email and through an update in your Facebook Business Manager. 

Businesses sending less than 1,000 notifications per week may not be immediately impacted, but to increase messaging limits in the future, the issue must be resolved within 7 days or WhatsApp will restrict the messaging limit.

That concludes everything about Session Messaging. Now, let's move on to understanding how Template Messaging works.

Template Messaging in WhatsApp Business API 

Template messaging is the only way to initiate a conversation with your customers.

These are the standardized, pre-approved message drafts that businesses can use over and over again to shoot a broadcast message or initiate a business conversation with customers on WhatsApp. These templates can be used to reopen the 24-hour messaging window, send appointment reminders, shipping information, issue resolutions, payment updates, or start a new conversation with customers. However, it is important to note that these templates can only be sent to customers who have opted-in and have been approved by WhatsApp.

Businesses must ensure that they meet the requirements listed in the WhatsApp Business API documentation for quick template approval. 

There are 3 types of message templates:

• Text-based Standard Message Templates: Send a message with text only
• Media-based Message Templates: Send a message with an image, video, document, etc.
• Interactive Message Templates: Call-to-action or quick reply buttons that facilitate a user response

Message Template Quality Rating and Status

Not to be confused with phone number quality rating, the Message Template quality rating and status, which can be viewed in the Facebook Business Manager, reflects how well your Message Templates have been received by customers in the past 24 hours. 

The Message Template quality rating has three quality states:

• High (green)
• Medium (yellow)
• Low (red)

The status of a Message Template can be affected by a drop in its quality rating. There are five possible statuses of Message Templates.

• Pending: When a business first submits a template that is yet to be approved
• Approved: When the Message Template is approved
• Rejected: When Message Template is rejected (The reason for the rejection is also shown to help you understand why the templates got rejected)
• Flagged: When the quality rating reaches a Low state
• Disabled: When a Message Template enters the Flagged status and its quality rating does not improve within 7 days, its status will switch to Disabled. You cannot send or edit a Disabled Message Template.
  

Note:

You'll be informed via email notification if your Message Template's status changes to Flagged or Disabled. To avoid having your template disabled, it is important to only send it to customers who have given their consent to receive it.

Supported Template Classes and Categories

Marketing – Send promotional offers, product announcements, and more to increase awareness and engagement. 

Utility – Send account updates, order updates, alerts, and more to share important information. 

Authentication – Send codes that allow your customers to securely access their accounts.

There are 11 categories under which you can create a WhatsApp message template and use it for your WhatsApp broadcast campaigns. Although WhatsApp keeps on adding new features and message templates, only a few specific messages are currently accepted by WhatsApp.

1. Account update
2. Alert update
3. Appointment update
4. Auto-reply
5. Issue resolution
6. Payment update
7. Personal finance update
8. Reservation update
9. Shipping update
10. Ticket update
11. Transportation update

​With this, we have now covered the key details, advantages, and features of WhatsApp Business API in depth. In the next section, we will move on to discussing how to get WhatsApp API. However, If you're still on the fence about subscribing to the WhatsApp Business API, let's take a closer look at the bigger picture. 

Do I Really Need Another Messaging App?

In order to connect with their customers, businesses have long relied on email and SMS. Each of them is an effective channel in its own right. However, as omnichannel becomes more prevalent, this is changing. 

Messaging apps like WhatsApp have become increasingly important in today's omnichannel world, as they offer capabilities that can greatly enhance customer satisfaction while expanding your reach,  improve business deliverability, can manage support costs, increase business conversions, and could also help achieve other key business KPIs. 

WhatsApp is particularly popular in certain regions such as Latin America, Asia, and Africa, allowing businesses to tap into a larger global audience. By incorporating WhatsApp API into your business communication strategy, you can benefit from its remarkable features, remain competitive in the market, and achieve greater success in customer communication.

We've compiled five reasons to consider using WhatsApp Business API in your customer communications.

Creating Superior Brand Connections

WhatsApp provides a closed, personal environment for businesses to communicate one-on-one with their customers through "Business Profiles," a unique, fully-branded business identity. This allows businesses to provide specific information and offers to customers, and inject their brand personality into every interaction. Verification of all business accounts also assures customers that they are communicating with the actual business.

Connecting with Customers Where They Already Are

Traditional communication channels like phone calls and emails are being replaced by more convenient, omnichannel solutions. Today, WhatsApp is a preferred channel for any kind of communication, with nine out of ten consumers preferring to use messaging to communicate with businesses, according to a study by Dimension Data. With its widespread use, businesses can reach customers on a platform they are already familiar with, increasing the chances of successful engagement.

Engaging Globally

If your customer base is global, or if your customers travel globally, then WhatsApp is a great platform to engage with them. It's the number one messaging app in Latin America, Europe, Africa, and Asia, making it an ideal platform for businesses looking to tap into a more global market. 

Championing Two-Sided Conversations

WhatsApp Business API enables businesses to have two-sided conversations with customers, allowing them to respond to customer inquiries and feedback in real time, creating a more engaging and personalized customer experience.

Messaging Privately and Securely 

WhatsApp is known for its end-to-end encryption which ensures that all communication between businesses and customers is private and secure. This gives customers peace of mind that their personal information is safe, and it also helps build trust in the business.

Now that you know why you need to shift your business communication to WhatsApp Business API, let's find out how you can get a WhatsApp API account.

How to Get WhatsApp Business API?

There are two ways through which you can get WhatsApp Business API:

1. Direct sign-up from Meta
2. Through a solution provider such as DoubleTick

Directly from Meta

You can directly apply for the official WhatsApp Business API from Meta but going down this path isn’t particularly efficient. If you're a mid-scale company you'd need a developer to set up the API which is too labour-intensive and technically challenging.

Through a Solution Provider

A solution provider will get quick approval and can swiftly set up the WhatsApp Business API platform for you. For instance, with DoubleTick, the process takes between two to three days. With DoubleTick the possibilities to scale your business is endless. 

Getting Started With DoubleTick - WhatsApp Business API Solution Providers

DoubleTick has everything that you've been looking for in a MarCom solution. Here are the key features you can't miss:

Cloud-based Team Inbox

Have a robust communication system in place by offering a cloud-based inbox for every salesperson that can be accessed at diverse roles.

Invite Members with Specific Role-based Access Control

Create teams for your salesperson and define roles. It also means assigning tickets to the team members to address customers’ queries.

Detailed Productivity Reports

Measure your sales team's performance by analyzing their response time and quality. A real-time report will help you better manage, execute, and analyze sales. An in-depth insight will empower you to improve your leads conversion rate, improve campaign quality and team performance.

WhatsApp Automation

AI-powered advanced chatbot to answer customers’ queries in seconds. Now fulfil your customer's expectations and needs by setting auto-replies to their queries with chat automation. Set custom message templates and auto-messaging with a CTA button for a different range of queries.

Broadcast and Bulk WhatsApp Messaging

Customer engagement and product promotions are fun now with unlimited WhatsApp messaging! Save time and increase productivity by sending messages to unlimited end-users in one go. Also, either you create a WhatsApp broadcast group or let the system create it for you based on the events. The best part is that the message will be delivered to your customer's inboxes individually offering them a personalized commerce experience. You can also add CTA buttons in the message with any link, logic or action to let the user act to your wish. 

Broadcast Analytics Report

Know your WhatsApp marketing broadcast campaign metrics in real-time. Get the delivery rate insights, the number of people read, failed to deliver and much more.

Unified WhatsApp Channel

Managing customers' queries have become hassle-free as the entire team will have a unified WhatsApp channel to interact with the customers that can be accessed with an unlimited number of devices. Now respond to 1000s of customer queries in a second with the same number.

Easy Native Integration

Be it Zapier, WooCommerce, Google Sheets, Pabbly or anything, choose your favourite tool and integrate it with DoubleTick in just a few clicks.

Differentiated WABA Numbers

​To cater to cross-functional teams and members, DoubleTick provides differentiated WhatsApp Business API (WABA) numbers, ensuring clarity in communication roles.

​Block Unwanted Interactions

Maintain the sanctity of your communication. With the feature to block unwanted messages, ensure that your interactions remain productive and spam-free.

Have questions about the product features and services, join a FREE DEMO with our team or read more about DoubleTick HERE

Why DoubleTick?

There are many reasons to love DoubleTick if you're looking for the best MarCom tool that can take care of your entire marketing communication on WhatsApp. Here are a few of the top reasons to sign up with DoubleTick WhatsApp Business API.  

AI-Powered Commerce BOT

Now sell your product faster with DoubleTick’s advanced commerce BOT, powered by AI. Every product image you share with your client will have a deep integrated CTA to “add to the cart”, “enquire more” or whatsoever of your choice. Not just that, your customer could add the product to the cart by simply forwarding the image to you or by replying to it from the catalogue shared, making it a superfast and convenient selling. You’ll also have an open window to access and view the cart to make necessary modifications that’d enhance the personal commerce experience of the users. Receive payments, share billing invoices and much more. 

Share Product Catalogs on WhatsApp

Integrate your product catalogues with QuickSell and extensively share them with one or many customers in just one click. Get real-time live analytics reports, inventory status, change product prices as per the need, and much more.

Share Multiple Product Images

While most WhatsApp marketing tools don’t allow you to send multiple images at once here comes DoubleTick which lets you share as many pictures as you want in a catalogue. You can share photos in a bundle with all the key details about the product such as price, specifications, description and so on.

End-to-end Order Booking 

DoubleTick enables your customer to enquire, engage, book orders and make payments on the same platform. They needn't move to a different site, page or tool to complete the transaction.

Simple and Mobile-Friendly 

In today's mobile-driven world, business needs to have a mobile-friendly tool. DoubleTick is made to offer you a robust mobile experience where you can manage and control all your business through your smartphone.

Great UI/UX

Unlike traditional WhatsApp marketing tools, DoubleTick is simple and comprehensive. Its intuitive user interface makes it easy to navigate across the feature boards.

End-to-end Data Encryption

DoubleTick never shows customer details to the sales agent making it secure from any customer data leak. Now don't worry if your chotu gets separated from your business as your data is encrypted and secure with you leaving no chance of lead exchange to competitors or infiltration.

And of course, 24/7 Customer support via WhatsApp, call or email

Getting WhatsApp Business API In Under 5 Minutes

Signing up for WhatsApp Business API using DoubleTick only takes 5 minutes. If your Meta Business Manager is verified, you can get started with DoubleTick within 5 minutes. If however, you need help with Meta Business Manager verification, we can help you with that, and the process will take around 3 days to a week depending on how ready you are with your documents as well as the response time from Meta. You will receive a confirmation email once the account is set up. 

To access WhatsApp API on DoubleTick, you need to follow these steps:

1. Get a phone number that does not have an existing WhatsApp account.
2. Sign up for a WhatsApp API provider, such as DoubleTick.
3. Complete Facebook Business verification.

After these steps, you will be able to use all the functionalities of WhatsApp Business APIs on the DoubleTick dashboard.

Get a Phone Number

You can either buy a new phone number for your WhatsApp Business API Account or use an existing one. Please keep in mind that the phone number should be able to receive a phone call or SMS from an international number. 

It's recommended to use a new phone number for your WhatsApp API account or use a number that doesn't have any existing WhatsApp Account because you'll lose the data from the existing number in case you're planning to use it

If you've registered with WhatsApp Business API before, you can even migrate to DoubleTick.

Signup with DoubleTick WhatsApp Business API

Signup with a plan and make payment. 

You'll then be redirected to a link that lets you connect with your Facebook Business Manager.

1. Click "Continue with Facebook" and log in using your Facebook account.
2. Click "Get Started" on the next page.
3. Link your account with a Facebook Business Manager.
4. Create a new or link to an existing Facebook Business Account.
5. Set up a WhatsApp Business Account (WABA).
6. Proceed to step 2.
7. Fill in the WhatsApp Business Display Name.
8. Select an Industry Category and continue.
9. Provide your WhatsApp number and select the verification method (SMS or Voice).
10. Enter the 6-digit verification code and click "OK" on the final step.

Upon completion of these steps, you will receive your account information via email within 15 minutes.

Verify Your Facebook Business Manager

After completing the above process, you will receive your DoubleTick WhatsApp API access, but in order to get full access, you must complete your Facebook Business Verification.

Requisites To Apply for DoubleTick WhatsApp Business API

You need:

• A Facebook Business Manager account
• A verified business
• A WhatsApp business account
• A fresh phone number
• A Line of Credit for your WhatsApp business account
• A command line tool such as Terminal or an app like Postman that can perform URL requests (Not needed if applied via DoubleTick)
  

We'd also need at least two documents from the below list to verify the business:

• Business bank statement
• Business License
• Certificate of incorporation
• Goods and services tax registration certificate (GST)
• Permanent account number card (PAN)
• Shop establishment certificate
• Udyog Aadhar / MSME Certificate
• Utility bill

We can't onboard you if the above documents are not available.

Note: 

• You'll have to get a new phone number for your WhatsApp Business API account as you can't use this for your personal use.
• You can also use your existing phone number for your WhatsApp Business API account but all your data will be erased and you'll not be able to use it for your personal use any further.

Hope you've made your decision by now and are ready to move ahead with DoubleTick as your WhatsApp business solution partner. DoubleTick WhatsApp Business API on mobile is the best and most instant way to supercharge your WhatsApp business today. 

Let's now look at how to verify your Facebook Business Manager.

How to Verify Your Facebook Business Manager?

To verify your Facebook Business Manager in WhatsApp Business API, you will need to follow these steps:

1. Go to your Facebook Business Manager account by clicking HERE and navigating to the Business Settings.
2. On the left-hand side panel click “Security Centre” and click the button “Start verification” to begin the verification process.
3. In the next step, you will be prompted to link your WhatsApp account to your Facebook Business Manager account.
4. If your WhatsApp account is not already linked to your Facebook Business Manager account, you will need to provide your WhatsApp phone number and verify it via a text message.
5. After you have linked your WhatsApp account to your Facebook Business Manager account, you will be prompted to select a Page for your WhatsApp account.
6. Select the Page that you want to associate with your WhatsApp account.
7. Next, you will be prompted to provide your business information, such as your legal business name, address, email, phone number, and website URL.
8. Once you have provided your business information, you will be prompted to upload a copy of your business registration certificate or other business documents as per the requirement of your country or region.
9. Now upload a document to verify your business's legal name, address, and phone number. Provide a phone number in case Facebook were to make a verification call.
10. Verify the credentials via a code shared by Facebook. You can choose to receive a verification code via email or phone number. Do note that email is the fastest verification mode.
11. Wait for the verification process to be completed. You will receive a notification once your account has been verified.

Please note that the verification process may vary depending on the country and industry you are in, and WhatsApp may ask you for additional information or documentation to verify your account.

Now that you've successfully verified your Facebook Business Manager, it's time to move on to the next step and look at what you should do after setting up WhatsApp API.

What To Do After Setting Up WhatsApp Business API?

Now that you have a solid understanding of the WhatsApp Business API and how to set it up, let's look at the further actions that need to be taken from a business standpoint.

Get a Verified WhatsApp Green Tick Badge

Although it doesn’t add to any of the features or functionalities of the WhatsApp Business API, it's still one of the most coveted chases of the business. A verified green tick badge next to your business display name can build a huge amount of trust among your customers. 

Well, not everyone is eligible for a green tick badge. Businesses that send a massive amount of messages per day by adhering to the WhatsApp community guidelines, have good phone number status ratings (No spam or reports) and have a great presence of their brand are more likely to get it as compared to local small businesses.

If your brand meets these criteria then Doubletick can assist in getting you the green tick badge next to your display name quickly.

Remember, all WhatsApp Business API features are available and ready to use even if your account is not verified.

Want to get a verified green tick badge on WhatsApp but struggling to get it? Here is your step-by-step guide to getting a verified Green Tick Badge on WhatsApp.​

Best Practices - Do's and Don'ts

By now we've completely understood that WhatsApp Business API is a powerful MarCom tool for businesses to communicate with their customers and clients. However, it is important to use it responsibly and effectively. 

In this section, we will discuss some best practices for using WhatsApp Business API, including things to do and things to avoid. By following these guidelines, businesses can ensure that they are using WhatsApp Business to its fullest potential while also maintaining the trust and respect of their customers.

Opt-ins in WhatsApp Business API

With a focus on maintaining a healthy customer experience, WhatsApp has stated in its Business Policy that a company can initiate a WhatsApp message only to a person who has opted-in (or given permission to receive a message). 

Follow the Opt-In guideline:

• Clearly communicate the benefits of receiving important updates via WhatsApp to customers.
• Clearly specify the types of messages customers will receive if they opt in.
• Collect active consent from customers, such as by having them enter their phone number or check a box.
• Opt-ins can be collected through various methods, including SMS, interactive voice response (IVR), website forms, WhatsApp Ads, WhatsApp links, WhatsApp QR codes or through WhatsApp conversations (customer-initiated messages).

Verifying and Importing Contacts

It's important to manage user contacts and identities in WhatsApp API. Verifying and importing contacts to the WhatsApp API Dashboard is one of the crucial parts of it.

• Before importing contacts, ensure that the contacts have a valid WhatsApp number. This is crucial as sending messages to non-existent WhatsApp numbers can negatively impact your quality rating.
• As a measure to prevent spamming WhatsApp may ban API account users who verify too many phone numbers without sending messages to them.
• WhatsApp API does not store contacts, so after verifying, you can import them to a WhatsApp CRM

Sometimes, customers may change their phone number or their ownership, and businesses may not be aware of this unless they choose to receive User Identity Notifications.

User Identity Notifications

User Identity Notifications allow businesses to confirm that they are communicating with the right contact. When a business opts into these notifications, they will receive alerts when a message is received from a number that has been re-registered under a new user.

Businesses must acknowledge re-registration before they can message these numbers. This protects both businesses and customers from sensitive information being shared on WhatsApp. Additionally, User Identity Notifications help prevent businesses from getting flagged for spamming, by ensuring that they are only messaging individuals who have opted-in.

Apart from these here are a few quick tips to ace your business through WhatsApp Business API:

• Have a separate email ID for all business-related communication
• Get a new phone number or use the one that isn't currently registered with any of the WhatsApp accounts
• Don't spam your customers with aggressive messaging
• Never bombard your customers with blind promotions
• Always include a "STOP" button CTA in the message template while shooting a broadcast to new customers. This is to avoid "REPORT" and "SPAM"
• Always include an acknowledgement button in the message template for the user to receive your messages/notifications on a routine note, such as "Send such messages to me"
• The message must not have any grammatical errors or inappropriate words that violate the community guidelines of WhatsApp
• Ensure the message formatting is right
• The tone of the WhatsApp message cannot be sales-oriented or a pitch for your products and services
• Curate message templates only under the supported categories and language
• Never ask for any sensitive information

Wrapping Up!

Congratulations on reaching the end of this learning journey about WhatsApp Business API and its features. Now that you have gained a comprehensive understanding of the capabilities of the WhatsApp Business API, it's time to apply your newfound knowledge and take your business to new heights.

The automation features of the chatbot are just the beginning of the potential of the WhatsApp Business API. So go ahead and explore all the possibilities that it offers and unlock the true potential of your business with DoubleTick WhatsApp Business API.

💪 Ready to get started? Book a FREE demo with us and start your journey to success!

👉 Get Your Free DEMO Now 👈

Or Download the application from the Playstore or Appstore

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Frequently Asked Questions

Question: Is WhatsApp Business API free?

Answer: No, the WhatsApp Business API is not free. However, you can try our demo account to experience the feature and technology. Download the DoubleTick App to test with a demo account.

Download the application from the Playstore or Appstore

Download from Playstore

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Question: Can I use WhatsApp Business APP and WhatsApp Business API on the same number?

Answer: No, you can't use WhatsApp Business APP and WhatsApp Business API on the same number. 

Question: Can I send automated messages using WhatsApp Business API?

Answer: Yes, with WhatsApp APIs' AI-powered advanced chatbot you can preset replies and send automated messages to your customers. 

Question: Can I access WhatsApp on multiple devices with WhatsApp Business API?

Answer: Yes, with WhatsApp Business API you can access WhatsApp on unlimited devices based on your subscription with your business solution provider. With DoubleTick WhatsApp API you can access all the top-notch features across your devices irrespective of the subscription you sign up with us. 

Question: What is a 24-hour messaging window?

Answer: When a customer initiates a conversation with the business it kicks off a 24-hour WhatsApp "session window" during which the business can send non-templated messages to the customer. This could be text, multimedia messages, documents, locations or anything that comes under the guidelines of the WhatsApp community. A WhatsApp session window lasts for 24 hours after the last inbound message the business receives from a customer. After that, the business can't reply. Businesses can only send outbound business-initiated messages (marketing, reminders, and the like) to customers who have opted in.

Question: How can I get a verified WhatsApp official business account?

Answer: You can get a verified WhatsApp official business account with WhatsApp Business API. 

If you're already a WhatsApp Business API user with a good track record of sending messages, following WhatsApp community guidelines and having a good phone number quality rating and strong brand presence, then we can assist in getting you the green tick badge next to your display name quickly.

Question: How many users can use WhatsApp Business API?

Answer: An unlimited number of users can have access to the WhatsApp Business API basis your subscription with your business solution provider

Question: What are the message template types in WhatsApp Business API?

Answer: Below are the supported message template types and their categories in WhatsApp Business API. 

Supported Template Classes and Categories

Marketing – Send promotional offers, product announcements, and more to increase awareness and engagement. 

Utility – Send account updates, order updates, alerts, and more to share important information. 

Authentication – Send codes that allow your customers to securely access their accounts.

There are 11 categories under which you can create a WhatsApp message template and use it for your WhatsApp broadcast campaigns. Although WhatsApp keeps on adding new features and message templates, only a few specific messages are currently accepted by WhatsApp.

1. Account update
2. Alert update
3. Appointment update
4. Auto-reply
5. Issue resolution
6. Payment update
7. Personal finance update
8. Reservation update
9. Shipping update
10. Ticket update
11. Transportation update

Question: What is the most crucial factor that helps you get a Green Tick badge on WhatsApp?

Answer: Here are the key factors that can help you get a green tick badge on WhatsApp:

• Adhering to WhatsApp's community guidelines
• Having a good phone number rating (no spam or reports)
• A strong brand presence with 3 organic PR releases
• A high volume of messages sent through the WhatsApp Business API
• Compliance with WhatsApp's policies and verification criteria.

Ultimately, WhatsApp will review your account and determine if it meets its criteria for verification.

Question: Can I make my own WhatsApp API?

Answer: No, by no means you can make your own WhatsApp API. It has to be officially signed up via Meta or a solution provider, such as DoubleTick. 

Question: How to integrate WhatsApp Business API into the website?

Answer: Integrating WhatsApp Business API into a website involves a few steps:

1. Create a WhatsApp Business API account: You will need to create an account on the WhatsApp Business API website and register your business.
2. Get WhatsApp Business API credentials: Once your account is set up, you will be able to receive your WhatsApp Business API credentials, including an API key and a phone number.
3. Implement the WhatsApp Business API on your website: You can implement the WhatsApp Business API on your website using the WhatsApp Web Business API Client. You can also create a chat interface on your website, allowing customers to message your business through WhatsApp.
4. Use the WhatsApp Business API Client: You can use the WhatsApp Business API client to send and receive messages, manage conversations, and handle other WhatsApp Business API functionality. You will need to use your credentials (API key, phone number) to authenticate the client and connect to WhatsApp.
5. Test and Monitor: Test the integration to ensure it's working as expected, monitor the performance and troubleshoot if there are any issues.
6. Customize the Chat Interface: You can customize the chat interface to match the look and feel of your website, including the logo, colour scheme, and message templates.

It's important to note that for integrating WhatsApp Business API into your website, you will need technical knowledge and development resources.

DoubleTick could help you integrate WhatsApp Business API into your website. And not just that, you can integrate DoubleTick WhatsApp Business API into any of your CRM and any third-party app that would give you a comprehensive view of all your customer interactions.

Click HERE for easy ways to add WhatsApp to your website for FREE

Question: How to get a WhatsApp Business API account?

Answer: There are two ways through which you can get WhatsApp Business API:

1. Direct sign-up from Meta
2. Through a solution provider such as DoubleTick

You can directly sign-up from Meta but going down this path isn’t particularly efficient. If you're a mid-scale company, you'd need a developer to set up the API which is too labour-intensive and technically challenging.

On the other hand, a solution provider will get quick approval and can swiftly set up the WhatsApp Business API platform for you. For instance, with DoubleTick, the process takes between two to three days. With DoubleTick the possibilities to scale your business is endless. 

Kindly email us at grow@quicksell.co or Click here to get a free demo to know about our product offering, features and pricing plans.

​👉 Get Your Free DEMO Now 👈

​

Question: Can I send bulk messages on WhatsApp Business API?

Answer: Yes, you can send unlimited WhatsApp messages via WhatsApp Business API basis your messaging tier.

Question: Can I send a message template with promotional content?

Answer: It depends on the country where the brand is based. Non-transactional messages (aka marketing) are available for selected countries. The submission process is the same as any other message template. 

Question: How can I create a message template?

Answer: Get to know about the elements message templates are composed of: 

• For text-only message templates, all you need is body text. 
• For media message templates, you can use all the elements at your disposal, including a header caption for your media, footer text, and interactive buttons.

Question: Do I have to pay for failed broadcast messages?

Answer: No, since failed messages are not delivered to recipients, there will be no charges involved. However, you may need to update the contact list as these failed messages mean the recipient is inactive or has not opted in to receive messages from your business. This may negatively affect your phone number quality rating. 

Question: Are there any free conversations under the new pricing model?

Answer: Yes, For every WABA account, the first 1,000 conversations/month are free for user-initiated conversations only

Question: Does DoubleTick offer a free trial?

Answer: Yes, we do offer a demo account that you can play with. Download the DoubleTick App to test with a demo account.

Download from Playstore

Download from Appstore

Question: What’s DoubleTick’s pricing plan? 

Answer: Kindly email us at grow@quicksell.co or Click here and get a free demo to learn about DoubleTick’s features and pricing plans.

Question: How many team members can I add to my DoubleTick account?

Answer: You can add unlimited team members to DoubleTick.

Question: In how many days will the DoubleTick setup be ready for my WhatsApp Business account?

Answer: If your Meta Business Manager is verified, you can get started with DoubleTick within 5 minutes. If however, you need help with Meta Business Manager verification, we can help you with that, and the process will take around 3 days to a week depending on how ready you are with your documents as well as the response time from Meta.

Question: Can I use my existing number for DoubleTick?

Answer: Yes, you can use your existing number with DoubleTick. However, we would recommend that you use a new number instead of using an existing one to ensure smooth operations for your business.

Question: Can I use my WhatsApp business app number and DoubleTick number at the same time?

Answer: No, at a time you can use only one account. Data from your WhatsApp business account will be erased once you switch to DoubleTick. 

Question: To how many customers can I shoot the broadcast messages?

Answer: There is no restriction. You can create unlimited broadcast groups and shoot messages to unlimited contacts. However, Meta might restrict you if a lot of customers mark your message as spam. The best practice is to enable the STOP bot on DoubleTick and send your templates with a STOP quick reply message so that people who are not interested in your communication can easily press STOP to get opted out instead of reporting your number as SPAM to WhatsApp.

Question: Can I automate and schedule broadcast messages?

Answer: You can automate WhatsApp messages and schedule broadcasts with DoubleTick.

Question: Does DoubleTick come with a bulk contact upload feature?

Answer: Yes, you can simply upload an Excel file having contact details to the dashboard and shoot messages in bulk to unlimited customers. 

Question: How many devices does DoubleTick support?

Answer: An unlimited number of devices can be used with DoubleTick. However, access to the number of accounts will be based on your subscription.