Today we’re adding WhatsApp as a channel available to all Atlas users. You can now reach your customers in one of the most pervasive and convenient channels available. Let’s review how WhatsApp works as a channel in Atlas, the use case restrictions, and how to get it setup for your account.
Talk to your customers through WhatsApp
You can now talk to your customers via WhatsApp. Once enabled, your customers can contact you at your WhatsApp business number and you’ll receive messages just like you would through any other channel. You can respond freely within 24 hours (afterwards, you’re required to use templates — see the next section for more details).
If you’re a B2C startup or located outside of the US, there’s a good chance that this will have the highest response rate from your customers.
WhatsApp Templates
When you send a message to a customer more than 24 hours since their last response, WhatsApp requires you to use a pre-approved template.
Templates can be any message with variables in them labeled as curly braces with the variable number inside, starting at 1 (ie,{{1}}, {{2}}, {{3}}, etc.). Here are the official guidelines for WhatsApp templates. For example,
Your appointment for {{1}} is scheduled for {{2}}. Need to reschedule? Tap below to reply.
To create a new template, just go to the App Config > Channels > WhatsApp page and create a new template using the above format. Templates are generally approved (or rejected) within 24 hours. If a template is rejected, we’ll let you know why and suggest a fix.
Whenever you are required to use a template, you’ll see a banner inside the composer along with an option to select from your list of approved templates. Once you’ve selected a template, update the placeholder value and you’re good to go.
Onboarding
Onboarding takes anywhere from 2-4 weeks due to processing times with Twilio and Meta.
If you’re interested in using WhatsApp as a channel, respond to this email (or ping us via chat, Slack, etc.) and we’ll start processing your application.
Happy chatting!
