1. Overview & Connection Methods
WhatsApp is the primary channel for high-volume, global customer engagement. You can connect WhatsApp to the BusinessChat platform using one of two methods:
Meta Embedded Signup / 360dialog (WhatsApp Business API): Direct WhatsApp Business API connection for dedicated enterprise messaging.
WhatsApp Business App Coexistence: Connect your existing WhatsApp Business App directly to our platform without giving up the native phone app you already use day-to-day.
2. WhatsApp Business App Coexistence
With WhatsApp Coexistence, you no longer have to choose between your phone app and our platform. The native WhatsApp Business App and our platform work together on the exact same phone number.
Core Capabilities:
Mobile App Continuity: Continue using the WhatsApp Business App on your mobile device for daily 1-on-1 conversations.
Platform Power: Use BusinessChat for automated bot flows, marketing campaigns, AI bots, and multi-agent team inbox collaboration.
Two-Way Sync: Sync historical and new messages as well as contacts seamlessly across both mobile and web platform experiences.
Step-by-Step Onboarding:
Go to Settings → WhatsApp Numbers and click Connect Number.
Select WhatsApp Business App.
Enter your WhatsApp phone number and follow the onboarding prompt.
Open the WhatsApp Business App on your mobile device and scan the displayed QR code.
Accept the requested permissions and complete setup.
Important: we advise contacting your account manager to ensure correct setup.
3. Coexistence AI Bot & Agent Handover Behavior
To prevent AI bots from interfering with human agents who are actively messaging customers from their mobile phone app, specific coexistence logic is enforced.
Human Agent Takeover Detection:
When a conversation is assigned to an AI Bot and a human agent takes over by sending a message directly to the customer from the WhatsApp Business App on their phone, the platform detects the native agent activity, automatically escalates the conversation, and assigns it to the default team.
Why it matters: Guarantees that the AI bot will not interrupt or send automated replies while an agent is actively chatting with the contact on the phone app.
Silent AI Escalation & Unread Status Preservation:
When the AI bot in a coexistence setup determines that it needs to escalate a conversation:
The AI bot does not send an escalation message to the customer.
The platform automatically turns off co-op mode.
Why it matters: Suppressing the outgoing escalation message and disabling co-op mode ensures that the last customer message remains marked as UNREAD inside the agent's native WhatsApp Business App on their phone, clearly alerting the phone agent to respond.
4. Real-Time Health Checks & Restriction Protection
Meta actively notifies the platform when a WhatsApp number is flagged or restricted. BusinessChat acts on these signals automatically instead of letting messages fail silently.
Protective Safeguards:
Inbox Sending Blocks: Inbox sending is automatically restricted when a number is flagged. Depending on the restriction type:
Partial Restriction: New outbound conversations and templates are blocked, while customer replies within an open 24-hour window are still allowed.
Full Restriction: All messaging is blocked.
Campaign Halts: Outbound campaigns cannot be launched from a restricted number. Active, running campaigns are stopped immediately to prevent wasted sends or repeated rejections.
Automation Halts: Automations are halted immediately when a number is restricted, rather than failing step-by-step.
Real-Time In-App Banners: In-app banners display the affected number, the exact reason for restriction, and when the restriction will end. Banners update in real time without needing a page refresh and auto-clear once the restriction expires.
5. Reply Windows, Messaging Tiers & Throttling
24-Hour Reply Window: The 24-hour clock triggers upon receipt of the last customer message. Once closed, conversations can be reopened at any time by sending an approved WhatsApp Template Message.
Tier Capping Safeguard: Outbound campaign sends are automatically capped at 95% of your daily Meta tier limit by design to prevent accidental tier overrun and account suspension.
Campaign Throttling: Outbound marketing campaigns are throttled at a maximum rate of 20 messages per second.
6. Outbound & Inbound Messaging Capabilities
Supported Outbound: Text (up to 4,096 chars), Photos/Images (5 MB max), Video (16 MB max), Audio (16 MB max), Voice Notes (512 KB max), Documents (100 MB max), Message Reactions, Location sharing, Button Menus, List Menus, CTA-URL Buttons, Carousels, Product Cards / Product Lists, and WhatsApp Flows.
Unsupported Outbound: Direct social post sharing.