WhatsApp Integration
About
If you would like to send and receive messages from a WhatsApp Business account through Echo, you can integrate your WhatsApp Business account into Echo.
Using WhatsApp through a Third-Party App (Like Echo)
The WhatsApp Business API Platform (what Meta calls the account version that connects through third-party vendors, like Echo) is designed to help businesses scale responses when it becomes big enough to need more than one person managing the account messages. it was designed to be pretty straight forward and without a lot of extra features. You can send text, audio, video, images through WhatsApp.
Connecting into a tool like Echo can be really beneficial in that way, however, there are limitations that apply to using Meta's WhatsApp Business API through a third-party vendor that don't exist when you are using their personal or business versions on your individual phone. It's definitely important to understand these differences as Meta has set the rules and Echo as the third-party vendor is not able to do workarounds and must abide by those rules.
Below I have explained the main limitations and answered the questions you've asked.
Cost: There is a cost associated with an WhatsApp Business API account. The current cost is:
- $150 one time set-up service charge (application fee) - will be on your echo invoice for the first month you have access)
- $150 a month per WhatsApp instance
- $300 a month Ministry WhatsApp Access fee
So for one WhatsApp account, it will cost your ministry $450 per month and will show on your monthly invoices.
- $10 a month for a phone number from Echo - The phone number does not need to live in Echo if you have a phone number you already own and want to use (and you have access to receive calls or SMS from it). But if you do want to purchase a phone number through Echo that you'll use for your WhatsApp account, that phone number charge is a monthly fee of $10.00.
Approval: The first step of the process is getting your WhatsApp account approved through Meta, which includes specific information. You can find this information in the next section of this document. There is a place in Echo where you provide that information and then we will work with the vendor we use for the API integration to get that account approved and set up in Echo.
Once approved, the account can only be used through the third-party vendor, therefore, you do not have access to a WhatsApp dashboard, and the account conversations can only be accessed through the third-party vendor (Echo). We have limited access to the account where we can add public information like your ministry logo, a description, contact info for your ministry, websites, things like that. The content creation options that the WhatsApp Business phone app has are not available in the WhatsApp Business API account.
User-Initiated Conversations Only: Businesses can only send messages to users who first initiated conversation with them by sending the business a message through WhatsApp. Except in the case of pre-determined and approved by Meta message templates.
Message Templates: The thing about these pre-approved message templates is that Meta has designed the templates with businesses in mind that do order fulfillment, product purchase, Login Authorization, etc. Not with ministries in mind and how ministries communicate with people. We have not had any customers use message templates, and haven't really put it out there as an option because we don't think Meta will approve the kind of communication our ministry customers will want to use.
Time Limits: Once a user sends in a message to your WhatsApp Business account, your business/ministry has 24 hours to send messages out to that user. After 24 hours, if the user hasn't sent you another message, you cannot send anything else out. The 24 hour window starts over each time the user sends in a message to your business.
Limited Metrics: You will have metrics in Echo related to your conversations (# conversations, # messages, conversation content, client name). But WhatsApp does not share with third-party vendors any other demographic information about the client.
Auto Responders: Echo does allow you to set up autoresponder campaigns with WhatsApp (just like you can do with SMS), which would allow you to send out an automated message to WhatsApp users who message in a keyword that you've set up. The caveat is that the 24 hour limit still applies, so the information you want to send needs to go out within 24 hours and if the user doesn't reply back, you won't be able to follow up after the 24 hours is up.
Information needed to request WhatsApp Business Access:
You can start the process for your WhatsApp integration in your Echo system Admin>Integrations>WhatsApp
To request a new WhatsApp integration, you will need to know the following information:
Brand Information:
- Name of Brand:
- Address:
- City:
- State:
- Zip/Postal:
- Country:
Project Sponsor Information:
- First Name:
- Last Name:
- Email (Email domain must be affiliated to the brand):
- Phone:
WhatsApp Info:
- Facebook Business Manager ID (can be found here: https://business.facebook.com/settings/info):
- Desired Phone Number for WhatsApp Business Account, with country code (This number cannot already be used in WhatsApp)Note: If you don't have a phone number, one can be purchased in Echo at Admin>Phone Numbers for $10.00 a month.Tip: If you want to use a number that is currently connected to a WhatsApp account, it can be a tricky process. You would have to complete a migration process to delete the account associated with the phone number. This process can be found here.
- Display Name associated to the number (cannot be modified after activation). Please read these Display Name rules before deciding on your Display Name -https://developers.facebook.com/docs/whatsapp/guides/display-name If your display name is rejected in the process, you will be asked to select a different one.
- Region for your app: US or EU
Before submitting your form, you will also need to sign the WhatsApp End Client Terms. The document that needs to be signed digitally can be found here.
Next Steps
Once you've submitted your form, it will be received by the Echo team. We will review the information and may contact you by email if we have further questions. Once we have all of the needed information, we will submit your application for approval and email you with the next steps.
