How To Set Up WhatsApp in Birdeye?
Businesses can now set up their WhatsApp accounts directly within Birdeye. They can now onboard their number on WhatsApp Business API through the Birdeye dashboard for seamless communication. Each WhatsApp number is uniquely mapped to a specific location (one-to-one mapping), similar to how phone numbers are assigned for texting. The Birdeye texting numbers that are assigned can also be onboarded as a WhatsApp Business number.
NOTE:
The phone number you are connecting must be able to receive an OTP (One-Time Password). Additionally, you cannot onboard a number that is currently in use with the WhatsApp mobile app.
Setting Up WhatsApp in Birdeye
Go to ‘Settings,’ click ‘Integrations,’ and select WhatsApp.
If you're setting up WhatsApp for the first time, click ‘Setup WhatsApp.’ A drawer will open on the right, where you need to select the location you want to connect or integrate the number with.
If you have already set up WhatsApp and want to connect a new number to a different location, click ‘Connect more locations.’
Select the location you want to connect with WhatsApp and click ‘Connect.’
The image below shows the details of your business location, such as:
Birdeye texting number – This is the texting number linked to your selected location. You can copy the Birdeye texting number if you want this number to connect to WhatsApp.
Location name - The name of your business location.
Business display name - This is your business location alias, which you can use as a display name. The display name will appear in WhatsApp.
Category - The business category your organization serves, along with the Time zone, Website, and Business description.
Click ‘Continue’ to proceed.
You will be prompted to log in to your Facebook business profile.
Click ‘Continue.’
Click ‘Get started.’
You can choose an existing business portfolio or create a new one. If you create a new business portfolio, you need to fill in the business information, such as business name, email address, business website, or profile page, country, and click ‘Next.’
All the existing WhatsApp business accounts (WABA) show up here. The user can choose any one, or they can choose to create a new WhatsApp business account.
Once the user selects an existing WABA, all existing WhatsApp business profile links to that WABA will show up in the dropdown.
Click ‘Next’ to proceed.
If you choose an existing WABA (WhatsApp Business Account), the fields shown in the image below will be pre-filled. If you're creating a new WABA, you'll need to manually enter the WhatsApp Business display name, select the appropriate category, and click ‘Next’ to continue.
The user can copy and paste the Birdeye texting number here that is given by default to each location, or the user can add a different phone number. Click ‘Next’ to verify the number.
Click ‘Next’ after entering the verification code.
NOTE:
If the user uses the Birdeye texting number, the OTP will be sent to the Birdeye inbox of that particular business location.
Click ‘Continue.’
Click ‘Finish.’
WhatsApp is now connected. The number is now linked to your location and will show up in your Inbox as a new WhatsApp channel.
You can view a list of WhatsApp numbers along with their connection status (connected, disconnected, and more), associated business locations, linked phone numbers, WhatsApp business display names, and WhatsApp business account names.
Scroll right, and you can view more information, such as Quality rating, Messaging limit, and Country names.
The initial messaging limit is set to 250 per 24-hour window. As you continue to send messages and build a positive reputation with WhatsApp, this limit can gradually increase, potentially up to unlimited.
NOTE:
This is a WhatsApp spam prevention policy, not a limitation imposed by Birdeye.
WhatsApp evaluates the quality rating based on how businesses use their phone numbers, including the frequency, volume, and user response to the messages sent.
Hover over it, click ‘Actions’ to ‘Remove mapping,’ ‘Remove number,’ and ‘Verify business.’
Benefits of verifying your business:
- Access to Green Tick Badge - Only businesses that complete verification are eligible to apply for the Official Business Account (green tick) - a mark of authenticity.
- Enables Display Name Approval - Only verified businesses can have their WhatsApp Business Display Name officially shown to users in chats.
- Increases Messaging Limits - Without verification, you’re restricted to messaging only 250 unique users per 24 hours. Once verified, WhatsApp allows you to scale to higher tiers (1,000 → 10,000 → Unlimited), depending on usage and quality rating.
To know more about how to verify your business, refer to this link.
Setting Up Message Templates
Access and use all your WhatsApp templates within the Birdeye dashboard.
Users can create WhatsApp message templates in the Meta Business Manager through the WhatsApp Manager section.
To learn more about creating message templates for your WhatsApp Business account, refer to this link.
Once a template is created, or if you already have existing templates, they will be automatically synced to your Birdeye account and can be accessed under the ‘Message Templates’ tab.
NOTE:
Only templates from WABA accounts connected to your Birdeye account will be synced.
NOTE:
Birdeye supports text-based message templates, media-based message templates (image, video, and document), and interactive message templates.
Only templates with an ‘Active’ status will be available for use in the Inbox.
Templates marked as ‘Needs Personalization’ must be customized by adding variables (custom tokens). To do this, hover over the template name, click ‘Actions’, and select ‘Personalize’.
Click the dropdown button, select the desired token, and add it as a variable. You can also preview the variables simultaneously.
Select ‘Preview’ from the ‘Actions’ to preview the template.
This is how your message will appear in the chat. A ‘Preview’ option is available for every template, regardless of its status.
Select ‘Manage template’ and you will be redirected to the ‘Meta Business Manager’ portal.
Log in to your account and manage templates by editing, deleting, and creating more templates.
Click the filter icon to filter out templates based on ‘Status,’ ‘Template type,’ ‘Language,’ and 'WABA name.'
