> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.conduit.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Connect WhatsApp

> Communicate with customers over WhatsApp in Conduit

## Overview

Conduit integrates with WhatsApp to manage all communications from your WhatsApp Business account directly within your Conduit inbox.

This integration streamlines communication by allowing you to respond to all messages, automate responses, and manage conversations in a unified platform. To use this feature, you must have a WhatsApp Business account.

Conduit offers two main options for integrating WhatsApp:

1. **Connect an existing WhatsApp Business account.** If you already have one, Conduit syncs the phone numbers registered to it.
2. **Create a WhatsApp Business account through Conduit.** If you do not have one yet, you can create it during the same flow. There is nothing to set up in the Meta Business app beforehand.

Either way, you then choose which phone number to use. That can be a number you have in mind, or a number you have already added in Conduit.

<Info>
  Please refer to Meta's documentation for self-serve setup or fill out their form if you need Conduit's assistance.
</Info>

## Setup Instructions

1. Navigate to **Settings > WhatsApp** to begin the integration process.
2. Click **Connect existing business account**. This is the right button even if you do not have an account yet.
3. Meta's window opens, and what happens next depends on whether you already have an account. If you do, sign in and its registered numbers appear so you can sync them to Conduit. If you do not, choose **Create a new account** and follow Meta's instructions. You can then add the number you want to use, which can be a number you have in mind or a number you have already added in Conduit.
4. **Verification**:
   * **Using an Existing Number**: A verification code is sent via WhatsApp to the registered number. Enter this code in Conduit to complete setup.
   * **Using a Conduit Number**: When Meta asks how you want to receive the code, choose **Call** rather than text. A verification text sent to a Conduit number will not reach you, because there is no handset for it. Meta then verifies the number with a **phone call** that reads out the code. Two things matter here.

     **The number has to be a regular (non-AI) number to verify.** A person answers the verification call, so the number can't be running a voice agent at verification time. A freshly created Conduit number is already a regular number, so verify it **first**, then convert it to a voice agent afterward if you want one. If the number is **already a voice agent**, you can convert it back to a regular phone number from the dashboard: go to **Agents**, open the voice agent, select the **…** menu next to the agent name, and choose **Convert to regular number**. This self-serve action requires the **Manage Agents** permission and clears the agent configuration, escalation settings, voice, and SIP trunk data.

     **The call rings inside Conduit.** Because a Conduit number is hosted by Conduit (there is no physical handset for it), the verification call comes in on the Conduit dashboard, not a personal phone. To receive it:

     1. Turn **off call forwarding** for that number in **Settings > Phone** under Channels. If forwarding is on, the call is routed away before you can answer it.
     2. Choose the **Call** verification option and stay on the Conduit dashboard. When the call comes in you'll see an **incoming-call banner with an Answer button** — make sure your browser has microphone permission. Click **Answer** and enter the code.
     3. After the number is verified, press **Register** on it. You can then re-enable call forwarding, or convert the number to a voice agent, if you want either.
   * Once the number is verified, it will be connected to your Conduit inbox.

<Note>
  If you don't see the incoming-call banner when the verification call arrives, contact support — in-browser call answering may need to be enabled for your workspace first.
</Note>

5. **Template Sync**: You can sync and manage message templates for automating replies. Once approved, these templates will be available for use in WhatsApp conversations managed via Conduit.

<Note>
  WhatsApp group chats are not supported in Conduit.
</Note>

## Incoming WhatsApp voice calls

WhatsApp numbers connected to Conduit can receive incoming WhatsApp voice calls as well as messages. This is enabled through your Meta Business setup rather than in Conduit. If voice calling over WhatsApp is something you want, tell your onboarding contact so it can be configured alongside your number.

## Plain-text messaging

WhatsApp messages sent through Conduit are plain-text only. Formatted hyperlinks (e.g. `[text](url)`) and internal URL shortening are not supported and will appear as raw text to the recipient.

To share a link, include the full URL directly in your message:

```text theme={null}
Visit us at https://example.com for more information.
```

Most devices and messaging apps automatically render full URLs as clickable links for the recipient.

## Frequently asked questions

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="We share a physical phone between whoever is on call. Will this fix that?">
    Yes, that is exactly the problem it solves. Once the number is connected, WhatsApp messages arrive in your shared inbox alongside every other channel, so there is no handset to pass around and nothing to forget to check.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can I keep using WhatsApp on my phone with the same number?">
    No. A WhatsApp number can only be active in one place. If the number is currently on a phone, or in another piece of software, it has to be removed from there before it will work in Conduit.

    This catches people out, so it is worth agreeing with your team before you start rather than during setup.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Do I need a WhatsApp Business account before I start?">
    No. If you do not have one, click **Connect existing business account** anyway, then choose **Create a new account** in Meta's window and follow their instructions.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can we message a guest first, before they have written to us?">
    Only using a template that Meta has approved in advance. Once a guest messages you, you can reply freely for 24 hours, including with saved replies. Outside that window a message has to use an approved template. See [WhatsApp templates](/setup/channels/whatsapp/templates).
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="My verification code never arrived by text.">
    If you are verifying a Conduit number, it will not arrive. There is no handset for that number, so a text cannot reach you. Choose the **Call** option instead and stay on the Conduit dashboard to answer it.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can I verify a number that is already running a voice agent?">
    Not directly. A person needs to answer the verification call, so the number has to be a regular number at that moment. A newly created Conduit number already is one, so verify it first and convert it to a voice agent afterwards. If the number is already a voice agent, convert it back first: open **Agents**, select the voice agent, open the **…** menu next to its name, and choose **Convert to regular number**. This requires the **Manage Agents** permission and clears the agent configuration, escalation settings, voice, and SIP trunk data.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="My previous provider disabled two-step verification, so why is registration still failing?">
    Because disabling two-step verification does not release the number. It removes the PIN that would otherwise block a transfer, but the number stays registered to that provider until they formally release it for migration. Until that happens, Conduit continues to show the number as **Not registered**.

    A quick way to confirm the number has not been released: send a WhatsApp message to it. If messages still go through, it is still live with the old provider.

    Go back to them and ask specifically for the release, in addition to the confirmation that two-step verification is off. Providers often report the two-step verification change as though the work is finished.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Do WhatsApp group chats work in Conduit?">
    No. Group chats are not supported.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Why do my links appear as plain text?">
    WhatsApp messages sent through Conduit are plain text, so formatted links and shortened URLs are not supported. Include the full address in your message and most apps will make it clickable for the recipient.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="How long does template approval take?">
    That is decided by Meta rather than Conduit, and it varies. If you are planning to message guests outside the 24 hour window, it is worth submitting your templates early rather than close to when you need them.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="I have more than one WhatsApp number. Can I connect them all?">
    Yes. Numbers registered to your WhatsApp Business account are synced when you connect it, and you can add further numbers through the same flow.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>


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