You can integrate a WhatsApp channel with TextIt using a provider such as Twilio or 360Dialog.

Using Message Templates

WhatsApp providers require templates to send messages outside of the 24-hour communication window. TextIt syncs your templates so you can use them in your flows. Your provider must approve a template before you can use it.

To use a template in a flow, open a Send Message action, add WhatsApp Template from the options below the message, and choose a template under Select a template.

You can find all your approved message templates under Messages > Templates. If a recently approved template doesn't appear there, click 'refresh' in the upper-right corner of the templates page. Approval from Meta usually takes anywhere from a few minutes to 24 hours.

Twilio Message Templates

Twilio's WhatsApp implementation is different from other providers'. Twilio doesn't allow templates to be specified or synced. Instead, it tries to match your messages to templates dynamically. To use a template, the outbound message you send from TextIt has to match an approved template in your Twilio account.

In your first outgoing flow message, use the text of an approved template word for word. If your message doesn't match the template's text as closely as possible, it will fail to send outside of the 24-hour window.

Buttons with WhatsApp Templates

You can send messages with interactive buttons, also called Quick Replies, and you can also add them to WhatsApp templates.

Button text can be up to 20 characters long.

Attachments

Along with the body, a WhatsApp template can include a header, a footer and quick replies.

• The header is where you can attach documents, images or videos.

• The body holds the content of your message (up to 1024 characters). It can include variables for values you've already saved for your contacts, such as their name. A variable can be either a name or a number. Once the template is approved, you'll need to set the variable in TextIt before sending. For example, {{}} would be replaced by @contact.name.

• The footer supports up to 60 characters, and quick replies are shown below it.

Learn about WhatsApp template fundamentals here.

Sending Stickers and GIFs

• To send stickers through the API, use the image/webp file type. Stickers must be smaller than 512x512, and under 100KB if static or 500KB if animated.

• GIFs aren't a supported media format for the WhatsApp API.

Here is a list of all the media formats WhatsApp supports.

Template Languages

If you use WhatsApp templates, create them in the correct languages so that they map to the languages in your account. See more information here.

WhatsApp BSUID

Your WhatsApp contacts may now include a new bsuid: URN. This is a Business System User ID provided by Meta, and it identifies a contact more reliably than a phone number does.

• Business specific: These IDs are unique to your business. A BSUID from one account can't be moved to or used in another business's account.
• Format: These IDs have a fixed structure: a two-letter country code followed by a long alphanumeric string (e.g., US.1a2b3c4d5e...).

TextIt handles this transition automatically. When a BSUID becomes available, it's added to the contact as a new URN, and you don't need to do anything. Learn more here.