This guide shows you how to integrate your WhatsApp business account with Phorest Chat so you can communicate with your clients via WhatsApp.
If you do not currently have this feature and would like to get it, please contact your Success Manager.
In this Article
Video Guide
Before You Start - Verifying Your Meta Business Details
Before connecting your account, it's very important that your business information in Meta is up to date.
First, click here to open Meta Business Details and update all of your business details before connecting Phorest to WhatsApp.
You must have Admin access to your Meta Business account to complete this setup.
Next, click here to open the Meta Security Center and verify your business (if available); if not, continue to the next steps. You may need to scroll down the page a bit to see the Business Verification section.
Connecting Your WhatsApp Account
Once your Meta business details have been verified, open Phorest and go to Manager > Integrations > WhatsApp.
Then select Add WhatsApp Account > Continue to Meta, and (if prompted) sign in to the admin profile associated with your Meta Business Account.
Next, follow the steps in Meta to connect your WhatsApp Business Account.
Partner Verification
Once your account is connected, you may still need to verify some business information in order to send messages. Click here to open your WhatsApp Manager overview and check whether any remaining business information needs to be added under a partner verification prompt.
⛔️ DO NOT add any payment methods, regardless of whether you are prompted to. This could result in you paying twice. If a “Missing valid payment method” notification is displayed, as shown in the screenshot below, it should disappear once both Meta and Partner verifications have been successfully completed.
Infobip is our trusted messaging partner that helps power Phorest messaging features like two-way SMS and WhatsApp, so you can message clients reliably from your Phorest system.
When you're ready to go, your Connection Status will show as Connected.
Using an Existing Number
An existing WhatsApp number must be disconnected from any current WhatsApp Personal or WhatsApp Business account before it can be connected to Phorest. Please back up any conversations you need first, as previous WhatsApp chat history cannot be transferred to Phorest Chat.
Please do not select the Meta-provided/display-name-only US number option, as this is not supported.
The number used for the integration must be one of the following:
- A landline that can receive the WhatsApp verification call
- An eSIM, virtual number or new SIM with a mobile number
- An existing mobile number that is not currently connected to WhatsApp Personal or WhatsApp Business
Once the number is successfully registered, messaging can generally begin. Display-name and message-template reviews are separate Meta processes and may take approximately 24–48 hours, depending on Meta’s approval times.
Multiple Locations in Phorest?
If you have multiple locations in Phorest, WhatsApp is set up per location, so each location needs its own WhatsApp phone number.
Meta allows up to 8 WhatsApp Business Accounts and up to 20 phone numbers per Meta Business Account. Meta also provides 2 free numbers; any additional numbers must be provided by your business (often via a SIM/eSIM).
Granting Staff Access to Phorest Chat
To grant access, please go to Manager > Access, select the Access Level(s) from the dropdown, enable the Chat permission under Phorest Go (Mobile), and then click Save.
This also enables access to Chat on a computer. It is not currently possible to control these permissions separately.
Sending a Message & Using Templates
To send a message to a client via WhatsApp, open PhorestChat, select + New Chat, search for and select a client, then select WhatsApp > Start Chat.
You can also send WhatsApp messages from PhorestGo by using Phorest Chat within the app. Click here to learn more about sending Phorest Chat messages from PhorestGo.
Templates
To comply with Meta's rules, the first message you send to a client must use one of the pre-approved templates that appear when you start a chat.
If you don't see these templates immediately, Meta needs to approve them first. This usually takes up to 24 hours after connecting your WhatsApp account to Phorest. You must wait for approval before sending messages.
Once your client has sent you a message, a 24-hour window opens during which you can send free-form WhatsApp messages as usual. This window is reset each time your client replies.
After that window closes, you can’t continue the conversation with normal messages. You need to send another pre-approved template to reopen/continue the chat.
Currently, it is not possible to send/receive images, voice notes, or reactions.
Sending Appointment Notifications on WhatsApp
You can also send your appointment Reminder, Confirmation and Review messages through WhatsApp. To enable these, go to Manager > Client Notifications, choose the relevant message type, then enable the Whatsapp option. For more information see:
- Sending Appointment Confirmations by WhatsApp
- Sending Appointment Reminders by WhatsApp
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Sending Appointment Review Requests by WhatsApp
Some other automatic appointment notifications, like Rebooking, aren’t available yet but will be added in the future.
Front Desk AI & WhatsApp
If you currently use Front Desk AI, your AI assistant will also work within WhatsApp. Click here for more information on Front Desk AI.