Connect WhatsApp Business

You need access to the Meta business and WhatsApp Business number you want to connect.

Once connected, your number and connection mode appear at the top. Expand Account details for account identifiers and access information. AI replies, connection health, and messaging tools have their own sections. Setup warnings stay visible, and Disconnect sits below the main controls.

For approved marketing broadcasts, see WhatsApp campaigns. Campaigns support both connection options below and require recorded marketing permission and an unsubscribe button. Official API access does not guarantee that WhatsApp will never restrict an account.

Connect from a phone

You can connect WhatsApp from a phone or tablet. Meta's setup opens in the same tab instead of a pop-up, so your browser cannot block it, and Meta brings you back to the WhatsApp page when you finish. A Business app number also needs a quick confirmation inside the WhatsApp Business app.

Use the same number in Fetchply and the Business app

Choose Use my Business app number when your team already chats from the WhatsApp Business app and wants Fetchply automation on that exact number. You do not need to buy, move, or register a separate number.

Only new activity after the connection appears in Fetchply. Existing Business app contacts and older chat history are not imported.

Meta still performs a required one-time synchronization during setup. Keep the WhatsApp Business app open until setup finishes. Fetchply acknowledges this synchronization but does not add the older contacts or messages to your inbox.

If Meta asks whether to share old chat history, choose Don't share. Your existing chats remain in the WhatsApp Business app and are not copied into Fetchply.

When someone on your team replies from the WhatsApp Business app, that reply appears in the matching Fetchply inbox conversation and pauses AI for that customer. This prevents the assistant from talking over the person using the phone. When the team is finished, release the conversation in the inbox to let AI answer future messages again.

Disconnecting this type of connection stops Fetchply from receiving and sending messages, but the number stays active in the WhatsApp Business app.

When Meta disconnects and reconnects the number

Meta disconnects a same-number connection when the WhatsApp Business app is moved to a new phone, reinstalled, or registered again. Your team gets a WhatsApp disconnected by Meta notification, and Fetchply stops answering on that number.

When you open the Business app again, Meta offers to reconnect the number to the apps it was connected to. Accept it, and Fetchply switches the connection back on by itself:

• Fetchply first checks that its earlier connection still works for the number, then starts answering customers again. Your team gets a WhatsApp is connected again notification.
• Meta repeats its one-time synchronization with the Business app, so keep the app open for a few minutes. If Meta does not start it, the same notification asks you to open Integrations > WhatsApp to finish setup.
• If the earlier connection can no longer be used, the number stays disconnected and your team gets Reconnect WhatsApp to keep answering customers instead. Open Integrations > WhatsApp and connect the number again.
• If WhatsApp is briefly unavailable, or has not finished reconnecting the number yet, Fetchply checks again on its own for up to a day.
• If Fetchply still cannot confirm the number after about a day, it stops trying, the number stays disconnected, and your team gets Reconnect WhatsApp to keep answering customers. Connect the number again from Integrations > WhatsApp.

Automatic reconnection only covers numbers that Meta disconnected after this feature was added. A number disconnected earlier, a number whose WhatsApp account was deleted, or a connection Meta no longer accepts has to be connected again from Integrations > WhatsApp.

Business app changes during setup

• Update the WhatsApp Business app to version 2.24.17 or newer before connecting.
• Keep the phone with the WhatsApp Business app nearby and online. Meta asks you to confirm the connection in the app.
• Meta unlinks companion devices when the number is connected. Re-link supported devices afterwards. WhatsApp for Windows and WearOS are not supported companion clients for same-number mode.
• Group chats are not synchronized with Fetchply.
• Disappearing messages, view-once messages, and live location are disabled for individual chats.
• New broadcast lists cannot be created, and existing broadcast lists become read-only.

Entering identifiers by hand is an advanced fallback, kept under Advanced: enter credentials manually at the bottom of the page. Prefer one of the two options above unless support asks you to use it.

Customer names in the inbox

WhatsApp conversations in the inbox show the customer's WhatsApp profile name automatically, so your team can see who is writing without asking. The name fills the customer's name field only when it is still empty, so a name your team typed by hand is never replaced. WhatsApp does not share profile photos, so these conversations keep the initials avatar.

The 24-hour reply window

When a customer sends a WhatsApp message, you can send normal replies for 24 hours. The inbox header shows whether this free-form reply window is open and how much time remains. After it closes, select Send template above the reply box to send an approved template; see Live support. A new customer message opens a new 24-hour window.

Fetchply blocks a normal inbox reply after the window closes so Meta does not reject it after you press send. A template sent from the inbox uses 1 message credit. Template availability and charges depend on your Meta account, template approval, the template's category, and current Meta pricing. See WhatsApp message costs.

Payment method for replies

Since October 1, 2026, WhatsApp charges for service messages, which are the replies your business sends to a customer inside the 24-hour reply window. Each WhatsApp number gets 1,000 free replies a month. Integrations > WhatsApp shows a reminder about this above the connection panel, with a See pricing details link to WhatsApp's current rates.

Add a valid payment method to the WhatsApp Business account you connected. Add it in WhatsApp Manager, where you manage the account itself, not in Fetchply. Without one, WhatsApp still delivers the first 1,000 replies each month and then stops delivering the rest, so customers stop hearing from you even though the connection looks healthy. When that happens, Fetchply marks the affected replies Not delivered in the conversation, shows the problem under Connection health, and notifies the agent's owner. See Replies that were not delivered.

You only need to do this once per WhatsApp Business account. If several agents are connected to numbers under the same WhatsApp Business account, one payment method covers all of them.

Replies that were not delivered

WhatsApp can turn a reply down when it is sent, or accept it and report a few minutes later that it could not deliver it. Fetchply shows this on the reply itself instead of leaving it looking sent.

• In the web inbox, the reply shows Not delivered in the small row under the message. Select it to read why. To send it again, write the reply again once the cause is fixed.
• In the mobile app, the reply shows Not sent, or Partly sent when only part of a longer team reply arrived.
• The label appears the next time the conversation is opened or refreshed.
• If WhatsApp did not answer at all while an automatic reply was being sent, Fetchply cannot tell whether it arrived, so that reply is not marked. If the customer says nothing came through, answer them again.
• If an automatic reply is interrupted after it started sending, for example during maintenance on our side, Fetchply never sends it a second time, so the customer does not get the same answer twice. A reply in several parts can stop partway. If the customer says the answer was cut off, reply to them from the inbox.

Two causes affect every customer on the number at once:

• No working payment method. WhatsApp delivers the first 1,000 replies each month and then stops. Add a payment method in WhatsApp Manager.
• Another app answers customers on this number. WhatsApp lets a business choose which app answers its customers, for example another provider or Meta's own AI agent, and turns down replies from every other app. Open Conversation routing for this number in WhatsApp Manager or Meta Business Suite and make Fetchply the app that answers customers.

For either one, Connection health shows the problem and the agent's owner gets one notification, then at most one a day while it continues. The notice goes away on its own once WhatsApp delivers a reply on this number again. Replies that were not delivered are not sent again automatically, so check the affected conversations and answer anyone still waiting.

Other reasons, such as a customer whose number no longer uses WhatsApp, only affect that one conversation. The reason under Not delivered says what to do.

AI replies

You can turn automated AI replies on or off at any time under Integrations > WhatsApp.

When AI replies is turned on, your trained AI agent answers inbound customer questions automatically using your knowledge sources and store policies.

When AI replies is turned off:

• Inbound messages from customers are still delivered and routed straight to your team in the Inbox, notifying available agents.
• Voice messages are not written out as text, because no automatic reply needs to read them. The recording arrives in the Inbox as “Voice message” for a teammate to play and answer, and nothing is sent to the customer.
• Photos are still attached so your team has the full context.
• No AI replies or typing indicators are sent, and zero AI message credits are consumed.
• Pre-configured Guided Flows, Cash-on-Delivery confirmation buttons, and exact saved Direct Q&A answers continue to work as expected.

Turn AI replies off whenever your team prefers handling customer chats manually in the inbox while keeping WhatsApp connected, or when you only want to use interactive Guided Flows.

Several messages in a row get one reply

Customers often split one thought over a few quick messages, such as "it's still showing £35" and then "that's really poor". Your agent waits a moment for them to finish, then answers everything they sent in a single reply, so the customer never gets two half-answers that talk over each other.

• Messages appear in your inbox straight away. Only the reply waits, and only for a couple of seconds after the customer's last message. Even for a customer who keeps typing, the agent starts answering within a few seconds of their first message.
• One reply uses one reply's credits, however many messages it answers.
• Messages sent while a reply is being prepared get their own reply straight after it, and that reply can see the one before.
• Buttons are answered at once. Tapping a button, or an order confirmation such as confirming or cancelling an order, is never held back.
• If a teammate takes over while the agent is waiting, or AI replies are turned off in that moment, the agent does not reply and your team is notified. If message credits run out in that moment, the customer gets the usual notice and the conversation goes to your team, exactly as when credits run out at any other time.

Shoppers who come from your website chat

If your website chat shows a WhatsApp button and your chat runs on a Shopify storefront, a shopper who taps it with items in their cart starts the WhatsApp chat with their cart already in the message. It reads like this:

Hi! I am reaching out from your website chat.

My cart:
• 1 × Maaria Abaya Grey (52)
• 2 × Ahlam Prayer Abaya (4-6 Y)

Your agent reads the list as the shopper's cart, so a question such as "why is shipping so expensive?" starts from the right items instead of a guess.

• Only the product, its option (such as size), and the quantity are listed. Prices are left out, because checkout shows the final total in the shopper's own currency.
• Long carts are shortened. Up to 10 items are listed, followed by a line saying how many more there are.
• The shopper can edit or delete the list before sending, like any WhatsApp message.
• An empty cart sends your normal opening message. The same is true on a website that is not a Shopify storefront, or when the shopper's browser blocks the store's cart.
• The list is a snapshot of the moment they tapped the button. Before answering a shipping or stock question, your agent still checks with the shopper that these are the items they mean, so a cart changed afterwards is caught.

Typing indicator

When a customer messages your connected number and your agent is preparing a reply, WhatsApp shows a "typing…" indicator so the customer knows an answer is on the way. Their message is also marked as read at the same time. The indicator disappears as soon as the reply arrives, or automatically after about 25 seconds if the reply takes longer. This happens on its own and needs no setup. If a reply cannot be prepared (for example, the agent is turned off or outside its serving hours), no typing indicator is shown.

Voice messages

When a customer sends a WhatsApp voice message, Fetchply writes out what they said so your agent can answer it like any other message, and attaches the original recording to that message in the inbox so you can play it back. Voice messages work best in English and Urdu. See Inbox and conversations for how they appear and what to do when a recording cannot be understood.

When a recording cannot be made out, what happens next depends on who is answering. While automatic replies are handling the conversation, the customer is asked to send it again or type it. When your team is handling it — AI replies is off, or a teammate has taken over — nothing is sent to the customer and the recording arrives in the Inbox as “Voice message” for a teammate to listen to and answer.

With AI replies turned off, voice messages are not written out at all. Only the recording is saved, so your team listens instead of reading. Turn AI replies on if you want the words written out. Note that a customer cannot answer an open guided flow question with a voice message while AI replies are off; ask them to tap an option or type their answer.

Your team can reply with a voice message too. Select the microphone beside the inbox reply box, speak while the recording bar shows your voice, and Fetchply converts it so it arrives on WhatsApp as a normal voice note, whichever browser you used. The 24-hour reply window still applies, and a very long recording may be refused — record a shorter one and send it again. See Send a voice reply for the full steps.

Typed replies in guided flows

Customers do not have to tap an option exactly. While a WhatsApp guided flow is open, they can type what they mean in their own words. When the meaning is not clear enough, the assistant asks a simple yes-or-no confirmation before continuing.

If a customer asks a separate question, the assistant can answer it and then show the same guided-flow question again. Their place in the flow is not lost. See Typed replies and commands on WhatsApp for the available commands and troubleshooting steps.

What Connection health tells you

Connection health on Integrations > WhatsApp runs on its own each time you open the page, and again whenever you select Check again. As well as your number's status and quality, it now reports what WhatsApp thinks of the account behind it, and separates two things that fail independently:

• Replies — answering a customer who messaged you in the last 24 hours.
• Messages you start — anything sent outside that window, which always uses an approved message. Order confirmations, cash-on-delivery checks, and reminders are all in this group.

An account can reply perfectly while every message it starts is refused, so those are reported separately rather than as one "connected" light. Each problem is shown with how much it costs you: whether messages are being stopped, whether you are only being capped, or whether it is simply worth knowing.

You may also see:

• WhatsApp stopped delivering your replies to customers: WhatsApp turned down replies because the account has no working payment method. See Replies that were not delivered.
• Another app is answering customers on this number: Conversation routing sends your customers' replies to another app or to Meta's own AI agent, so WhatsApp turns down Fetchply's replies.
• Finish business verification — until Meta verifies your business, it caps how many new customers you can message each day. Nothing is blocked.
• Your display name is still being reviewed — customers see your number instead of your business name, and your daily limit stays low. No action needed; approval usually lands within a day.
• Your number is limited because of its message quality — too many people blocked or reported your messages. It recovers on its own; send fewer, more expected messages meanwhile.
• A daily limit on new customers, shown alongside your number. This is how many people you can start a conversation with per day, and it rises as your business is verified and your display name approved.

Problems that only affect WhatsApp calling are left out, because Fetchply does not use it and showing them would bury the ones that matter.

You are told without having to check

Fetchply also checks your account's standing in the background, so you do not have to open this page to find out something is wrong. If WhatsApp stops delivering the messages you start, you get a notification in Fetchply (and in Slack too, if you have connected it) pointing you at Connection health. The same happens when WhatsApp stops delivering your replies, for example once the free replies for the month are used up without a payment method.

You are told once when it happens, then at most once a day while it is unresolved. Nothing is sent while your account is healthy, and recovering needs no action from you: the notice simply stops.

Automatic bot-loop protection

Fetchply does not answer a message when the sender number belongs to another WhatsApp agent currently connected to Fetchply. The ignored message is not added as a visitor conversation. This prevents two Fetchply agents from continuously replying to each other while leaving normal customer messages unchanged.

An older or manually connected number may be recognized after its first new incoming message. If two such numbers contact each other immediately after an update, one initial reply may be delivered before Fetchply recognizes both numbers and stops the exchange.

WhatsApp does not always identify bots operated by other services. If a third-party automation keeps messaging your number, pause that automation or block the number in WhatsApp Manager.

Troubleshooting

• Connection health cannot be loaded: Check your internet connection, then select Check again. Fetchply does not disconnect the account when a health check fails.
• Customers reply fine, but nothing you send first arrives: Open Connection health. If it says a payment method is needed, that is the cause: WhatsApp accepts messages your business starts and then never delivers them without one, and after the first 1,000 free replies each month it stops delivering replies too. Add it in Meta Business Settings under Billing and payments, set it as the default card, then select Check again.
• Connection health shows a problem you have already fixed: The check reads WhatsApp's live answer each time, but Meta can take a few minutes to catch up. Select Check again shortly.
• Connection health mentions something not listed here: WhatsApp occasionally reports a problem Fetchply has no plain-language explanation for yet, so its own wording is shown instead. Open WhatsApp Manager, where the same problem is described alongside what to do about it.
• Connection health says your account can send, but a specific customer never gets messages: That is about the recipient, not your account. Confirm the number includes its country code and is an active WhatsApp account, and check the customer has not blocked your business.
• The selected phone is not available to this connection: Reconnect with the Meta account that owns that WhatsApp Business number, and make sure you select the intended business and WhatsApp account.
• WhatsApp Manager says Pending or Register your phone number for a dedicated API number: Open Integrations > WhatsApp and let Connection health finish. Fetchply registers the number for you and shows the PIN it created. Select Check again afterwards to confirm the number is ready. Same-number Business app connections are never registered again by Fetchply.
• Fetchply says the number already has its own PIN: Enter that existing six-digit two-step verification PIN under Connection health and select Finish registration. If you do not know it, change or reset it in WhatsApp Manager first. Do not repeatedly guess the PIN, because WhatsApp blocks further attempts for a while.
• You lost the PIN Fetchply created, or Fetchply says it could not show it to you: Change the PIN for the number in WhatsApp Manager and set one you choose. Everyday messaging keeps working; the PIN is only needed for registration, provider moves, and deleting the number.
• WhatsApp says there have been too many registration attempts: WhatsApp allows only a limited number of registration attempts per number in a 72-hour period. Wait until that period passes before trying again. Fetchply attempts registration once on its own so this limit is not used up.
• WhatsApp says ownership of the number is not verified: Complete phone verification for the number in WhatsApp Manager, then select Try registering again.
• Registration could not be completed: The panel shows the reason WhatsApp gave. Fix that item, then select Try registering again. Connecting still succeeded, so nothing needs to be redone from the start.
• The panel says WhatsApp is limiting the number: The number is registered, but its status is not connected because of quality or policy limits. Open WhatsApp Manager to see the restriction. Registering again does not change this.
• Meta says the signup session expired: Start the same connection option again and complete Meta setup in one session.
• Fetchply says the Meta window closed before setup finished, or your browser blocked it: Select Continue in this tab below the connect options to go through Meta's setup in the same tab, where it cannot be blocked. You can also allow pop-ups for Fetchply and select the connect button again.
• Fetchply says the Meta window was closed, or that you left Meta's setup, before it finished: Nothing was connected. Select the connect button again when you are ready and go through to Meta's last screen.
• Fetchply says Meta's setup did not report back: The page reloaded, or you went back, while Meta's setup was open, so Fetchply never received the result. If you finished Meta's setup, select the same button again and choose the same number. If Meta then says the number is already connected, open the WhatsApp Business app, go to Settings > Account > Business Platform, disconnect, wait 15 minutes, and connect again.
• Fetchply says Meta's setup was open for more than 30 minutes: Fetchply only finishes a setup that comes back within 30 minutes of starting. Select the connect button again and go through Meta's setup without stopping.
• Fetchply says your session ended while Meta's setup was open: You were signed out of Fetchply, or Meta's setup came back in a different browser. Sign in to Fetchply in the browser you use for Meta's setup, open Integrations > WhatsApp, and connect again.
• Fetchply says you are signed in to a different Fetchply account: Another Fetchply account was signed in on this browser while Meta's setup was open. Sign in to the account you started from, then connect again.
• Fetchply says it could not open Meta's setup, or that WhatsApp setup is not available right now: Check your internet connection and select the connect button again. If the message keeps appearing, wait a few minutes before trying again.
• Fetchply says Meta returned more than one WhatsApp number: Fetchply could not show the list to choose from. Select the connect button again and pick the number you want in Meta's setup.
• Fetchply says the setup result has already been shown or has expired: Check whether the page now shows WhatsApp as connected. If it does, nothing else is needed. If it still shows the connect options, connect again.
• Fetchply says "Meta stopped the setup" followed by Meta's reason: Meta refused the setup inside its window, and Fetchply shows Meta's own words. Fix what Meta describes, then connect again. Common reasons for a Business app number: the app needs updating, the number needs more activity in the WhatsApp Business app before Meta allows it, or the number is already connected to another provider. For the last one, open the WhatsApp Business app, go to Settings > Account > Business Platform, disconnect the other provider, wait 15 minutes, and connect again.
• Fetchply says Meta finished setting up your number, but its window closed before Fetchply could connect it: Meta's window closed before Finish was selected, so Fetchply never received access. Select the same button again and choose the same number. If Meta then says the number is already connected, open the WhatsApp Business app, go to Settings > Account > Business Platform, disconnect, wait 15 minutes, and connect again.
• Fetchply says Meta's sign-in expired before it could be used: Meta's sign-in is only valid for a short time. Select the connect button again and go through Meta's window without stopping halfway.
• Fetchply says connecting did not finish, could not reach the server, or could not load the result of Meta's setup: Your connection dropped after Meta's setup finished. Fetchply checks again whether the connection was saved, and reloading the page shows the latest status. If the page still shows the connect options, select the connect button again.
• Fetchply says Meta did not return a phone number for your WhatsApp Business account: The account you chose in Meta has no phone number yet. Start again and add or choose the number in Meta's window.
• Fetchply says Meta did not return a WhatsApp Business app number for same-number use: The account you chose in Meta has no number that Meta set up from the WhatsApp Business app. Start again with Use my Business app number and enter the number that is active in your Business app.
• Meta says the business or partner must be verified: Check the business verification and WhatsApp account review status in Meta Business Manager. Complete any requested review, then retry registration. Fetchply keeps the setup unsuccessful when Meta rejects this step, so the real Meta message remains visible instead of showing a false connection.
• The number is already active in your WhatsApp Business app: Choose Use my Business app number, and do not remove the number from the app. If you chose Connect an API number by mistake, Fetchply still connects it for same-number use once Meta reports it is active in the Business app, and never registers it again.
• You chose Use my Business app number but Fetchply showed a PIN: The number you entered in Meta is not active in the WhatsApp Business app, so Meta set it up as a dedicated API number and Fetchply registered it. Save the PIN. If you meant to connect a number your team uses in the Business app, disconnect, then start Use my Business app number again with that number.
• Fetchply says Meta has not confirmed the number for the WhatsApp Business app yet: The number is active in the Business app, or Meta finished the Business app setup, but Meta has not finished setting the number up for same-number use. Fetchply already checked again for several seconds. Nothing was saved or registered. Wait a minute, then start the same setup again. If Meta then says the number is already connected, open the WhatsApp Business app, go to Settings > Account > Business Platform, disconnect, wait 15 minutes, and connect again.
• Fetchply says Meta did not confirm this number for WhatsApp Business app coexistence: You chose Use my Business app number, but Meta did not report the number as active in the WhatsApp Business app. Nothing was saved or registered. If the number is active in your WhatsApp Business app, wait a minute and press Use my Business app number again. If it is a new number just for Fetchply, press Connect an API number and choose the same number in Meta's setup.
• Same-number setup says synchronization is incomplete: In the WhatsApp Business app, open Settings > Account > Business Platform and disconnect the account. Then reconnect it from Integrations > WhatsApp, keep the Business app open, and finish within 24 hours. Do not repeatedly retry the incomplete connection because Meta permits each one-time synchronization request only once.
• A linked device disappeared after same-number setup: Meta unlinks companion devices during onboarding. Open Linked devices in the WhatsApp Business app and reconnect supported devices. WhatsApp for Windows and WearOS cannot be used as companion clients for this mode.
• The number is already used by another API provider: Move or remove that provider connection first, then repeat setup. Same-number mode works with the WhatsApp Business app, not with two separate API providers at once.
• The test says Meta accepted the message but it did not arrive: Confirm the recipient includes the country code, is a real WhatsApp account, and can receive messages. Check the connected number's quality and restrictions in WhatsApp Manager, wait briefly, then retry once.
• The test reports that registration or verification is incomplete: Follow the action shown under Connection health. Ownership verification must be completed in WhatsApp Manager before registration can succeed.
• The test says no approved template can be used: Approve at least one template that has no fill-in values (like Meta's standard "hello_world" greeting) in WhatsApp Manager, then send the test again. Templates that expect names, codes, images, or offer details cannot be used for a test.
• The test says the recipient is not on the allowed list: Your WhatsApp setup is still limited to test recipients. Add the recipient number to the allowed recipients in Meta, or complete the steps Meta requires to message any customer, then retry.
• The test says the 24-hour reply window is closed: The recipient has not messaged your business number recently, so only an approved template can reach them. Approve a template in WhatsApp Manager, or test with a number that just messaged you.
• The test says billing or a payment method is missing: Add a valid payment method to the WhatsApp business account in WhatsApp Manager, then retry.
• Replies show Not delivered and mention a payment method: WhatsApp delivered this number's free replies for the month and needs a payment method for the rest. Add one in WhatsApp Manager, then send a test from Connection health. Nothing needs to be reconnected in Fetchply, and the notice under Connection health clears once WhatsApp delivers a reply again. Replies that were not delivered are not resent, so answer anyone still waiting.
• Replies show Not delivered because another app answers customers on this number: The number is also set up with another provider, or with Meta's own AI agent, and WhatsApp sends customer replies only through the app chosen for it. Open Conversation routing for this number in WhatsApp Manager or Meta Business Suite and make Fetchply the app that answers customers. If you moved to Fetchply from another provider, remove that provider's access to the number as well.
• WhatsApp says the account's messaging limit was reduced because of template categories: Meta found templates being used outside the category they were approved for and capped the account for a while. Check Account quality in WhatsApp Manager. The limit lifts on its own after Meta's enforcement period. Campaigns pause until then instead of failing one recipient at a time.
• WhatsApp says a message cannot be sent to a customer known only by their username: Some message types cannot be sent to customers who hide their number behind a WhatsApp username. Send a different type of message, or ask the customer to share their number.
• The payment reminder is still showing after you added a payment method: That reminder is an announcement for everyone, not a check on your account. Once your payment method is confirmed in WhatsApp Manager, you can ignore it.
• You cannot add a payment method in WhatsApp Manager: Only someone with billing or admin access to the Meta business can add one. Ask the person who owns that business to add it, or to give you that access, then try again.
• The test says the account is restricted or blocked: Meta has limited this business account. Open WhatsApp Manager to see the restriction and resolve it there before testing again.
• The test says the connection is no longer authorized: Disconnect, choose the same connection option again, then run Check again and retry the test.
• The test says WhatsApp is busy or unavailable: This is temporary on Meta's side. Wait a few minutes and send the test again. Sending repeated tests during a rate limit makes the wait longer.
• The test result mentions a WhatsApp error code: The code comes straight from WhatsApp and is useful if you contact Meta support. Follow the action in the first line of the message first; it addresses the same problem in plain language.
• Manual setup says the token can't use that number or account: Fetchply checks the details with WhatsApp before saving them. Copy the phone number ID and WhatsApp Business Account ID again from WhatsApp Manager, make sure the token belongs to an app that has access to that account, and try again.
• Manual setup says the number does not belong to the account: The phone number ID is from a different WhatsApp Business Account. Pick the account that lists this number in WhatsApp Manager.
• Setup failed but showed a new PIN: WhatsApp registered your number with that PIN before Fetchply could finish saving the connection. Save the PIN, then start the same setup again; enter that PIN if asked.
• A customer message arrived but the agent did not reply: The agent does not answer reactions, stickers, or WhatsApp system notices, messages that arrive more than two hours late, or messages received while WhatsApp is disconnected. They all still appear in the inbox so your team can reply. If the customer sent several messages quickly, check the reply under the last one: it answers all of them.
• The agent takes a few seconds longer to reply than before: It waits briefly for a customer who is still typing, so it can answer all their messages together. See Several messages in a row get one reply.
• Fewer credits were used than customer messages received: That is expected when customers send several messages in a row. One reply that answers them all uses one reply's credits.
• A customer shows a username instead of a phone number: Some WhatsApp users hide their number behind a username, so WhatsApp doesn't share it with businesses. If you've chatted with them before, their messages still join the same conversation. For a customer you've never talked to, the conversation starts without a phone number until they share it.
• A customer changed their WhatsApp number: WhatsApp's notice about the change appears in the customer's existing conversation. Their later messages join the conversation for the new number when WhatsApp shares it. When WhatsApp cannot share the new number, they start a new conversation, so your replies reach the number they use now rather than the old one.
• You got a WhatsApp disconnected by Meta notification: Meta disconnected the number, usually because the WhatsApp Business app was moved to a new phone, reinstalled, or registered again. Open the Business app and accept Meta's offer to reconnect, and Fetchply switches the connection back on by itself. If you get Reconnect WhatsApp to keep answering customers instead, connect the number again from Integrations > WhatsApp.
• You got a WhatsApp is connected again notification: Meta reconnected your Business app number and Fetchply is answering on it again. Nothing else is needed, unless the notification asks you to finish setup in Integrations > WhatsApp.
• The inbox shows "Shared a location" or "Shared a contact": The customer sent a location, a contact card, or a catalog order. The inbox shows it as a short summary with the details.
• Meta says your account is restricted, violated a policy, or is being disabled: Fetchply sends you a notification and keeps the connection. Open WhatsApp Manager to see the reason and request a review. If the account is deleted, WhatsApp shows as disconnected and you need to reconnect a working account.
• The inbox says the reply window is closed: WhatsApp only allows normal replies within 24 hours of the customer's last message. Select Send template above the reply box to send an approved template, or wait for the customer to send a new message and reply normally. Customers who opted out of your WhatsApp messages are never sent a template.

Confirming cash-on-delivery orders

If your agent is connected to a Shopify store that sells cash on delivery, WhatsApp can also carry the order confirmation: each new COD order gets one message asking the shopper to confirm, change, or cancel, and their answer is labelled on the Shopify order. See Cash on delivery confirmation.