Connect WhatsApp Business

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

Manual identifiers and verify-token details are an advanced fallback. Prefer embedded signup unless support asks you to use manual setup.

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, use an approved template to contact the customer. 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. Template availability and charges depend on your Meta account, template approval, conversation category, and current Meta pricing.

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.

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.

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.
• 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: Open Integrations > WhatsApp and let Connection health finish. Fetchply registers the number for you and shows the PIN it created. Select Check afterwards to confirm the number is ready.
• Fetchply says the number already has its own PIN: Enter that existing six-digit two-step verification PIN under Connection health and select Register. 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: 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: Complete Connect with Facebook again. Meta requires a phone number from embedded signup to be registered within 14 days.
• 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 used by another WhatsApp account or provider: Remove or migrate the number from its previous WhatsApp setup first, then repeat embedded signup. A phone number cannot be actively registered to two separate WhatsApp Business Platform setups at the same time.
• 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.
• 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: Select Connect with Facebook again to reconnect, then run Check 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.
• The inbox says the reply window is closed: Send an approved template from Integrations > WhatsApp, or wait for the customer to send a new message. Normal text replies cannot be sent until the window opens again.