How do I start a WhatsApp conversation with a customer who has not messaged me?
The ArabyBot teamOfficial Meta partner · written from our own platform dataThe short answer
In the “Unified Inbox” press “New conversation”, pick the number you send “From”, type the “Customer phone (with country code)”, then “Choose a template” that is approved and fill its variables, and press “Send & open chat”. WhatsApp requires an approved template to start a chat; when the customer replies, the 24-hour window opens and you can chat freely.
The steps in the ArabyBot dashboard
- Open a new conversation
From the “Unified Inbox” press “New conversation”.
- Pick your number and the customer's
Pick the number you send “From”, and type the “Customer phone (with country code)”.
- Choose the template and fill it
Press “Choose a template”, pick an approved one, then “Fill template variables” such as the customer's name and order number.
- Send and continue
Press “Send & open chat”; the conversation opens in the inbox, and when the customer replies you carry on freely.
What you should know
- WhatsApp requires an approved template to start a conversation with a customer who has not messaged you in the last 24 hours.
- Meta charges the template message by the template's category and the customer's country; what follows the customer's reply inside the window carries no Meta fee.
- A teammate sends only from the numbers their role covers.
Related questions
Why can't I send plain text to a new customer?
Because WhatsApp bars starting a chat with free text to protect people from spam; the approved template is the door. What is the 24-hour window?
How do I get an approved template?
Create it under “Templates” and submit it for Meta's review. WhatsApp message templates and the template checker.
In more depth
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