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Connecting Your WhatsApp Number

Connect your business phone number to activate your AI chatbot on WhatsApp. Once connected, every message sent to your number gets an automatic response in under 60 seconds, with qualifying questions tailored to your trade. Qualified leads appear in your pipeline automatically.

This is a one-time setup that takes 3-5 minutes.

Prerequisites​

  • A CustomerFlows account with your trade selected (see Quickstart Guide)
  • A phone number capable of receiving SMS or phone calls for verification
  • The number must not currently be registered on the free WhatsApp Business App (see "Migrating from WhatsApp Business App" below if it is)

Step 1: Open WhatsApp Settings​

Go to Settings, then WhatsApp in your CustomerFlows dashboard.

You'll see the WhatsApp connection panel with a status of Not Connected and a field to enter your phone number.

Step 2: Enter Your Phone Number​

Enter your business phone number with the country code.

Format examples:

  • US: +1 (555) 123-4567 or +15551234567
  • UK: +44 7700 900000

CustomerFlows accepts the number in any format and normalizes it automatically. The country code is required.

Which number should I use? You can use your existing business phone number or a new dedicated number. If you use your existing number, all WhatsApp messages to that number will be handled by the CustomerFlows AI chatbot. Regular phone calls to the same number are not affected.

Step 3: Verify Your Number​

After entering your number, choose a verification method:

Option A: SMS verification (recommended) CustomerFlows sends a 6-digit code via text message to your number. Enter the code in the verification field.

Option B: Phone call verification CustomerFlows calls your number and reads a 6-digit code aloud. Enter the code in the verification field.

The code expires after 10 minutes. If it expires, click "Resend Code" to get a new one.

Didn't receive the code? Common causes and fixes:

  • Carrier filtering: Some carriers block automated SMS. Try the phone call option instead.
  • Number is a landline: Landlines can't receive SMS. Use the phone call option.
  • Too many attempts: Meta rate-limits verification requests. Wait 24 hours and try again.
  • Number is registered on WhatsApp Business App: You must unregister it first (see below).

For more troubleshooting, see WhatsApp Not Connecting.

Step 4: Confirmation​

Once verified, the WhatsApp settings panel updates to show:

  • Status: Connected
  • Number: Your verified number
  • Chatbot: Active
  • WhatsApp Business Account (WABA): Provisioned

What CustomerFlows provisioned for you:

  • A WhatsApp Business Account (WABA) linked to your number
  • A WhatsApp Business Profile with your company name (pulled from your CustomerFlows account settings)
  • AI chatbot activation with your trade-specific qualifying questions
  • Inbound message routing to your CustomerFlows inbox and pipeline

You did not need to create a Meta Business Manager account or configure anything on Meta's side. CustomerFlows handles the entire WABA provisioning process.

Step 5: Test Your Chatbot​

Verify everything works end-to-end:

  1. Open WhatsApp on a different phone (your personal phone, a family member's phone, or a colleague's phone)
  2. Send a message to your business number: "Hi, I need help with a repair"
  3. Within 60 seconds, the AI chatbot responds with your first qualifying question
  4. Answer each question the chatbot asks
  5. Open your CustomerFlows dashboard

What you should see:

  • A new deal in your first pipeline stage
  • Deal card shows: job type, urgency, address, and other details from the conversation
  • Full conversation transcript attached to the deal
  • Source tagged as "WhatsApp - Direct"

Important: You must test from a different number than the one you connected. WhatsApp does not allow a number to message itself.

What Happens When a Customer Messages You​

Here's the complete flow after your WhatsApp is connected:

  1. Customer sends a message to your business number (text, voice note, or photo)
  2. AI chatbot responds within 60 seconds with your first qualifying question
  3. Customer answers each question in the conversation
  4. CustomerFlows creates a deal in your pipeline with all captured details
  5. Your team sees the deal in the dashboard with the full conversation history
  6. A human follows up with the pre-qualified lead for the estimate or service call

The chatbot handles Steps 1-4 automatically. Your team picks up at Step 5 with a documented, qualified lead.

Service window and costs:

ScenarioCost
Customer messages you first (inbound)Free from Meta, no cap
You respond within the 24-hour service windowFree
You send a template message outside the service window (utility)~$0.005 per message
You send a marketing broadcast~$0.035 per message

For most contractors, the primary use case (customer inquires, chatbot qualifies) happens entirely within the free service window.

For full pricing details, see WhatsApp Message Categories and Costs.

Migrating from WhatsApp Business App​

If your number is currently registered on the free WhatsApp Business App, you need to unregister it before connecting to CustomerFlows. A phone number can only be on one WhatsApp account at a time.

Steps to migrate:

  1. Export your chat history (optional): In WhatsApp Business App, go to Settings > Chats > Export Chat for any conversations you want to save
  2. Delete your WhatsApp Business App account: Go to Settings > Account > Delete My Account
  3. Wait 5 minutes for Meta's systems to release the number
  4. Connect the number in CustomerFlows following Steps 1-4 above

What you lose: Your WhatsApp Business App chat history and broadcast lists are deleted when you delete the account. Export anything important first.

What you gain: AI chatbot qualification, multi-agent access (your whole team can respond from the same number), CRM pipeline integration, conversation history in CustomerFlows, and ad attribution on WhatsApp-generated leads.

Customizing Your Chatbot​

After connecting WhatsApp, your chatbot uses default qualifying questions for your trade. To customize them:

  1. Go to Settings, then AI Chatbot
  2. You'll see your current qualifying questions listed in order
  3. Edit any question text, add new questions, remove questions, or reorder them
  4. Click Save
  5. Changes take effect immediately for all new conversations

Default questions by trade:

TradeDefault Questions
HVACService type, urgency, property address, system age, budget range
RoofingDamage type, insurance status, property address, timeline, budget range
PlumbingIssue type, urgency, property address, number of fixtures, budget range
LandscapingProject type, property size, property address, timeline, budget range
ElectricalService type, urgency, property address, panel age, budget range
CleaningService type (one-time/recurring), property size, address, frequency, budget
General ContractingProject type, scope, property address, timeline, budget range

For detailed guidance on writing effective qualifying questions, see Customizing Qualifying Questions.

Managing Your WhatsApp Connection​

Viewing Connection Status​

Go to Settings, then WhatsApp to see:

  • Connection status: Connected or Disconnected
  • Phone number: Your connected number
  • Chatbot status: Active or Paused
  • Messages this month: Count of messages sent and received against your plan's included allowance
  • WABA status: Provisioned, Pending Verification, or Requires Action

Pausing the Chatbot​

If you need to temporarily disable automatic responses (for example, during a system test):

  1. Go to Settings, then AI Chatbot
  2. Toggle Chatbot Active to Off
  3. Incoming messages will still appear in your inbox but won't receive automatic responses

Toggle it back On when ready. No reconnection is needed.

Disconnecting Your Number​

If you need to remove your number from CustomerFlows:

  1. Go to Settings, then WhatsApp
  2. Click Disconnect
  3. Confirm the disconnection

After disconnecting, the number is released and can be registered on another WhatsApp account or the WhatsApp Business App. Your conversation history in CustomerFlows is preserved even after disconnecting.

Changing Your Number​

To switch to a different phone number:

  1. Disconnect your current number (above)
  2. Wait 5 minutes for Meta to release it
  3. Enter your new number and complete verification

All existing deals and conversation history remain in your account. New conversations will come through the new number.

Troubleshooting​

ProblemLikely CauseFix
Verification code not receivedCarrier filtering or rate limitTry phone call verification. If still failing, wait 24 hours.
"Number already in use" errorNumber registered on WhatsApp Business AppDelete the WhatsApp Business App account first (see migration steps above)
Chatbot not responding to messagesChatbot toggled off, or WhatsApp disconnectedCheck Settings > AI Chatbot (toggle) and Settings > WhatsApp (connection status)
Messages received but no deal createdChatbot active but conversation didn't complete qualificationCheck the conversation in your inbox. The deal is created after the customer answers all qualifying questions.
"WABA Requires Action" statusMeta needs additional business verificationContact [email protected]. We'll guide you through Meta's verification process.

For detailed troubleshooting, see WhatsApp Not Connecting.

FAQ​

Can I use a toll-free number or virtual number? WhatsApp requires a number that can receive SMS or phone calls. Most US toll-free numbers and virtual numbers (Google Voice, Grasshopper) work, but some may have issues with SMS delivery. Standard mobile and landline numbers are most reliable.

Will connecting to CustomerFlows affect my regular phone calls? No. WhatsApp and phone calls are separate systems. Connecting your number to CustomerFlows only affects WhatsApp messages. Regular phone calls, text messages (SMS), and voicemail continue to work exactly as before.

Can multiple team members respond to WhatsApp messages? Yes. Unlike the free WhatsApp Business App (limited to 1 phone + 4 companion devices), the WhatsApp Business API through CustomerFlows supports unlimited concurrent users. Every team member with a CustomerFlows account can see and respond to conversations from the unified inbox.

What happens if WhatsApp goes down? WhatsApp outages are rare but do occur. During an outage, messages are queued by Meta and delivered when service resumes. Your other lead capture channels (website forms, phone) continue to work independently. CustomerFlows shows a status indicator if a WhatsApp service disruption is detected.

Can I connect multiple WhatsApp numbers? Currently, each CustomerFlows account supports one WhatsApp number. If you need multiple numbers (e.g., different numbers for different service lines), contact [email protected] to discuss options.

Is my WhatsApp data secure? All WhatsApp messages are encrypted in transit by Meta's end-to-end encryption. Messages stored in CustomerFlows are encrypted at rest. Your conversation data is only accessible to your team members with CustomerFlows accounts. See our Privacy Policy for full details.

Need help? Email [email protected] or ask in r/CustomerFlows.