Quickstart Guide
This guide takes you from signup to your first captured lead in under 5 minutes. By the end, your AI chatbot will be live on WhatsApp, your website tracking will be active, and your CRM pipeline will be built for your trade.
Prerequisites
- A CustomerFlows account (start your free trial)
- A phone number for WhatsApp Business (can be your existing business number)
- Access to your website's HTML header (for tracking installation)
Step 1: Select Your Trade
After signing up and verifying your email, your first screen asks one question: What type of work do you do?
Choose your trade:
- HVAC
- Roofing
- Plumbing
- Landscaping
- Electrical
- Cleaning
- General Contracting
What happens: CustomerFlows generates a CRM pipeline with stages that match your actual workflow. A roofer gets stages like Inspection Scheduled, Quote Sent, Approved, Job Scheduled, Completed, and Paid. A plumber gets New Call, Dispatched, On-Site, Invoice Sent, and Paid.
You can customize every stage later. But you start with something that matches your business from day one.
Tip: If your business spans multiple trades, select the one that represents your primary workflow. You can add additional pipelines for other service lines later (available on Growth and Scale tiers).
Step 2: Connect Your WhatsApp Number
This is the most important setup step. Once WhatsApp is connected, your AI chatbot goes live and starts qualifying leads automatically.
- Go to Settings, then WhatsApp
- Enter your business phone number (include country code, e.g., +1 for US)
- Choose verification method: SMS or Phone Call
- Enter the verification code you receive
- Wait for confirmation: "WhatsApp connected successfully"
Your AI chatbot is now live on this number. Any message sent to it will receive an automatic response within 60 seconds.
Important notes:
- The phone number cannot be simultaneously registered on the free WhatsApp Business App. If it is, you'll need to delete it from the app first. See WhatsApp Not Connecting for migration steps.
- CustomerFlows handles the WhatsApp Business Account (WABA) provisioning automatically. You do not need to configure anything in Meta Business Manager.
- Your 14-day trial includes 5,000 WhatsApp messages. Inbound conversations (when customers message you first) are free from Meta with no cap.
For a detailed walkthrough of this step, see Connecting Your WhatsApp Number.
Step 3: Install Website Tracking
Website tracking enables two things: visitor source identification (where each visitor came from) and ad attribution (connecting Google/Meta ad clicks to pipeline deals).
- Go to Settings, then Tracking
- Copy the tracking snippet (a single line of JavaScript)
- Paste it into your website's
<head>section
Where to paste it by platform:
| Platform | Where to Find It |
|---|---|
| WordPress | Appearance > Theme Editor > header.php, or use the "Insert Headers and Footers" plugin |
| Wix | Settings > Custom Code > Head |
| Squarespace | Settings > Advanced > Code Injection > Header |
| Webflow | Project Settings > Custom Code > Head Code |
| Next.js / Custom HTML | Inside the <head> tag of your main layout file |
| Google Tag Manager | Add a Custom HTML tag with the snippet, trigger on All Pages |
- After pasting, save and publish your website changes
- Return to Settings, then Tracking in CustomerFlows
- The status should show Active within 1-2 minutes of your first website visit
Tip: If you're running Google Ads, the tracking snippet automatically captures the GCLID (Google Click ID) from every ad-driven visit. This is what enables you to trace which specific ad campaign produced each deal in your pipeline. There is no additional setup required for Google Ads attribution.
If the status doesn't show Active after 5 minutes, see Tracking Not Working.
Step 4: Test It
Everything is connected. Now verify it works end-to-end.
Test your AI chatbot:
- Open WhatsApp on your personal phone (not the business number you just connected)
- Send a message to your business number: "Hi, I need help with an AC repair"
- Within 60 seconds, the chatbot will respond with qualifying questions
- Answer the questions (job type, urgency, address, etc.)
- Go to your CustomerFlows dashboard
What you should see:
- A new deal in your pipeline with the stage set to your first pipeline stage
- The deal card contains: job type, urgency, address, and any other details from the chatbot conversation
- The full chatbot conversation transcript is attached to the deal
- The source is marked as "WhatsApp - Direct"
Test your website tracking:
- Visit your own website in a browser
- Go to Settings, then Tracking in CustomerFlows
- Verify the status shows Active and you can see at least 1 visitor recorded
If the test deal doesn't appear within 2 minutes, check:
- Is WhatsApp showing as connected in Settings?
- Did you message from a different phone number than the one you connected?
- Is the AI chatbot toggle enabled in Settings, then AI Chatbot?
What's Next
Your system is live. Here are the most valuable next steps:
| Action | Why | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Customize your chatbot questions | Make the qualifying questions specific to your trade and what your estimators need | Customizing Qualifying Questions |
| Invite your team | Give your office manager, estimators, or dispatchers access to the pipeline | Inviting Your Team |
| Customize your pipeline stages | Adjust stage names to match your exact workflow | Customizing Pipeline Stages |
| Add a WhatsApp button to your website | Make it easy for visitors to message you directly | See your WhatsApp API guide |
| Learn about attribution | Understand how to read your attribution dashboard once data starts flowing | Attribution Overview |
FAQ
How long does the full setup take? Most contractors complete all 4 steps in under 10 minutes. WhatsApp connection (Step 2) takes the longest due to the verification code, typically 2-3 minutes.
Do I need technical skills? No. Selecting your trade and connecting WhatsApp require zero technical knowledge. Installing the tracking snippet (Step 3) requires pasting one line into your website header. If you can edit your website, you can do this. If you use WordPress, a plugin handles it for you.
What if I don't have a website yet? Skip Step 3 for now. WhatsApp lead capture (Steps 1-2) works independently of website tracking. You can add tracking later when your website is ready.
What if I don't want to use my main business number for WhatsApp? You can use any phone number that can receive SMS or calls for verification. Many contractors set up a dedicated WhatsApp number separate from their main phone line.
Can I undo the trade selection? Yes. Go to Settings, then Account to change your trade at any time. Your pipeline stages will be regenerated, but any existing deals are preserved.
Need help? Email [email protected] or ask in r/CustomerFlows.