How to setup WhatsApp integration

[KaterinaK_3CX]

WhatsApp integration enables agents to send a reply to WhatsApp messages directly from 3CX. Read the guide carefully for any known WhatsApp limitations. Use the guide to walk you through the steps required to:

• Create WhatsApp application
• Adding a phone number
• Set up an Admin role
• Generate a new token
• Configure in 3CX
• Configure your webhook

Read the guide.

 

[Alex_wanspot]

Went through the whole config again piece by piece and finally got it working. Somewhere between the Auth token seems to have been the problem.

 

[Anees Cloete]

Good day, I am having trouble setting up WhatsApp. I have the option to add the Whatsapp trunk but I dont have WhatsApp under my chats. Am I missing something?


I am busy setting up whatsapp for business but I do not have a token for the webhook and I cannot save it. The instruction guide says I can insert any value but it is not accepting the password.
Please assist.
Thanks

 

[Anees Cloete]

Good day, I am having trouble setting up WhatsApp. I have the option to add the Whatsapp trunk but I dont have WhatsApp under my chats. Am I missing something?
View attachment 32538
View attachment 32539
I am busy setting up whatsapp for business but I do not have a token for the webhook and I cannot save it. The instruction guide says I can insert any value but it is not accepting the password.
Please assist.
Thanks

Got this resolved, had to make the webhook url public.

 

[VoIPTools]

I published a free video walkthrough for setting up the WhatsApp integration for 3CX. You can access the video here. There is a little longer introduction than is perhaps necessary, but hopefully you will find the information helpful.

 

[ochapple]

Anyone have issues with sending images from WA and not receiving in 3CX?

It's text only not media yet

 

[ochapple]

This might help some of you with the error "Authentication error. Please chek your account Account SID and Auth Token." When specifically sending WhatsApp messages for numbers you have not pre-authorised in WABA, and you can receive messages successfully.

If you have setup SMS in 3CX on the same tel number as your WA number, then you may receive the above Authentication error Message.

I discovered this after much head scratching after reading a post about the WA number cannot be the same as a number assigned to a SIP trunk, so I decided to then remove the WA number which I was also using for SMS, deleting it from the SMS setup area, and I also, just in case, also removed the same WA number that I was using as the outgoing ID for my user, lo' and behold the WhatsApp messages started sending!

One thing to bear in mind is if you need to authorise your WA number first using SMS, you might want to first add it to the SMS setup area in 3CX but then remember to remove it when you want to start sending messages after your WA successfully sends messages to a pre-authorised number and you're done!! Oh Joy!

 

[yesss-de]

What is the latest state of this topic?
Does it work now to use same number for trunk and WhatsApp?
If not, the solution, besides being the best one i've seen yet, is not usable for our business case.
We have to be able to use the same number which is called as Whatsapp for business Number because our Customers know the number and are likely to write to it

 

[Nick W]

It works with same number now.

 

[JulianB123]

I am having an issue, i get evertime this in the activity log, and messages doesnt come thru??

has invalid configuration: primary target is empty

I have an other number and 3cx system and there it all works fine, why dont i get this working.??

 

[ServicesCoronado]

Just want to thank 3cx for the whatsapp integration.
The guide works well, follow it step by step.
One last step is missing though - took me 10 minutes to figure that out.

Switch to Live
You need to switch the app you created for whatsapp from Dev to Live mode, and put a privacy policy link (it will nag you when you try to switch to live, just follow the setup link in that nag message)


The only thing what is missing, as others pointed out, is the ability to initiate conversation from Business side, using a predefined template - as that is Allowed and Documented in Whatsapp Business API policies.

If that would be possible, we would consider paying for the plugin without second thought. As we need to inform the customer about the state of his order - like inform him the driver is waiting for him for the pick up, or that customer needs to provide additional details and so on.

For now, we use the free version, but we left the Powered by 3cx ON for you (yes, I know can be disabled, but hey, is the least thing we can do for you, when you give us such a generous free product).

 

[branden003]

Hi Noord,

Yes they have contacted me this morning and when i deleted the did the whatsapp started to work both way. Hope they fix it in the next alpha beta.

How do you delete the DID? I have a voice truck and whatsapp on the same number and I can not reply to customers?

 

[Rick-Arcus-IT]

How do you delete the DID? I have a voice truck and whatsapp on the same number and I can not reply to customers?

You can have a seperate whatsapp trunk with the same number with the latest version. If you can't reply to your customers, something must be wrong with the whatsapp configuration. I assume you do receive messages? Do you have any errors in your event log?

 

[serious1]

Hi,

I did made the test and it is working in the Meta site.
But can not reply in the 3CX webclient.

Since Meta furds its business spying on all of us, does 3CX have isolation so that there is no access via any Meta Routines to our numbers or voice? If not our company will purchase a PBX similar even if for only handful of lines, We are a privacy centric company that steers clients away from Facebook and Whatsapp. If they are jst bolt-ons I am instructed to remove, or go without our PBX until a contractor finds a replacement - regardless of cost. For those who say they do not care if listened to - think why would a huge company WANT to listen in on your calls. It would be fooolish to think it is to enhance somehow our lives. Everyone with an Alexa or google home consents to being under constant monitoring. Even Nissan Connnect can listen in on your conversations in the passenger cabin. No one reads their contracts, Nissan says conversation monitoring is to enhance the drive...... Anyone believe that? Yes probably have a cellular data modem if there is navigation installed..... Revolt and those will be taken out. Shameful manufacturers snuck them in knowing we don't read hundreds of pages of jargon.

 

[Cynic666]

Got this resolved, had to make the webhook url public.

Hello. Can you explain:

had to make the webhook url public.

What did you do? What you mean make url public?

 

[APL]

I am having the same issue, customer sends in message through WA to 3CX the messages comes in fine but message from 3CX to WA is not going through. what's can i do to resolve this?

 

[itfriel]

I always get this error: "The callback URL or verify token couldn't be validated. Please verify the provided information or try again later".
Could someone help me?

Thank you

 

[ochapple]

I am having the same issue, customer sends in message through WA to 3CX the messages comes in fine but message from 3CX to WA is not going through. what's can i do to resolve this?

This is a message to everyone to help troubleshoot your issues with WA.

To resolve a potential conflict with SMS which is a common cause of the above issues raised here, is a trunk conflict with SMS. So if you are receiving messages but can't send them try this. The 3CX Trunk setup has an issue with the number for WhatsApp being the same number you are also using for SMS with 3CX. You cannot use the same number at the time of writing and this has been the case from the beginning with 3CX WA; so if you are you'll have to use a different number for one or the other.

Other things to check off...

Check you have your call queue set up so that WhatsApps can be received by the agents in the call queue.

I have a call queue extension set to RingAll. I have the agents I want to receive WhatsApps assigned to that queue.

In the WhatsApp Trunk Details - check you have entered the Access Token (from developers.facebook.com under WhatsApp > Quickstart > API SETUP) known as the Temporary access token.

Also check that you have added the correct Phone Number ID, not to be confused with your WA phone number, it is the Phone Number ID. It's specifically shown on the same page as the Temporary Access Token below your FROM phone number that is stated.

Also check in Step 3 of the above API setup page that you have setup / copied across the 3CX Webhook URL, that 3CX creates for you, into your Quickstart configuration (same WhatsApp area of developers.facebook.com). It is called the Callback URL in Meta and has the verify token next to it that 3CX gives you as well.

For inbound issues. Check your Route settings in the Trunk, check you have the WhatsApp number setup and the Destination for calls during office hours and outside office hours setup. Choose an extension for the destination and set it to your Call Queue as the destination - the queue that has your WA agents in it.

In META (developers.facebook.com) (WhatsApp > Configuration) make sure you have subscribed to messages under Webhooks (Webhook fields).

 

[VoIPTools]

I created a how-to video for setting up the integration. Maybe this will help:

 

[TLCtech]

This is a message to everyone to help troubleshoot your issues with WA.

To resolve a potential conflict with SMS which is a common cause of the above issues raised here, is a trunk conflict with SMS. So if you are receiving messages but can't send them try this. The 3CX Trunk setup has an issue with the number for WhatsApp being the same number you are also using for SMS with 3CX. You cannot use the same number at the time of writing and this has been the case from the beginning with 3CX WA; so if you are you'll have to use a different number for one or the other.

Other things to check off...

Check you have your call queue set up so that WhatsApps can be received by the agents in the call queue.

I have a call queue extension set to RingAll. I have the agents I want to receive WhatsApps assigned to that queue.

In the WhatsApp Trunk Details - check you have entered the Access Token (from developers.facebook.com under WhatsApp > Quickstart > API SETUP) known as the Temporary access token.

Also check that you have added the correct Phone Number ID, not to be confused with your WA phone number, it is the Phone Number ID. It's specifically shown on the same page as the Temporary Access Token below your FROM phone number that is stated.

Also check in Step 3 of the above API setup page that you have setup / copied across the 3CX Webhook URL, that 3CX creates for you, into your Quickstart configuration (same WhatsApp area of developers.facebook.com). It is called the Callback URL in Meta and has the verify token next to it that 3CX gives you as well.

For inbound issues. Check your Route settings in the Trunk, check you have the WhatsApp number setup and the Destination for calls during office hours and outside office hours setup. Choose an extension for the destination and set it to your Call Queue as the destination - the queue that has your WA agents in it.

In META (developers.facebook.com) (WhatsApp > Configuration) make sure you have subscribed to messages under Webhooks (Webhook fields).

Does this mean I need to purchase an additional phone number for WhatsApp? Is so, does it need SMS capabilities?

 

[ochapple]

Yes you need a separate WhatsApp number registered with Meta first and therefore a separate SMS number to avoid conflict. I am not sure of the type of number capability but I would assume it needs more compatibility than Voice alone. It will either register with Meta or it won't. I just ordered a new number from Twilio which I registered and that number had data, voice, SMS capability