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WhatsApp Business

The WhatsApp Business integration links a WhatsApp Business number of your organization to Mokapen: you can send and — unlike SMS — also receive messages from your contacts, managing conversations directly from the contact card or from the unified Messages inbox alongside SMS and chat.

Important: the channel uses the official Meta WhatsApp Business platform. To connect it you need a Meta Business account and a Meta Developer app with the WhatsApp product configured (see Requirements section): it's not a direct connection with the WhatsApp app you use on your personal phone.

General integrations overview: Integrations.

Requirements

• A Mokapen plan that includes the WhatsApp Business integration (Premium — medal icon on the page if not available on your plan).
• A verified Meta Business portfolio.
• A Meta Developer app linked to that portfolio, with the WhatsApp product configured.
• A phone number not already linked to the personal WhatsApp app, the WhatsApp Business app, or another WhatsApp Business API provider/service. If the number is already registered elsewhere, it must first be migrated to the Mokapen setup following Meta's migration process: contact Mokapen support if you need help with the migration.
• Credit available in the organization's wallet: every message sent deducts credit based on destination country and message category (see the Credit and pricing section).

Connecting the WhatsApp Business account

The connection happens via Meta's Embedded Signup, i.e. a Meta/Facebook login window that guides you through choosing the Business portfolio, the WhatsApp Business account (WABA), and the number to connect — it's not a simple QR code to scan.

1. User menu → Integrations → WhatsApp Business.
2. Click Connect WhatsApp Business (requires an adequate Premium plan).
3. Sign in with your Meta account in the window that opens and follow the guided steps: choose the Business portfolio, the WhatsApp Business account, and the phone number to connect.
4. Confirm: Mokapen receives the necessary permissions and automatically subscribes to notifications (webhook) for that account.

If during the connection Meta reports that the number is already on another WhatsApp Business API provider, choose the proposed migration option and confirm that the number is already on WhatsApp Business API; if instead the number is still on the personal WhatsApp app, the account for that phone must first be deleted, waiting about 15 minutes before trying again. If two-step verification is active on the number, it must be disabled before connecting (in WhatsApp Manager or through the current provider).

Activating the number

After the Embedded Signup, the number must be activated before you can send messages:

1. On the Integrations → WhatsApp Business page click Activate number.
2. If prompted, request a verification code via SMS or voice call to the connected number and enter it when it arrives.
3. Enter a 6-digit PIN: if two-step verification already exists on that number, use the existing PIN; otherwise this becomes the new PIN Meta will require in the future for operations on the number.
4. Optional: choose a data localization region. Once enabled, it can only be changed by deregistering and re-registering the number.
5. Confirm: if everything is correct, the number switches to active status and you can start using the integration.

Meta allows a maximum of 10 registration requests for the same phone number within a 72-hour window: if you exceed the limit, wait before trying again. If the PIN is incorrect, check it in WhatsApp Manager or reset it with the previous provider if you've just migrated the number.

Credit and pricing

Sending WhatsApp messages is pay-as-you-go: it uses the same organization wallet (prepaid credit) used by other pay-per-use features in Mokapen, such as SMS — it's not a separate credit.

• The cost per message depends on the destination country of the number and the message category (marketing, utility, authentication, or free conversational message within the 24-hour window — see next sections).
• The Integrations → WhatsApp Business page always shows the organization's available credit, with a direct link to top up the wallet.
• Credit is deducted at the moment of sending, not before.
• If credit isn't enough, sending is blocked and Mokapen shows a warning — "Insufficient WhatsApp Business credits. Please top up your credits to send messages." — with a direct link to the top-up page.

Wallet top-up is visible to the Owner and to members with permission on the organization; check the balance before campaigns or bulk sends of marketing templates.

Sending a message manually

The WhatsApp send button is available on the contact card. Pressing the WhatsApp icon:

1. Select the contact's phone number to write to (among those on the card).
2. If you have more than one WhatsApp Business account linked, choose which one to use.
3. If you're within the 24-hour window (the contact wrote to you recently, see next section), you can write a free-form message just like on regular WhatsApp. If you're outside the window or this is the first contact, you must choose an approved template from Meta: only templates with Approved status are selectable in the menu.
4. If the template has placeholders ({{1}}, {{2}}…), fill in the required values before proceeding: without the values, the template stays disabled.
5. Check the message preview (shown as a WhatsApp bubble) and press Send. On success the confirmation "WhatsApp Business message sent successfully." appears and the message enters the contact's history.

If you don't yet have an active WhatsApp Business integration, the button redirects you to the Integrations → WhatsApp Business page to complete the link first.

The 24-hour window

WhatsApp Business enforces a rule that applies to every business on the platform, not just Mokapen: you can write free-form text (without a template) to a contact only within 24 hours of the last message that contact sent you — the so-called customer care window.

• If the contact writes to you, the window opens (or renews) and for 24 hours you can reply freely with text or attachments.
• Once 24 hours have passed without a new incoming message, or if you've never received a message from that number, you must use an approved template from Meta to write to them (see next section): that's how you start or resume a business conversation outside the window.
• If you try to send free-form text outside the window, sending is blocked: choose a suitable template (typically the Utility category) instead of a free-form message.

WhatsApp Business templates

Message templates are pre-approved formats from Meta, required to start a conversation or write outside the 24-hour window. You can manage them in two ways:

• Sync templates that already exist on Meta — from the Integrations → WhatsApp Business page, use Sync templates: Mokapen imports templates with Approved status not yet linked, so you can use them right away in manual sending.
• Create or edit templates in Mokapen — in Settings → Templates, WhatsApp Business type: creation, editing, or deletion happens directly on Meta through the linked app, and the approval status updates automatically when Meta reports it.

Some important rules when creating a template:

• Category — Utility (transactional updates expected by the user: order status, appointment reminders, account alerts), Marketing (promotions, offers, newsletters: requires the recipient to have given explicit consent to receive WhatsApp messages from your business) or Authentication (OTP or verification codes, with dedicated buttons). The category must match the actual content: miscategorizing can lead to rejection or a lower quality score.
• Structure — optional header (text, image, video, document, or location), required body, optional footer, up to 3 buttons (quick reply, URL link, or phone number).
• Name — lowercase letters, numbers, and underscores only (e.g. order_confirmation), unique per account and language.
• Placeholders — use {{1}}, {{2}}, {{3}} in order and without gaps; provide example values when creating it.
• Character limits — body up to 1,024 characters, text header and footer up to 60 characters each, button label up to 20 characters, up to 3 buttons per template.

Every template is reviewed by Meta before use: approval typically takes a few minutes, sometimes up to 24 hours. A rejected template shows the reason for rejection; a low quality score or too many blocks/reports from recipients can restrict the WhatsApp Business account.

History, conversations, and receiving

Unlike SMS, WhatsApp Business is two-way: a contact can write to you freely and the message really arrives as a new conversation in Mokapen.

• Contact card — the history/timeline shows both sent and received messages, with a text preview.
• Messages inbox — WhatsApp threads appear alongside SMS and chat in the same unified inbox, with text search. Unlike SMS, for WhatsApp Mokapen automatically updates the delivery and read status (sent, delivered, read) as Meta reports the events.
• A contact can send you text, images, documents, audio, video, and stickers, even in reply to a specific message: everything arrives in the same thread in the Messages inbox.

Limits to know

• Not available in automations — today the Automations module offers the Send Email and Send SMS actions, but not a WhatsApp Business action: sending is only possible manually from the contact card.
• Free-form text only within 24 hours — outside the customer care window you always need an approved template from Meta.
• One channel on the contact today — the send button is available on Contacts; for Companies or other cards, WhatsApp sending isn't yet exposed in the interface.
• Number can't be shared with other uses — a number linked to Mokapen via WhatsApp Business API can't remain active at the same time on the personal WhatsApp app or another API provider.
• Registration limit — a maximum of 10 activation attempts per number every 72 hours, imposed by Meta, not by Mokapen.

Common issues

• Can't complete the connection — check that you have a verified Meta Business portfolio, a linked Developer app with the WhatsApp product configured, and try the Embedded Signup again.
• Number still on the personal WhatsApp app — delete the WhatsApp account for that number on the phone, wait about 15 minutes, and try connecting again.
• Number already on another API provider — during the connection choose the migration option and confirm it; if two-step verification is active on that number, disable it first in WhatsApp Manager or through the current provider.
• Incorrect verification PIN — check the 6-digit two-step verification PIN in WhatsApp Manager, or reset it with the previous provider if you've just migrated.
• WhatsApp is connected but the webhook subscription failed — incoming messages might not appear: contact Mokapen support if the problem persists after retrying the connection.
• Free-form message doesn't send — you're probably outside the 24-hour window: choose an approved template instead of free-form text.
• Template rejected by Meta — check the stated reason for rejection: category not matching the content, incorrectly numbered or gapped placeholders, disallowed content (spam, false urgency, sensitive data), or non-compliant format.
• Insufficient credits — top up the organization's wallet from the link on the Integrations → WhatsApp Business page or from the Billing section.

Disconnecting

From the Integrations → WhatsApp Business page click Disconnect: a window opens with the Keep section.

• The Messages & Templates checkbox is checked by default: leaving it checked, message history and synced templates stay visible in Mokapen even after disconnecting.
• If you uncheck it, Mokapen deletes the synced templates, the WhatsApp threads and messages linked to this integration, plus the related media files.

In every case, the link with the Meta account and the webhook subscription are always removed. If you're a user the integration was shared with (not the owner), disconnecting removes only your access: the integration stays active for the organization. To confirm, type DISCONNECT in the required field.

Use cases

• Order or appointment confirmation — use an approved Utility template to confirm an order that just closed or an appointment that was set: the customer receives the notification even if they haven't written to you yet, without having to wait for them to open an email.
• Real-time customer support — a customer writes to you on WhatsApp with a question: the message arrives on the contact card and in the Messages inbox, and for the next 24 hours you can reply with free-form text, images, or documents without needing a template.
• Shipping status update — a Utility template with placeholders for order number and expected date, sent manually from the contact card when the shipping status changes.
• Verification code — an Authentication category template with a dedicated OTP button, useful when you need to send a security code to a contact reliably and with it tracked in the history.
• Campaign with explicit consent — a Marketing template sent only to contacts who have given explicit consent to receive WhatsApp messages from the business, for example to announce a seasonal promotion.

Frequently asked questions

Q: Can I receive messages from my customers in Mokapen, unlike SMS?

A: Yes. WhatsApp Business is two-way: if a contact writes to you, the message appears as a new conversation on the contact card and in the Messages inbox, and within 24 hours you can reply with free-form text.

Q: Do I really need a Meta Business account to connect WhatsApp?

A: Yes. You need a verified Meta Business portfolio and a Meta Developer app with the WhatsApp product configured: the connection happens through Meta's Embedded Signup, not a direct login on the phone's WhatsApp app.

Q: My number is already on regular WhatsApp or another provider: can I still connect it?

A: Yes, but it must first be freed up or migrated: if it's on the personal WhatsApp app, delete the account for that phone and wait about 15 minutes; if it's already on another WhatsApp Business API provider, choose the migration option during connection and confirm.

Q: Can I write freely to a customer at any time?

A: No. You can write free-form text only within 24 hours of the last message the customer sent you. Outside that window, or for the first contact, you must use a template approved by Meta.

Q: How do I create or update a message template?

A: In Settings → Templates, WhatsApp Business type: you create or edit the template, which gets saved and submitted for approval directly on Meta. Alternatively, if you already have approved templates on Meta, use Sync templates from the Integrations → WhatsApp Business page to import them.

Q: How much does it cost to send a WhatsApp message?

A: The cost depends on the destination country and the message category (marketing, utility, authentication, or free conversation within the 24-hour window). Credit is deducted from the organization's wallet at the moment of sending: check the available balance on the Integrations → WhatsApp Business page.

Q: Is WhatsApp Business available as an action in automations, like Email or SMS?

A: Not yet: today the Automations module only offers Send Email and Send SMS. Sending WhatsApp messages is possible only manually from the contact card.

Q: Why was my template rejected by Meta?

A: The most common reasons are: a category that doesn't match the actual message content, incorrectly numbered or gapped placeholders, disallowed content (spam, false urgency, requests for sensitive data), or a format that doesn't comply with the structure rules. The exact rejection reason is shown by Meta on the template.

Q: What happens to the data if I disconnect the integration?

A: With the "Messages & Templates" checkbox checked (the default), message history and synced templates stay visible in Mokapen. Unchecking it, Mokapen deletes templates, threads, messages, and media files linked to that integration. The link with the Meta account is always removed regardless.

Q: Can I use more than one WhatsApp Business number in the same organization?

A: Yes, if your WhatsApp Business account (WABA) has more than one number linked, or if you link more than one account: in the composer, if more than one option is available, choose which one to use as sender before sending.