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Connect WhatsApp: the three ways and what each one needs

Your current WhatsApp Business number, a new number from iAgentify, or one from your Twilio account. What each way needs, how long it takes, what it costs and how to choose.

In the app:
Channels › WhatsApp
Open the app
Reviewed on
5 min read
In this article

There are three ways to put an agent on WhatsApp: on the WhatsApp Business number your business already uses, on a new number that iAgentify sets up for you, or on a number from your own Twilio account. You choose when you press Connect WhatsApp under Channels.

The three ways compared

To compareYour current numberA new number from iAgentifyYour Twilio number
Option when connectingI already use WhatsApp BusinessI want a new numberMy number is on Twilio
What you needA Meta Business account you are an administrator of, and the number. To keep using it on the mobile app, the WhatsApp Business app at version 2.24.17 or laterThe country of the number and the business name as it should appear on WhatsAppThe Account SID, the primary Auth Token of the account and a number already approved as a WhatsApp sender (status “Online”)
How long it takesConnected as soon as you finish the Facebook windowA few days: WhatsApp has to approve the business nameConnected straight away
Cost per message in iAgentifyNoneCredits for each message sent, whether the agent or a person writes itNone
Who you pay for the messagesMeta, whatever applies to your WhatsApp Business accountiAgentify, with those creditsTwilio
Whose number it isYoursiAgentify’s: if you disconnect it, it goes back to iAgentifyYours
Step by stepConnect your current numberRequest a new numberConnect a Twilio number

In all three, each agent reply also uses its normal credits, as on your website chat.

How to choose

  • You already serve customers on WhatsApp Business and they know that number: connect your current number. If you use it on the WhatsApp Business app on your phone, you can keep answering from it while the agent answers from iAgentify.
  • You have no WhatsApp Business number, or you want a separate one for the agent: request a new number. The iAgentify team takes care of registering it with WhatsApp; in exchange, it takes a few days and each message sent costs credits.
  • You already have a number approved for WhatsApp on Twilio: connect that number and keep paying Twilio for the messages.

What applies to all three

  • Your plan has to include WhatsApp. If it does not, Channels shows “Not in your plan” and the View plans button. The “Channels” row of the table below shows which plans include it.
  • Only an account administrator can connect. You need the Admin or Owner role. With another role you see the notice “Only account administrators can connect or disconnect channels.”
  • One number, one agent. Each number connects to a single agent, and each agent takes one number. If all your agents already have one, the connect button does not appear: create another agent or disconnect a number.
  • The agent has to be active to answer. An agent that is a Draft or is Paused does not answer on any channel.

Basic

Price per month
€99 + VAT
Credits per month
3,000
Agents
1
Knowledge sources
30
Team members
2
Languages per agent
1
Channels
Web chat
Advanced AI models
No
Extra credit purchases
Yes

Standard

Price per month
€199 + VAT
Credits per month
8,000
Agents
3
Knowledge sources
150
Team members
5
Languages per agent
3
Channels
Web chat, WhatsApp, Instagram
Advanced AI models
No
Extra credit purchases
Yes

Premium

Price per month
€299 + VAT
Credits per month
20,000
Agents
10
Knowledge sources
500
Team members
15
Languages per agent
Unlimited
Channels
Web chat, WhatsApp, Instagram
Advanced AI models
Yes
Extra credit purchases
Yes
Prices before VAT and limits as of the last update of this page. The ones that apply to your account are those you see under Billing, inside the app, and on the pricing page.

What the agent does on WhatsApp, and what it does not

  • It replies to the messages it receives, within seconds and with the same knowledge as on your website chat. Every conversation appears under Conversations, where a person on your team can take over.
  • It only reads and writes text. If a customer sends a photo, a voice note or a file, the agent replies with a fixed notice: “I can only read text messages for now. Could you type what you need?”
  • It does not start conversations. It sends no templates, campaigns or reminders: it answers whoever writes to it. See WhatsApp’s 24-hour rule.
  • It respects opt-outs. If a customer sends a message that says only STOP, BAJA, UNSUBSCRIBE, CANCELAR or PARAR, the agent stops replying to them automatically, and no confirmation is sent. Their messages still reach Conversations and a person can answer. When they send START or ALTA, the agent replies to them again. Capitals make no difference; a sentence that contains the word (“stop, I meant Tuesday”) is an ordinary message.

Where to see what you have connected

Each number appears under Channels, inside WhatsApp, with its status (Connected, Error or Switched off), the agent that answers, the way it is connected (Meta, Meta, with the phone app, Your Twilio account, Twilio sandbox or iAgentify number) and when the last message was received and sent. The Check button tests the connection there and then, and Disconnect removes it. Each agent’s Channels tab shows the status of its number and takes you to this screen.

If a customer writes and gets no reply, the causes and how to recognise each one are in a WhatsApp message was not answered.

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