Articles on: 💬 WhatsApp channel

How to set up a WhatsApp shared inbox

We have built a WhatsApp channel that integrates with Drag. It means you can manage and collaborate on your business WhatsApp conversations, inside Gmail.

In this article you will learn how to set up a WhatsApp shared inbox in Gmail with Drag.

Before setting up a WhatsApp shared inbox, make sure you have read and understood the prerequisites required to integrate to WhatsApp Business Platform according to Facebook's regulations.

How to create a WhatsApp board



To create a WhatsApp board in Drag and have your incoming WhatsApp conversations loading in real time, follow these steps:

Click on the "add board" button on the left hand side.



On the "Add Channel" page, select WhatsApp and click on Next.



Make sure you have read and understood the prerequisites required to integrate to WhatsApp Business Platform according to Facebook's regulations and click on Let's get started.



A new popup will appear. There, either log in to your Meta Business Account, or click on "Continue as [name]" if you're already logged in.



Review the permissions needed to connect your WhatsApp business platform to Drag, then click on Get Started.



Fill in your business information, then click on Next.



Select an existing WhatsApp Business account or choose to create new ones. Then click on Next.



If you select to create a new WhatsApp Business account in the previous step, fill in the required information about your business then click on Next.



Your business must be verified by Meta for Drag be able to integrate to your WhatsApp business account. If you need to verify your business, follow the steps in this Meta article.

Enter the phone number to be associated with your Whatsapp Shared Inbox board, verify it and then click on Next.



If your business has been verified and you already have a payment method set up in your Facebook Business account, just click on Finish and you should be good to go! Note that you must have a payment method set up in your Facebook Business account to be able to sent WhatsApp messages using the Business platform. You can perform this step later by following these steps.



After the steps 1 to 10 have been completed, you will be redirected back to your new WhatsApp Shared Inbox board within Drag. New incoming conversations will load as new cards and you will be ready to start collaborating your team on WhatsApp conversations right from inside Gmail.



Having trouble setting up your WhatsApp board? Read this article to find out potential reasons why your WhatsApp Business Account has been disabled.

How to configure a WhatsApp board



Now that you have your WhatsApp board set up, it's time to configure it. Most configurations are very similar to any other Drag board.

1. Board settings



First, open the dropdown menu next to the board title and click on _Board options.



There, you will be able to:
Invite team members to your WhatsApp board.
Set up business hours for that board.
Set up tags for that board.

Note that the settings "reply permissions" and "default sender" are not available on WhatsApp boards.

2. WhatsApp pre-approved message templates



Facebook Business account admins can set up and manage WhatsApp message templates in your organization’s WhatsApp Business settings. These templates must be approved by the Facebook team and will automatically sync over to Drag. Read this article to learn about how to configure and use pre-approved WhatsApp message templates.

Still have questions? Our team will love to help at support@dragapp.com.

Updated on: 10/10/2024

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