Connect WhatsApp Business
Connect a WhatsApp Business sender through the guided provider flow, assign it to an Interlinked agent, and prepare it for customer messaging.
NEEDS VALIDATION
This page includes product areas with mixed maturity or conditional behavior. Verify the current UI and tenant state before using it as external operating guidance.
Before you connect
Have these ready:
- a phone number that can receive the provider’s verification message;
- the Meta account and business portfolio that should own the WhatsApp Business account; and
- permission to complete the provider’s business setup.
If the number is already in use by another WhatsApp business setup, the provider will explain whether it can be migrated or must be released first. Do not remove a number from another service until you understand that impact.
Connect WhatsApp Business
- Open Channels under AI & Automation.
- Find WhatsApp Business under Communication Channels and select Connect.
- Complete the guided provider signup in the popup or embedded screen.
- Select or create the business portfolio and WhatsApp business account offered by the provider.
- Register and verify the phone number, then complete any billing or business details the provider requires.
- Return to Interlinked and confirm that the card shows the connected account and Active state.
Screenshot: WhatsApp Business guided signup with the phone-number verification step
Assign the number to an agent
After a successful connection, choose the agent in the assignment dialog. If you choose Now or the dialog does not appear, open My Agents → [agent] → Apps and assign WhatsApp there.
Only one agent responds for a WhatsApp channel at a time. A connected number without an assigned ready agent is not yet a live customer path.
Messaging rules customers notice
When a customer starts or continues a conversation, normal agent replies appear in CRM and on WhatsApp. Outside the provider’s customer-service window, business-initiated messages generally require an approved template. Create WhatsApp broadcasts from CRM explains the separate consent and eligibility checks for campaigns.
Manual replies remain important: a human reply on WhatsApp pauses AI handling for that conversation for 15 minutes after the latest human message. See Switch between AI and manual control.
If the connection fails
Check the exact provider message, the selected business portfolio, the phone number’s current ownership, and whether the provider requires an additional business or billing step. Then read Meta connection troubleshooting.
NEEDS VALIDATION
Phone-number eligibility, business verification, billing requirements, and provider screens vary by country and account. The current guided signup and Channels card are authoritative.
Related in Interlinked
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