WhatsApp Business connection¶
Introduction¶
A WhatsApp Business connection, created using the WhatsApp Business connector, establishes access to WhatsApp Business. Once a connection is configured, you can create instances of WhatsApp Business activities associated with that connection to be used either as sources (to provide data in an operation) or as targets (to consume data in an operation).
Important
To use this connector, you need a WhatsApp Business account, a Meta developer account, and a Meta developer app. Follow the instructions provided by Metafor setting up a developer account and app.
Create or edit a WhatsApp Business connection¶
A new WhatsApp Business connection is created using the WhatsApp Business connector from one of these locations:
- The design component palette's Project endpoints and connectors tab (see Design component palette).
- The Global Connections page (see Create a global endpoint in Global Connections).
An existing WhatsApp Business connection can be edited from these locations:
- The design component palette's Project endpoints and connectors tab (see Design component palette).
- The project pane's Components tab (see Component actions menu in Project pane Components tab).
- The Global Connections page (see Edit a global endpoint in Global Connections).
Configure a WhatsApp Business connection¶
Each user interface element of the WhatsApp Business connection configuration screen is described below.
Tip
Fields with a variable icon support using global variables, project variables, and Jitterbit variables. Begin either by typing an open square bracket [
into the field or by clicking the variable icon to display a list of the existing variables to choose from.
-
Connection Name: Enter a name to use to identify the connection. The name must be unique for each WhatsApp Business connection and must not contain forward slashes
/
or colons:
. This name is also used to identify the WhatsApp Business endpoint, which refers to both a specific connection and its activities. -
API Key: Enter the user access token for the Meta developer app.
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Phone Number ID: Enter the phone number ID connected to the WhatsApp Business account.
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Use Proxy Settings (Private Agent Only): When using a private agent, this setting can be selected to use private agent proxy settings.
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Test: Click to verify the connection using the provided configuration. When the connection is tested, the latest version of the connector is downloaded by the agent(s) in the agent group associated with the current environment. This connector supports suspending the download of the latest connector version by using the Disable Auto Connector Update organization policy.
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Save Changes: Click to save and close the connection configuration.
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Discard Changes: After making changes to a new or existing configuration, click to close the configuration without saving. A message asks you to confirm that you want to discard changes.
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Delete: After opening an existing connection configuration, click to permanently delete the connection from the project and close the configuration (see Component dependencies, deletion, and removal). A message asks you to confirm that you want to delete the connection.
Next steps¶
After a WhatsApp Business connection has been created, you place an activity type on the design canvas to create activity instances to be used either as sources (to provide data in an operation) or as targets (to consume data in an operation).
Menu actions for a connection and its activity types are accessible from the project pane and design component palette. For details, see Actions menus in Connector basics.
These activity types are available:
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Upload Media: Uploads images or stickers to WhatsApp Business and is intended to be used as a target in an operation.
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Get Metrics: Retrieves analytics data (using a WABA ID) from WhatsApp Business and is intended to be used as a source in an operation.
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Send Generic Message: Sends messages from WhatsApp Business and is intended to be used as a target in an operation.
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Send Message: Sends messages (using a specified message object) from WhatsApp Business and is intended to be used as a target in an operation.
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Mark Message as Read: Updates message statuses (by message ID) in WhatsApp Business and is intended to be used as a target in an operation.