WhatsApp Channel
With over 2 billion monthly users, WhatsApp stands as one of the most popular consumer messaging and communication platforms worldwide. This guide will walk you through the process of configuring your WhatsApp Business account on PortSIP PBX, enabling your extension users to communicate directly with customers via WhatsApp.
Prerequisites
To integrate WhatsApp Business with PortSIP PBX, ensure the following requirements are met:
WhatsApp Business Platform Account
You must have a WhatsApp Business Platform account set up with an associated phone number.
The phone number must not be registered with any other WhatsApp account, whether on a device or virtually.
If you wish to use a number already linked to an existing WhatsApp account, you must first delete the account. Read more here.
Inbound Messaging Only
WhatsApp integration with PortSIP PBX supports responding to inbound messages only.
A WhatsApp user must initiate the conversation by sending you a message.
Once a message is received, you have a 24-hour window to respond.
Configuring WhatsApp
Register for an Official Account on WhatsApp
To set up your WhatsApp Business account for integration, follow these steps:
Log In to the Meta Developers Portal
Navigate to https://developers.facebook.com and click Log In at the top right.
Create a New App
Go to My Apps and click on Create App.
Select Other and click Next.
Choose Business as the app type, then click Next.
Set Up App Details
Enter a Display Name for your app.
Use the drop-down menu to select your Business Account.
Click Create App.
Re-enter your password when prompted, then click Submit.
Add WhatsApp to Your App
On the next screen, scroll down to the WhatsApp section and click Set Up.
In the "Welcome to the WhatsApp Business Platform" section, click Start Using the API.
Configure Your Phone Number
Use the drop-down menu to select the phone number you will use for sending and receiving messages.
Copy the Phone Number ID and save it for later use.
Setting Up an Admin User
Access Business Settings
Click on the menu icon in the top-left corner of the Meta Business Settings page.
Select Business Settings from the menu.
Add a System User
Navigate to Users > System Users and click Add.
Accept the non-discrimination policy and click Done.
Configure the System User
Set a name for the system user (e.g.,
portsip).Assign the Admin role to the user and click the Create system user button.
Add Assets to the System User
Click Add Assets.
In the pop-up box, select Apps, then choose your app from the list.
Enable the Manage App option.
Click Save Changes to confirm.
Link the WhatsApp Business Account
From the left-hand menu, navigate to Accounts > WhatsApp Accounts.
Select your WhatsApp Business account and click Add People to assign the user to the account.
Select the system user you created, enable the Full Control option, and click Assign to save the changes.
Generate a New Token
Navigate to Users > System Users from the left-hand menu and click Generate New Token.
In the pop-up, select your app from the drop-down list.
Check the permissions for whatsapp_business_messaging and whatsapp_business_management.
Click Generate Token.
Copy the access token displayed in the pop-up box and save it securely, as it will not be accessible again. This is a permanent token that will remain valid unless you click the Revoke Token button.
Configuring PortSIP PBX
To integrate the WhatsApp account you created with PortSIP PBX, follow these steps:
Add WhatsApp as a SIP Trunk
Access the PortSIP PBX web portal and log in as a Tenant Manager.
Navigate to the menu Call Manager > Trunks, click the Add button, and select WhatsApp as the trunk type.
Configure the Trunk
Enter a name for the trunk (e.g., WhatsApp Message).
In the DID Pool field, enter the phone number associated with your WhatsApp account.
Click the OK button to save changes.
Add a WhatsApp Channel
Navigate to Message Channels > WhatsApp and click Add.
Enter a name for the channel (e.g., WhatsApp Channel) and select the WhatsApp trunk you added earlier.
Input the phone number associated with your WhatsApp account in the Phone Number field.
Paste the Access Token from the Generate a New Token section.
Ensure the Enable option is turned on, then click OK to save your changes.
Configure Webhook in WhatsApp
To enable PortSIP PBX to receive inbound WhatsApp messages, follow these steps:
Copy the Webhook URL
Go to Message Channels > WhatsApp in the PortSIP PBX Web portal.
Select the WhatsApp Channel and click the Copy Webhook button to copy the Webhook URL.
Access the Meta Developer Portal
Log in to the Meta for Developers portal and locate your app.
Navigate to WhatsApp > Configuration, and paste the Webhook URL copied from the PortSIP PBX.
In the token verification field, enter a random string of letters and numbers. (This token is used only for verification and doesn’t need to be saved for future use.)
Click Verify and Save to confirm the configuration.
Enable Webhook Fields
In the Webhook Fields section, toggle the switch to Subscribed.
A notification will confirm that the subscription was successful.
Creating an Inbound Rule for WhatsApp
Sign in to the PortSIP PBX web portal.
Navigate to Call Manager > Inbound Rules and click the Add button.
Complete the inbound rule setup as follows:
Enter a descriptive name for the rule.
Select the WhatsApp trunk you configured in the previous steps.
In the DID/DDI Number or Number Range field, enter the DID number that you configured while configuring the WhatsApp trunk-in fact it's the phone number associated with your WhatsApp account.
Set the destination to extension 1001. You can also set the destination extension as a ring group number or queue number as well.
Click OK to save your changes.
Now you can send a WhatsApp message to your business phone number to verify the integration.
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