WhatsApp API entry points

Entry points are gateways to WhatsApp conversations. There are many ways to lead your customers to your WhatsApp number and engage in a conversation.

1. Whatsapp Discover Businesses

The most simple way to guide your customer to chat with you through WhatsApp is Discover Businesses search. Customers can directly search for your business within the app.

Business search results will match in full or in part the text the user has entered. When you search for businesses, search terms are processed in a de-identified way that will not be linked back to your account. For example, when searching for a bakery in your area, search terms such as, “bakeries near me”, “cake”, or “custom cupcakes” will not be associated with your WhatsApp account or phone number.

The results displayed will only show businesses registered in your customer's country. For example, if your phone number starts with +44 for the UK, they will only see results with the same country code.

See more about WhatsApp Discover Businesses here.

2. WhatsApp Link

WhatsApp link is a flexible way to get customers to contact you on WhatsApp. You can attach this link anywhere: Instagram profile, Facebook Page, Website, Advertisements,...

Just create a link with the following format, and replace the "6285155094560" part with your business' phone number (don't forget the country code):

http://wa.me/6285155094560

Or you can elevate this by adding a whole sentence in the greeting message on this link:

https://api.whatsapp.com/send/?phone=6287711890788&text=Hi+I+want+to+know+more+about+Pancake&app_absent=0

Replace the phone number in the link with your business's number, and modify "Hi, I want to know more about Pancake" to include the desired sentence, using the + sign as the separator. It will appear like this:

If you don't want a long link, just use a link shortener like bit.ly.

3. QR code

A QR code can serve as a good entry point on your printed receipt, products, or simply on the promotion picture.

Once you generated a WhatsApp link in section two, search for a QR code generator and create it. When the customer scans it with their phone, they will be redirected to WhatsApp.

4. Paid entry points: Click to WhatsApp Ads (CTWA)

While setting up the ads, you can choose the destination for the Call-to-action button. When the client click on the button, they will be redirected directly to your business' WhatsApp number.

Click-to-WhatsApp ads enable customers to reach out to your business directly through their preferred messaging app.

Conversations initiated from these ads won't incur charges for the first 72 hours, regardless of the type of template or conversation. However, after this period, regular conversation fees apply. Each conversation originating from Click-to-WhatsApp ads will have a unique Advertisement ID and can be tailored to automate responses based on each ad.

Learn how to set up a Click-to-WhatsApp campaign here.