A WhatsApp Business number connects to Sektra through the Business Solution Provider that hosts it, using the credentials that provider issues. After the connection, you paste a callback URL into the provider's webhook settings, and messages start flowing as soon as the provider delivers the first one.
Before you start
- A WhatsApp Business number already registered with a provider Sektra supports. The connect dialog lists the providers available to your workspace.
- The provider's API credentials, from its own dashboard. Sektra stores them encrypted.
- Access to the provider's webhook settings, so you can paste in the Sektra callback URL.
- Start the connection
Go to Settings, then Inboxes, then Connect an inbox, and pick WhatsApp Business. The dialog describes it as your business number, through the provider that hosts it.
- Name the inbox and enter the number
Give it a name such as Support or Sales. Enter the phone number with the country code, exactly as it is registered with WhatsApp. A number is shared by default; a rep's own number can be personal.
- Enter the provider credentials
Fill in the fields your provider asks for. Sektra checks that the number is active at the provider before it creates the inbox.
- Set import and read receipts
Import message history brings in earlier conversations where the provider offers them; how far back depends on your plan. Archive imported conversations keeps that history out of the live list. Send read receipts shows customers blue ticks when a teammate opens their conversation.
- Paste the webhook into your provider
Sektra shows One more step with a Callback URL and, where the provider needs it, an X-Sektra-Token header. Paste both into the provider's webhook settings. They stay available on the inbox's settings page.
- Wait for the first message
The connection card reads Waiting for the first message until the provider delivers one. It then shows the display name, quality rating and messaging limit of the number.
How WhatsApp conversations are threaded
WhatsApp has no subject line, so a thread is one conversation with one contact. The contact's newest conversation is the live one. A message from a contact whose last conversation was archived less than seven days ago reopens it. After seven days a new conversation starts, with its own summary, priority and first response time.
What works the same as email
Priority, Mine, All, Starred and Archived sections, assignment, notes, mentions, tags, snooze, search, the assistant and analytics all work on a WhatsApp inbox. Tags stay inside Sektra, since WhatsApp has nothing to sync them to. Sektra reply templates work inside the 24-hour window. Outside it only an approved WhatsApp template can be sent, as Why WhatsApp needs an approved template after 24 hours explains.