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WhatsApp Messaging Overview
Overview
The Mongoose WhatsApp integration provides your institution the ability to connect with international prospects, students, alumni, and donors on their preferred messaging platform.
Before you can start texting with a WhatsApp inbox, please makes sure the steps outlined in WhatsApp Messaging-Getting Started have been completed by your team admin.
We will be releasing more functionality as it becomes available. WhatsApp Upcoming Features. If you are interested in learning more or would like to add WhatsApp to your team, please visit the Mongoose Marketplace or reach out to your client success manager.
Note: Starting April 1, 2025, we will temporarily pause delivery of all marketing template messages to WhatsApp users who have a United States phone number (a number composed of a +1 dialing code and a US area code). This pause is intended to allow us to focus on building a better consumer experience in the US, which will ultimately lead to improved outcomes for businesses. Attempting to send a template message to a WhatsApp user with a US phone number after this date will result in an error.
Messaging your WhatsApp contacts
WhatsApp regulates when and how you can send messages with your end users.
Messaging your WhatsApp contacts can be initiated in a few different ways.
- Using a WhatsApp template: WhatsApp templates are pre-created messages that can be selected when composing a message. A WhatsApp template MUST be used for your first message to a WhatsApp contact and/or outside of the 24 hour window.
- Templates must be approved by Meta before using. Learn more about Creating a WhatsApp Template
- For brand new WhatsApp contacts, you can Manually Add a Contact via Compose.
- For existing WhatsApp contacts, you can Compose a message and select a template and/or select a template from within the conversation.
- Incoming WhatsApp message: When a contact texts into your WhatsApp inbox, the incoming message starts a 24 hour reply window that allows you to communicate back and forth with them. A template is not required within the 24 hour reply window.
- When an incoming WhatsApp message is received to your number, it kicks off a 24-hour WhatsApp "session" or "window" during which you can send free-form (non-templated) messages to the recipient. A WhatsApp session lasts for 24 hours after the last inbound message you receive from a user.
Outside of that 24 hour window, you may only send a message to a contact following a pre-approved template. WhatsApp requires that a WhatsApp template be used to initiate/start any conversation with a contact that is outside of the 24 hour reply window.
Please note: The 24 hour window is a rule set by WhatsApp.
Compose a WhatsApp Message
- Click "Compose" button from the left side navigation.
- Select your WhatsApp inbox.
- Your WhatsApp inbox(es) will be listed in their own section to differentiate them from personal and/or shared inboxes.
3. Select your recipient(s) or manually add your contact
4. Select your approved WhatsApp template.
Note: only approved templates will be listed to select from.
Once your template has been selected, you will be required to define what each variable represents so that the message pulls in the correct information. \
Variables are similar to Mongoose merge fields and can pull in system fields to personalize your message.
You can define the {{1}} variable to pull in from the listed fields in the drop down. For example, selecting the First Name field to customize your message "Hi, Jonathan..
OR you can also choose to type in static information directly into the variable box (it does not need to pull from a field).
5. Once your message has been defined, click Preview
6. A preview of your message including the number of recipients and the estimated delivery duration will be provided.
Click Send Now
Conversation View
In either messaging scenario, once the 24 hour window has opened, the bottom of your conversation window, will indicate how much time is left in your 24 hour reply window for you to reply. Each time the contact responds, the 24 hour window is reset so that you can have a seamless conversation.
As you are communicating, WhatsApp will also provide a "Read" indicator letting you know that your WhatsApp contact has not only received your message but has read it.
Note: The "Read" status only appears if the contact has their WhatsApp read receipts enabled. If they do not have that feature enabled, it will continue to show as "sent". This only applies to the contact. A Mongoose user can see that the contact has read the message. The contact cannot see if the Mongoose user has read their incoming message.
When the 24 hour reply window closes, the bottom of the conversation will indicate that the window has closed and you will not be able to type a response. To open the conversation, you must select an approved WhatsApp template to restart the conversation OR the contact must reinitiate the conversation by sending in a message.
WhatsApp Contact Record
Viewing a contact
To search for a contact, on the left side navigation click on "Contacts">Search.
When viewing a contact, you will see an overall view of the contact including
- Contact information
- Custom fields (note: importing WhatsApp only contacts is coming in a future release)
- Verification status
- Message activity (Text and/or Whatsapp)
- Contact's communication consent (opt outs and/or block)
The conversation history is view-only, meaning message information cannot be edited here. To change a tag or campaign (currently only available with text), navigate to the inbox and update the data accordingly. Use conversation history to maintain message continuity with your contacts when a team member is on vacation or out of office, avoid redundant messaging, or to verify that a message was sent to a particular contact.
Contact Communication Consent
WhatsApp contacts can be opted out of communications in the contact details side panel. If your WhatsApp contact is also a SMS contact, you will see the ability to differentiate the opt out status based on communication channel.
WhatsApp Opt-Out: This will opt the contact out of all WhatsApp communications.
WhatsApp Marketing Opt-Out: This will opt the contact out of ONLY Marketing communications (all messages using a Marketing Template).
To opt a contact out, click on the toggle/slider. When opted out, the toggle will be "Red".
Note: Under WhatsApp's Business Policy, companies must give users a way to opt out and must respect user choices. Violating a general opt-out (by sending anything) or a marketing opt-out (by sending promotions) could lead to WhatsApp penalties, including losing access to messaging features. It's also crucial for compliance with privacy laws like GDPR and consumer protection regulations.
Verification Status
The verification status allows visibility into what channel each contact can communicate through. The Text and WhatsApp status badge will be displayed on the contact record and/or contact details of each contact.
- Text Verified: This means that the number is valid and belongs to a mobile number.
- WhatsApp Verified: This means the last message was successfully delivered
- WhatsApp Unverified: Newly added contact (WhatsApp message has not been sent yet)
- WhatsApp Failed: Whatsapp Attempted to deliver a message and it failed
- Most common reason is this contact is not currently using WhatsApp
- Possible reason: Starting April 1, 2025, we will temporarily pause delivery of all marketing template messages to WhatsApp users who have a United States phone number (a number composed of a +1 dialing code and a US area code).
Editing a contact
If a contact messages into your WhatsApp inbox, but does not exist in your contacts list, their number will be displayed. To edit this contact and add a name or ID, click on the Contact Details panel >Edit Contact
Here you will be able to add additional contact information. Click " Update" when finished.
Conversation History
When viewing the contact conversation history, you can toggle between "Text Messaging" history and/or "WhatsApp Messaging" history. This provides a separate but combined view of all of the messaging taking place across your team for the contact.
Text messaging history will be conversations taking place in your team across personal and shared inboxes.
WhatsApp messaging will be conversations taking place in your team across any WhatsApp inboxes.
As mentioned above, we will be releasing more functionality and features as it becomes available. WhatsApp Upcoming Features. So keep an eye out for those announcements!
If you are interested in learning more or would like to add WhatsApp to your team, please visit the Mongoose Marketplace or reach out to your client success manager.