Setting Up WhatsApp in Aircall

This article provides step-by-step instructions for how to connect Aircall phone numbers to WhatsApp for messaging purposes. This enables your team to send and receive WhatsApp messages directly from Aircall numbers in Aircall Workspace and mobile apps. 

⚠️ This feature is currently being rolled out. Join the waitlist to get updates, and be one of the first to use WhatsApp in Aircall.

To use WhatsApp in Aircall, companies will need to follow three steps:

1. Ensure a verified Meta business portfolio
2. Activate the WhatsApp in Aircall addon for Aircall
3. Connect Aircall Numbers to WhatsApp

Prerequisite Steps in Meta

1. Your business must have a Meta business portfolio 
   • Most companies already have this, we recommend checking for an existing Meta business portfolio before creating a new one
   • If you’re unsure if your company already has one, we recommend checking with your marketing team
2. If your company does not have a Meta business portfolio, one must be created
   • For new Meta Business accounts, consider gradually adding admins to avoid potential flags or restrictions.
3. Next, verify your business with Meta, if not already done
   • Follow Meta instructions here
   • Verification by Meta can be approved in as short as 10 minutes or as long as 14 business days
   • You’ll receive a notification by Meta when the verification review is complete

Activate WhatsApp for your Aircall account

Companies participating in the beta period will not need to activate WhatsApp in Aircall.

Once the beta period has ended, please contact your Customer Success Manager to purchase the WhatsApp in Aircall add-on. 

Connecting Aircall numbers to WhatsApp

⚠️ Before proceeding with the steps below you must ensure:

1. The prerequisite steps above are completed.

2. The Admin completing the setup in Aircall is already logged in as an admin for your company Meta profile in a separate tab (not your personal Facebook).

This ensures you can properly connect an Aircall number to your company Meta account. 

 

Connecting your first number

1. Once Meta verifies your business, navigate to the Numbers tab in the Aircall Dashboard and select the first number you’d like to connect with WhatsApp.
2. Click the Capability tab within the desired number, and start the embedded flow to connect the Aircall number to WhatsApp

3. Continue within the Meta module that appears, and follow prompts to grant permissions to get started

4. Ensure the appropriate business portfolio is selected

⚠️ Only one Meta business portfolio can connect to an Aircall account, so the profile you choose will apply to all phone numbers linked to WhatsApp via Aircall. 

6. In Create or Select a WhatsApp Business Profile choose “Create a new WhatsApp Business profile” and click Next

7. Select the appropriate WhatsApp Business display name which your customers will see and must comply with Meta display name guidelines. Select the Category that best describes your business

8. Click Add a new number and enter the exact Aircall number which you are completing the registration process on
   • ⚠️ It is mandatory that you only enter the number which you are completing the embedded registration flow on
9. Select Phone call for verification 
   • ⚠️ Text message verification is not supported at this time
   • Meta will only call to provide the verification code a limited number of times. If the call is missed multiple times, Meta may delay calling again, meaning you will have to wait to continue verification.
   • To ensure you receive the phone call with the verification code, please ensure:
     • • The Aircall number you're connecting to WhatsApp is currently setup to receive calls (i.e. it is not out of business hours for the number)
       • You're assigned to answer the call in the call distribution, or a member of your team can answer and provide the verification code to you

If you are not receiving the phone call for verification, please double check your call distribution to ensure it's set for the appropriate user(s) to answer and receive the code.

10. When you click Next a call will be made to your Aircall number with a verification code. Please ensure you are assigned to answer this in the call distribution, or a member of your team can answer and provide the verification code to you.
11. Enter the verification code that you or a team member heard in the verification call from Meta.

11. Review and continue

12. Click Finish to proceed

13. You will be directed back to the Capability tab of the number, where you will see the pending approval status

14. Typically your number will be connected with a Connection status of Online shortly after completing the steps in the Meta module (approximately 30 minutes), however your Display name may take longer (approximately a couple of days). During this time, WhatsApp in Aircall will be limited

15. Once fully approved, you will see a Validation status set as Online, and your Rate limits will be listed

Connecting additional numbers

After connecting your first number, to enable additional numbers:

1. Navigate to the Numbers tab in the Aircall Dashboard and select the a number you’d like to connect with WhatsApp
2. Click the Capability tab within the desired number, and start the embedded flow to connect the Aircall number to WhatsApp
3. Follow the same steps as your first number, except in Create or Select a WhatsApp Business Profile select the Business Profile that was already created
4. Once numbers have been connected to WhatsApp in Aircall, they will appear with a WhatsApp symbol in the Numbers page of the Dashboard, and users will be able to filter for WhatsApp capable numbers:

5. As soon as a number is is connected with the status Online, agents will be able to see WhatsApp capabilities for that number in Aircall's applications. For more information on how agents can use WhatsApp in Aircall, please visit: Using WhatsApp in Aircall

Managing User Access & Permissions

Note: The information below does not apply during the beta period. 

To manage who can use WhatsApp in Aircall:

• Go to the Users page in the Aircall Dashboard
• From this page, Admins can assign a WhatsApp in Aircall addon license to the appropriate users
  • ⚠️ Only users assigned a WhatsApp in Aircall addon license will be able to send WhatsApp messages
• Next, add users with a WhatsApp in Aircall addon license to the call distribution of appropriate WhatsApp connected numbers
  • ⚠️ Only users added to connected numbers will be able to access and send WhatsApp in Aircall

⚠️ Only Admins can connect numbers and manage business accounts in Meta.

Compliance

Please visit WhatsApp in Aircall - Compliance to learn more about compliance.