This guide will walk you through the process of connecting WhatsApp Business to CDESK. With this integration, you’ll be able to create tickets and communicate with customers via WhatsApp directly through the CDESK Portal.
You can read more about using WhatsApp with CDESK in the article WhatsApp Manual.
To connect WhatsApp Business with CDESK, you will need:
- Facebook Business Portfolio – A business account in Meta Business Manager that will own the WhatsApp developer app and a phone number.
- Meta Developer Account – An account on Meta for Developers, required to create a WhatsApp developer app and obtain access credentials.
- WhatsApp Developer App – An app created in the developer account that serves as a connector between CDESK and the WhatsApp Business API.
- Phone Number – A phone number that is not currently used in any WhatsApp app (neither the personal nor the business version)
Creating a Business Portfolio (Facebook Business Account)
Go to business.facebook.com and log in using your regular Facebook account. If you don’t have a business profile yet, the system will prompt you to create one. Fill out the initial form and click Submit.
After successfully logging in or creating an account, the Meta Business Suite dashboard will open, where you can manage your business assets, such as Pages, accounts, WhatsApp numbers, and more.
Next, verify your email address. Then go to Settings – > Business portfolio info and fill in the basic information about your company.
Creating a Meta Developer Account
Go to developers.facebook.com and log in to your Meta developer account. If you don’t have a developer account yet, the system will guide you through the registration form.
Creating a development application
After successfully logging into your Meta Developer Account, you need to create your own developer app, which will serve as a connector between CDESK and the WhatsApp Business API.
Go to the Apps page and click the Create App. button.
A form will appear where you can enter the app name and a contact email address that will be used to receive notifications from Meta.
When selecting the usage type, choose Other and click Next. This step will redirect you to an older environment for creating an app that is compatible with the WhatsApp API.
In the next step, select “Business” as the application type.
Enter the app name and contact email again, and assign the app to the business portfolio you created. Then click Create app. Meta will prompt you to enter your Facebook account password.
After creating your app, add the WhatsApp product to your app by clicking Set up. If you don’t see this screen, or if you’ve already left it, you can return to it by clicking Add Product.
Configuring the WhatsApp API in a developer app
After creating your developer app, the next step is to set up the WhatsApp API for your app. This process involves linking your own phone number, which will serve as your official WhatsApp Business account.
Immediately after creating the app, you will see the welcome screen. If your Business Portfolio is set up correctly, click Continue.
On the Quickstart tab, click Start using API, which will redirect you to the API Setup tab.
In this tab, you can add your own phone number. Meta has automatically assigned you a test number, which you can use to test the connection, but you must add your own number for production use. To add it, click Add phone number.
Fill out the form to add a phone number and create a WhatsApp Business account. Your name and description will be displayed to customers when communicating via WhatsApp.
After verifying your phone number, you will be redirected to your Business Portal (business.facebook.com) where you will create a system user to obtain a permanent access token.
Creating a permanent access token using a system user
In your Business Portfolio (business.facebook.com), go to the System users section and click +Add. A form for creating a new system user will open. Choose a name and role for the user. The Employee role is sufficient. Once you have filled out the form, click Create system user.
After creating a System user, you will need to assign permissions to the created developer application and WA business account.
For the created System user, click the three dots and the Assign assets. button. A form for assigning permissions will appear. In the Apps tab, select your created developer app and assign all permissions: Full control -> Manage app.
Next, go to the WhatsApp accounts tab and select the WA Business account associated with your phone number (the one you created at the end of the previous section of this article). Grant it all permissions: Full control -> Manage WhatsApp business accounts. Then click Assign assets, to assign the permissions.
Next, proceed to create an access token using this system user. Click on Generate token. A form for generating an access token will appear. In the first step, select your developer application.
Set the token expiration to Never (never).
In the next step, add the following permissions:
- whatsapp_business_management
- whatsapp_business_messaging
In the final step, a permanent access token will be generated for you. Before closing the window, copy and save this token. Once the window is closed, you will no longer be able to view this token and will need to generate a new one.
Preparation for production use
Company Verification
To use the WhatsApp Business API in a production environment, your business must be verified. To complete verification, you will need an official document confirming the existence of your business. For example, a bank statement or an extract from the Commercial Register. The information in this document must match the information entered in your Business Portfolio. You can read more about supported documents on the Meta pages.
Open your Business Portfolio (business.facebook.com) and go to Settings – > Business portfolio info. In the section Business verification status, click on View details.
Then click the Start verification button and fill out the verification form step by step.
After successful verification, the status Verified. will appear in the Business verification section.
Setting up payment methods
To use the WhatsApp Business API, you must set up a payment method. Without a valid payment method, you cannot fully use the production features of the WhatsApp API. However, this process is not associated with immediate costs. Regular messaging is free. Fees may apply when using automated messages, templates, sending notifications, or for communication more than 24 hours after the last message. You can read more about WhatsApp API usage fees on the Meta pages.
Open your Business Portfolio (business.facebook.com) and in the menu click on Billing & payments.
Go to the Accounts -> WhatsApp Business accounts tab and, for the WhatsApp Business account associated with the number you added, click Add payment method.
A form for adding a payment method will open. Once you fill it out, the payment method is set up.
Integrating the WhatsApp API with CDESK
The connection to the WhatsApp API is configured in the CDESK Portal under the following sections: CDESK – > Global settings – > Omnichannel – > Chats. First, activate the module using the toggle switch. You can find all the necessary information for setting up the connection in the developer app settings (developers.facebook.com).
In the app editor, go to the WhatsApp – > API Setup tab and copy the data according to the following table or image.
Fields in CDESK | Fields in the WhatsApp Business App settings in Meta Developers |
WhatsApp Company Account ID | WhatsApp Business Account ID (API Setup tab) |
API Token (Access Token) | Enter the permanent token created using the System User (description above in the article) |
Webhook URL | The URL you enter in the Configuration tab – > Callback URL |
Webhook Token | The token you enter in the Configuration tab – > Verify token |
Company phone number ID | Phone number ID (tab, API Setup) |
Company phone number | Your added phone number (tab, API Setup) |
Second company phone number ID | Fill this out only if you have a second phone number set up |
Second company phone number | Fill this out only if you have a second phone number set up |
Then go to the Configuration, tab, where:
- in the Callback URL field, enter the address from the Webhook URL field in CDESK,
- in the Verify token field, paste the token from the Webhook token field in CDESK.
After entering the Callback URL and Verify token, a list of Webhook fields events will appear. Check the messages item. This event is required to receive messages from WhatsApp into CDESK.
After activating the module and configuring the necessary settings, go to the chat processing, tab and select the default company for creating requests. Save the settings by clicking Save.
You can then go to the following sections: CDESK – > Omnichannel – > Chats and start using the Chats module via WhatsApp. The user manual can be found in the article WhatsApp manual.
Setting up a WhatsApp Business account
To customize your account, go to the WhatsApp accounts section in Meta Business Suite (business.facebook.com).
Select the WhatsApp Business account associated with your phone number, click the three dots, and select WhatsApp Manager. A new tab will open with the WhatsApp Manager interface. In this interface, you can edit all settings related to your WhatsApp Business account—such as message templates, business information, and more.
One of the key steps is to customize your account’s appearance so that customers see it when they communicate with you. Go to the “Phone Numbers” tab, select your phone number, and go to the “Profile” tab. You can edit your profile photo, name, website, email, business address, and more… This information is displayed to customers when communicating via WhatsApp and helps create a trustworthy and professional profile.
Adding a WhatsApp link to a website
To allow customers to contact you via WhatsApp directly from your website, you can use a simple link in this format:
https://api.whatsapp.com/send?phone=421917123456
421917123456 is the phone number in international format without the “+” sign and without spaces. The phone number must be the same as the one you added to your WhatsApp Business account.
Clicking this link will open WhatsApp (mobile app or web) for the customer, where they can start a conversation with your number.