--- title: "Connect your bot to WhatsApp" description: "Connect your bot to a WhatsApp Business number through a Meta app, so it answers WhatsApp messages using your knowledge and power-ups." canonical_url: "https://chatthing.ai/docs/channels/whatsapp" last_updated: "2026-09-25" --- # Connect your bot to WhatsApp **Available on:** Standard, Pro, Enterprise plans. Connect your bot to WhatsApp so it answers messages sent to your WhatsApp Business number. > **Standard, Pro and Enterprise** > > The WhatsApp channel is included on the Standard, Pro and Enterprise plans. > > **Who can do this:** [team owners and admins](https://chatthing.ai/docs/account/teams#what-each-role-can-do). Setup has three stages: create a Meta app with WhatsApp, connect it to Chat Thing, then prepare it for production with a permanent access token. Meta's screens change often, so the Meta steps below describe what to look for rather than exact button positions. [Video: connect a bot to WhatsApp (YouTube)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wfRAYv5n-4M) *Video walkthrough, recorded in 2024. Some screens have changed since.* ## Before you start - A **Meta business account** (Business Manager). You'll need a personal Facebook profile to confirm your identity. Meta's help centre explains [how to create a business account](https://www.facebook.com/business/help/1710077379203657). - A phone number you can use for testing, with WhatsApp installed. ## Create a Meta app with WhatsApp 1. Go to [Meta for Developers](https://developers.facebook.com/apps) and create an app. Choose the options for a **Business** app and connect it to your business account. ![Meta's Select an app type step with Business selected](https://res.cloudinary.com/djyjvrw5u/image/upload/v1688053092/Xnapper_2023_06_29_16_27_43_ad12a5daf6.png) ![Meta's app details step with the app name, contact email and business account fields](https://res.cloudinary.com/djyjvrw5u/image/upload/v1688053079/Xnapper_2023_06_29_16_28_16_2513d7e299.png) 2. In the app dashboard, add the **WhatsApp** product. ![The WhatsApp product card with its Set up button in the Meta app dashboard](https://res.cloudinary.com/djyjvrw5u/image/upload/v1688053087/Xnapper_2023_06_29_16_28_36_7bf08bf151.png) 3. Open **WhatsApp** > **API Setup** and copy the **temporary access token**. It lasts 24 hours - you'll replace it with a permanent token later. ![API Setup highlighted under WhatsApp in the Meta app sidebar](https://res.cloudinary.com/djyjvrw5u/image/upload/v1688053079/Xnapper_2023_06_29_16_28_46_fa733ade65.png) Keep this page open; you'll come back to it. ## Connect the app to Chat Thing 1. In Chat Thing, open your bot, select the **Channels** tab and turn on the **WhatsApp** card. The **WhatsApp channel settings** page opens. ![The WhatsApp card on the Channels tab, with its toggle switched off](https://res.cloudinary.com/djyjvrw5u/image/upload/v1773771843/docs/whatsapp-channel-toggle.png) 2. Under **Verify token**, click **Generate secret**. Copy the token now and keep it somewhere safe. After you save, only a masked version is shown. 3. Paste the token from Meta into **Access token**. 4. Click **Save**. The **Webhook URL** section appears. 5. In Meta, open **WhatsApp** > **Configuration** and edit the webhook. Paste the **Webhook URL** from Chat Thing as the callback URL and the verify token from step 2 as the verify token. Verify and save. ![Meta's WhatsApp Configuration page with empty Callback URL, Verify token and Webhook fields, and an Edit button](https://res.cloudinary.com/djyjvrw5u/image/upload/v1688053080/Xnapper_2023_06_29_16_30_28_5f3eda20a8.png) 6. Still in the webhook configuration, manage the webhook fields and **subscribe to `messages`**. Without this, your bot never receives messages. ![Meta's Webhook fields dialog with the Subscribe box ticked on the messages row](https://res.cloudinary.com/djyjvrw5u/image/upload/v1688053092/Xnapper_2023_06_29_16_32_08_158b51dbd3.png) ## Send a test message 1. In Meta, on **WhatsApp** > **API Setup**, add your own phone number as a recipient number. WhatsApp sends you a code to confirm it. ![The To field on Meta's API Setup page, where you select or add a recipient phone number](https://res.cloudinary.com/djyjvrw5u/image/upload/v1688053076/Xnapper_2023_06_29_16_33_06_124a718fba.png) 2. From that phone, send a WhatsApp message to the test business number shown on the same page. 3. After a short pause, your bot should reply. The conversation also appears in [Conversations](https://chatthing.ai/docs/manage/conversations). ![A WhatsApp conversation in which the bot replies to a test message](https://res.cloudinary.com/djyjvrw5u/image/upload/v1688053085/Xnapper_2023_06_29_16_34_04_4c1d8d7006.png) ## Go live Before real customers can use the bot, Meta requires: - **A business phone number** dedicated to the WhatsApp bot. - **Business verification** of your Meta business account. - **App review**, and your app set to live, following Meta's policies. - **A permanent access token**, because the temporary token expires after 24 hours. ### Create a permanent access token Meta's guide to [system user access tokens](https://developers.facebook.com/docs/whatsapp/business-management-api/get-started#system-user-access-tokens) has the full details. In short: 1. In [Meta Business Suite](https://business.facebook.com), open **Business settings** > **Users** > **System users**. ![System users selected under Users in Meta Business settings](https://res.cloudinary.com/djyjvrw5u/image/upload/v1688053081/Xnapper_2023_06_29_16_35_06_52236550b9.png) 2. Add a system user with the **Admin** role if you don't have one. ![The Create system user dialog with a system user name and the Admin role selected](https://res.cloudinary.com/djyjvrw5u/image/upload/v1688053082/Xnapper_2023_06_29_16_35_22_bf37e37f36.png) 3. Click **Add assets**, choose **Apps**, select your WhatsApp app and give the system user full control (**Manage app**). Save. ![The Assign Assets dialog with Apps selected, the WhatsApp app ticked and Manage app turned on under Full control](https://res.cloudinary.com/djyjvrw5u/image/upload/v1688053081/Xnapper_2023_06_29_16_35_41_01c2c64d77.png) 4. Click **Generate new token**, choose your app, set the token to **never** expire, and select the **whatsapp_business_messaging** permission. Generate the token and copy it. ![The Generate token dialog with the WhatsApp app selected and token expiration set to Never](https://res.cloudinary.com/djyjvrw5u/image/upload/v1688053081/Xnapper_2023_06_29_16_36_18_d3dc6a6dca.png) ![The token permissions list with whatsapp_business_messaging ticked](https://res.cloudinary.com/djyjvrw5u/image/upload/v1688053083/Xnapper_2023_06_29_16_35_52_cd32c095ed.png) 5. In Chat Thing, open the WhatsApp channel settings, replace the old token in **Access token** and click **Save**. Send another test message to confirm the bot still replies. ## Check it works Message your WhatsApp Business number from a phone that isn't on your team. The bot should reply, and the conversation should appear in **Conversations**. ## Troubleshooting ### The bot stopped replying after a day You're still using the temporary access token, which expires after 24 hours. Create a [permanent access token](https://chatthing.ai/docs/channels/whatsapp#create-a-permanent-access-token) and paste it into **Access token**. ### Meta won't verify the webhook Check you pasted the **Webhook URL** and verify token from Chat Thing exactly, and that you saved the WhatsApp settings in Chat Thing first. If you've lost the verify token, click **Generate new secret**, save, and enter the new token in Meta. ### Messages arrive but the bot never replies Check the webhook is subscribed to the `messages` field, and that the access token has the **whatsapp_business_messaging** permission. ### The bot replies "This bot is currently unavailable" The WhatsApp channel is turned off. Turn the **WhatsApp** card back on in the **Channels** tab. ## Related - [Channels](https://chatthing.ai/docs/channels): Where your bot talks to people - your website, WhatsApp, Slack, Discord, Telegram, email and the API - and which plans include each channel. - [Review customer conversations](https://chatthing.ai/docs/manage/conversations): Find, filter and read every conversation your bots have with customers, see AI summaries and user details, and share or download transcripts.