The WhatsApp integration drops a message into a WhatsApp chat or group every time a new lead reaches out. This is great for field teams that already coordinate in WhatsApp — the lead alert lands in the same group chat the crew already uses.
The WhatsApp card is on any source’s Messaging Settings → Integrations tab.
How WhatsApp chats get linked
Unlike Slack, you don’t connect your personal WhatsApp through this card. Instead, Auto-Respond provisions a WhatsApp chat (or group) for your account and assigns it to you. When you open the WhatsApp card, you’ll see a list of the chats your account has available, and you pick the one this source should post into.
If you don’t see any chats available on the card, contact support@auto-respond.com and we’ll provision one for your account.
What you’ll get
- A WhatsApp message in the chat or group you pick for each incoming lead.
- Lead’s name, contact info (if shared), and the original inquiry.
- Optionally, the source name so everyone in the group knows where the lead came from.
Connecting WhatsApp
Open the integration
In Auto-Respond, open the source → Messaging Settings → Integrations tab → WhatsApp card.
Pick a chat
The card shows a list of WhatsApp chats linked to your account, each one labeled with its chat name and chat code. Pick the one you want lead alerts to post into.
Validate and save
Click Validate Connection. A test message is sent into the selected chat. Check WhatsApp — if the test message is there, you’re set.
Turn on the Enable toggle
The integration doesn’t send anything until Enable is on.
Options
Enable
Turns the integration on or off for this source. Default: off.
Inherit from parent
Only shown on a location with a parent business. When on, the location uses the parent’s selected WhatsApp chat. When off, it has its own.
Chat
The WhatsApp chat or group messages will be sent to. The card shows the chat name and the chat code so you can tell them apart if you have more than one chat linked to your account.
Create customer only when contact info is captured
Default: off.
- When on — The WhatsApp alert is sent only once the lead has shared a phone number or email.
- When off — The alert is sent the moment the lead reaches out.
Create only for new leads
Default: off.
- When on — Returning leads don’t trigger a WhatsApp alert.
- When off — Every lead triggers an alert.
Include source name
Default: off. When on, the source name is added to the WhatsApp message.
Validate Connection
Sends a test message into the selected chat.
Disconnect
Unlinks this source from the chat. Confirmation required. The chat itself stays linked to your account and can be picked again later — disconnect only removes it from this source.
What the notification contains
Each WhatsApp message includes:
- Lead’s name (if shared)
- Phone number (if shared)
- Email (if shared)
- The original inquiry text
- The source the lead came from (if Include source name is on)
Disconnecting
Open the WhatsApp card → click Disconnect → confirm. The source stops posting into the chat.
Troubleshooting
- No chats available to pick — Your account hasn’t been provisioned a WhatsApp chat yet. Email support@auto-respond.com and we’ll set one up.
- “Validation failed” — The chat is no longer reachable (for example, the group was deleted or the linked number was disconnected). Pick a different chat, or contact support.
- No messages arriving — Check that Enable is on and you’ve picked a chat. If Create customer only when contact info is captured is on, the lead hasn’t shared phone or email yet.
- Too many messages in the group — Consider turning on Create customer only when contact info is captured or Create only for new leads to cut down noise.
Questions about the WhatsApp integration? Email support@auto-respond.com.