Connect WhatsApp through the Meta Cloud API for real two-way AI support. Set up the webhook, save your access token, and the agent answers inbound messages automatically.

The WhatsApp channel connects your agent to the Meta Cloud API for genuine two-way messaging. Customers message your WhatsApp number, Meta forwards each message to a Bookbag webhook, the agent replies from your knowledge, and Bookbag sends the answer back through the Cloud API.

Prerequisites

A Meta Business account, a WhatsApp Business phone number registered in the WhatsApp Cloud API, and a system-user access token with messaging permissions.

Connect WhatsApp

1
Enable the WhatsApp channel
On the agent's Deploy tab, open the WhatsApp card and choose Connect.
2
Save your credentials
Enter the Cloud API access token and the send URL (the Graph API messages endpoint for your phone number). Bookbag uses these to send replies back out.
3
Set the webhook in Meta
In your Meta app's WhatsApp → Configuration, set the Callback URL to the channel's inbound webhook and choose a verify token. Subscribe to the messages field.
4
Verify the webhook
Meta sends a GET verification request with a challenge; Bookbag answers it automatically so the webhook turns green.

Inbound webhook URL

Use https://app.bookbag.ai/channels/whatsapp/webhook as the Meta callback URL. The exact URL is shown on the WhatsApp channel card.

How verification works

Meta validates your webhook with a one-time handshake: it sends a GET to your callback URL with hub.mode=subscribe, hub.verify_token, and hub.challenge. Bookbag echoes the hub.challenge value back as plain text, which completes the subscription. You don't need to build anything for this.

Inbound and outbound flow

Once connected, the round trip is fully automatic:

Inbound — Meta POSTs the message envelope to your webhook. Bookbag parses the sender and text and runs the agent.
Outbound — Bookbag POSTs the reply to your send URL with the access token, addressing it to the customer's WhatsApp ID.

Reuse this channel for outbound campaigns

A connected WhatsApp channel also powers real campaign sends. With it configured, Outbound campaigns deliver through the Cloud API instead of a simulation.

Messaging windows and templates

The 24-hour rule

WhatsApp only lets you send free-form messages within 24 hours of the customer's last message. To start a conversation outside that window you must use a pre-approved message template. See WhatsApp templates.

What's next

WhatsApp templates

Create and manage approved templates for proactive messages.

Outbound campaigns

Reach customers proactively over WhatsApp.

WhatsApp integration

Credentials, limits, and connection details.

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