Unless a customer sends you a message, you must utilize a Template to send a new message to a customer. In general, there are two ways to open a WhatsApp conversation (1) when a customer messages you or (2) when you message a template to a customer.

When opening a new Business-initiated conversation, you must utilize a Template. First, you need to create a WhatsApp template in ZipLeads. The template will be reviewed and approved (or denied) by Facebook Meta. Below we will review the types of template categories:

Marketing — Enables you to achieve a wide range of goals, from generating awareness to driving sales and retargeting customers. Examples include new product, service, or feature announcements, targeted promotions/offers, and cart abandonment reminders.

Utility — Enables you to follow-up on user actions or requests. Examples include opt-in confirmation, order/delivery management (e.g., delivery update); account updates or alerts (e.g., payment reminder); or feedback surveys.

Authentication (To be Released) — This enables you to authenticate users with one-time passcodes, potentially at multiple steps in the login process (e.g., account verification, account recovery, integrity challenges).

Service (To be Released) — Enables you to resolve customer inquiries.

Unless a customer sends you a message, you must utilize a Template to send a new message to a customer. Until a customer responds, you can only send approved templates to customers.

For example, in ZipLeads, unless the customer sends you a message within 24 hours, you will see a prompt to send a template. You can only send templates until the customer responds.

Conversations are opened when you send a template message or free-form message under the following conditions.

[Business-Initiated] Marketing, Utility, and Authentication Conversations

Marketing, utility, and authentication conversations are opened when you send an approved marketing, utility, or authentication template message to a customer and no open conversation with that category exists between you and that customer.

For example, if an open authentication conversation exists between you and a customer and you send them another authentication template message within 24 hours, a new conversation is not opened. If you send them a marketing message, however, a new marketing conversation is opened, resulting in two open conversations.

[Business-Initiated] Service Conversations

Service conversations are opened when you are within a customer service window, you send a free-form message to a customer, and no open conversation of any category exists between you and the customer.

For example, if an open conversation of any category exists between you and a customer and you send them a free-form message within 24 hours, no new conversation is opened. However, if no open conversation exists and the customer messages you (which starts a customer service window) and you reply within 24 hours with a free-form message, a new service conversation is opened.

[Customer-Initiated] Customer Service Windows

When a customer messages you, a 24-hour timer called a customer service window starts. If you are within the window, you can send free-form messages or template messages. If you are outside the window, you can only send template messages.

Multiple Conversations

It is possible to have multiple open conversations between you and a customer. This can happen in the following situations:

An open marketing, utility, or authentication conversation exists between you and a customer and you send them a template message of a different category within 24 hours.

An open service conversation exists between you and a customer and you send them a template message within 24 hours.

Duration of Conversations

Marketing, utility, authentication, and service conversations last 24 hours unless closed by a newly opened free-entry point conversation.

Free-entry point conversations last 72 hours.

Yes, you will select the option you want to reply to. Also, we have color-coated and labeled all inbound messages by channel. WhatsApp is a Channel and SMS and a Channel. The only part is you will need to select the correct channel when replying.

Yes, but there are restrictions. To utilize ZipLeads, you cannot use an existing WhatsApp number if it belongs to another WhatsApp account. This includes your personal WhatsApp Number. To change this, you need to release the number from an existing WhatsApp account. Then it can be added to an existing WhatsApp Account.