Getting started: connect your WhatsApp number

TeklFlow works with your own WhatsApp Business account. Connecting it takes a few manual steps in Meta's dashboard, which this guide walks through. Meta changes the layout of its screens from time to time, so treat the names below as a guide and follow Meta's current documentation where they differ.

1. 1

   Have a Meta WhatsApp Business account

   TeklFlow connects to your own WhatsApp Business account through Meta's official Cloud API. In Meta's Business Suite, create a Meta business and a WhatsApp Business Account, and add the phone number you want your team to use. A number that is already registered in the regular WhatsApp or WhatsApp Business app has to be moved to the API first.

2. 2

   Create a Meta app with the WhatsApp product

   In Meta for Developers, create an app (or use an existing one) and add the WhatsApp product to it. This app is what receives events from WhatsApp and forwards them to TeklFlow.

3. 3

   Create a system user and an access token

   In your Meta business settings, create a system user, assign it your WhatsApp Business Account, and generate an access token with the WhatsApp business messaging and management permissions. Use a system-user token rather than a temporary one so it does not expire after a day. Copy it somewhere safe.

4. 4

   Collect your IDs

   You need two identifiers from Meta's WhatsApp settings: the Phone number ID for the number you are connecting, and your WhatsApp Business Account ID.

5. 5

   Enter them in TeklFlow

   In TeklFlow, open Settings, then WhatsApp, and paste the Phone number ID, WhatsApp Business Account ID and access token. Add a verify token of your choosing and a six-digit two-step verification PIN. When you save, TeklFlow checks the number, registers it with your PIN and subscribes your account to its events.

6. 6

   Point Meta's webhook at TeklFlow

   In your Meta app's WhatsApp configuration, set the callback URL to your TeklFlow WhatsApp webhook address and enter the same verify token. Then subscribe to the messages field so incoming messages reach your inbox.

7. 7

   Send a test message

   Message your number from another phone. The conversation should appear in your TeklFlow inbox. Reply to it, and check that the reply arrives.