WhatsApp — integrations and differences from Instagram

What it is

ZeroChats works on WhatsApp the same way as on Instagram: the same AI agent, the same sales links, content, follow-ups, funnel, tags and delegations. The lead writes to you and the AI replies within the same 24-hour window limits from Meta.

Two ways to connect WhatsApp

You can choose between two integration methods. Only one is active at a time per number.

Integration	Which number it allows	Meta verification	Recommended for
WhatsApp Cloud API	WhatsApp Business number	Yes, requires Meta Business	Established businesses already on the API
ZeroChats integration	Any number, even a personal one	No Meta verification required	Small businesses, freelancers or quick tests

Both integrations reach the same agent: the product features are identical from there.

WhatsApp Cloud API in Alpha

Connecting via WhatsApp Cloud API is now available in Alpha: you can set it up from the WhatsApp selection screen. Because it’s still in testing, the flow may receive adjustments; if you need maximum stability, use the ZeroChats integration for now.

For Cloud API the number has to be free

The number you connect with WhatsApp Cloud API cannot already be registered on WhatsApp — neither in the regular app nor in WhatsApp Business — nor connected to another platform. If it is, registration won’t complete and you’ll see a message along the lines of “This phone number is already registered with a WhatsApp account”.

You have two ways out:

• Free up the number: first delete that WhatsApp account from the phone app, then try connecting again.
• Use a different number, or stay on the ZeroChats integration, which accepts any number, including one you’re already using in the app.

Complete the number’s registration (WhatsApp Cloud API only)

Connecting the number and registering it with Meta are two separate steps. Once the connection finishes, Meta asks you to register the number with a 6-digit PIN; until that step is done, the number can neither send nor receive messages through the API.

The confusing part is that everything looks right: the connection is saved and the number shows up in the dashboard, but the messages your leads send never reach ZeroChats and the AI never replies.

That’s why, when your number is connected but not registered, you’ll see a notice under the number with a Complete registration button that takes you to the screen where you enter the PIN.

If you’ve gone days without WhatsApp messages

If Instagram works and WhatsApp hasn’t brought in a single message since you connected, this is the first place to look. Open the business’s WhatsApp screen and check whether the pending-registration notice is there.

Templates and API sending (WhatsApp Cloud API only)

With WhatsApp Cloud API you can use templates: messages approved by Meta that let you reach a number even outside the 24-hour window — for example an order confirmation or an appointment reminder.

Create a template

In the templates dialog you write the message and choose its category (Marketing, Utility or Authentication). You can include variables ({{1}}, {{2}}…) to personalize each send; they must run in order starting from {{1}}.

If the template has variables, the form asks for an example value for each one. Meta reviews the message with those examples already filled in, so write what a real send would contain (Ana, #1234): generic examples like “text” or “123” get the template rejected.

Meta reviews every template

A new template shows up as Pending and can take from a few minutes up to 24 hours to be approved. It can only be sent once it’s approved.

Send templates from your automations

You can trigger the sending of an approved template from tools like n8n, GoHighLevel, Make, Zapier or your own backend, with a single HTTP call authenticated with an API key.

1. In the API tab of the templates dialog, generate your API key and copy it right away (it’s shown only once). Store it in your tool’s credentials manager, never on a public page.
2. Add an HTTP request step with the POST method pointing to the URL shown in that same tab.
3. Include the Authorization header with your key and send the body in JSON format.

Example body:

{
  "to": "+34600111222",
  "template": "order_confirmation",
  "parameters": ["Ana", "#1234"]
}

• to — the contact’s number with its country prefix. Required.
• template — the exact name of an approved template. Required.
• parameters — values for the {{1}}, {{2}}… variables, in order. Only if the template has variables.

Take care of your API key

You can regenerate or revoke the key at any time, but doing so invalidates the previous key immediately: any automation using it will stop sending until you update it.

New business or the same one

If your Instagram and WhatsApp leads arrive with very different contexts (for example, different ads or different products), we recommend creating a separate business in ZeroChats for WhatsApp. Each business has its own prompt, links and metrics, which prevents the AI from mixing flows.

If the flows are the same, keep a single business and connect both channels: the AI will respond the same way on either.

What you can’t do within a single business is split things by channel:

• Sales links and content belong to the business, not to a channel. The AI doesn’t know whether the lead is writing from Instagram or WhatsApp, so you can’t have one calendar per channel: it sends whichever fits the conversation best.
• Statistics can’t be filtered by channel.

If you need either of those, the answer is one business per channel. Before splitting, keep in mind that leads and conversations can’t be moved between businesses — the history stays where it is — and the new business’s metrics start counting from the day you create it.

Ignore list on WhatsApp

Just like on Instagram, you can exclude numbers the AI should not reply to. They’re managed in Business configuration → Ignored Users, adding the number with its country prefix (for example +34612345678). You can add them one by one or in bulk.

Best practices

• 24h window: applies the same as on Instagram. Configure follow-ups within that range — the available hours go up to 23 h to leave margin before the cutoff.
• If you use the ZeroChats integration with a personal number, consider opening a dedicated channel for the business: keep personal contacts separate from the lead flow.
• Before connecting WhatsApp Cloud API, make sure your Meta Business account is verified.
• Check the business time zone: office hours and follow-ups depend on it.