MuseRelay connects to WhatsApp through Meta’s official WhatsApp Cloud API. Messages land in your unified inbox and your AI assistant can answer them, book appointments, open tickets and collect contacts, just like on the other channels.
How it connects
Today the connection uses your own credentials (BYOK): your own Meta app, your WhatsApp Business Account (WABA) and your token. You control the permissions and can revoke them from your Meta dashboard at any time.
We are preparing one-click guided connection, where MuseRelay handles the Meta connection for you.
What you need
- A verified WhatsApp Business account on Meta and access to Meta for Developers.
- Your phone number registered on the WhatsApp Cloud API.
- From your Meta app: the Phone Number ID, the Business Account ID (WABA) and an Access Token.
For the token, we recommend a permanent System User token with expiry “Never” and the permissions whatsapp_business_messaging and whatsapp_business_management. A normal user token expires within hours and the channel would stop working.
Step by step
- In MuseRelay, go to Channels → Create channel and choose WhatsApp.
- Under WhatsApp Business configuration fill in:
- Phone number, with country code (for example +34666123456).
- Phone Number ID and Business Account ID (WABA).
- Access Token.
- App Secret (required): MuseRelay uses it to check that every message really comes from Meta; without it, messages are rejected. Find it in Meta for Developers → your app → App settings → Basic.
- Click Save. The Webhook configuration card appears with the Webhook URL and the Verify Token, each with a copy button.
- In your Meta app, under WhatsApp → Configuration, paste that URL and token, and subscribe to the
messagesevent. Also check that the app is subscribed to your WhatsApp Business Account. - Go back to the channel and click Test connection → Run test. You will see whether it works, or the exact reason if not (invalid token, missing permissions, deleted app…).
Credentials are stored encrypted and never shown in full in the dashboard.
Which messages it understands
| Receives | What the assistant does |
|---|---|
| Text | Answers it directly. |
| Voice notes and audio | They are transcribed and the assistant replies to what was said. |
| Images, videos, documents and stickers | They show in the conversation; the assistant gets a description of their content. |
| Location and contacts | They appear in the conversation. |
| Buttons and lists | It receives the option the customer chose. |
| Reactions | They show on the message. |
From the inbox you can send text, attachments (image, audio, video or document; up to 10 files of 25 MB) and reactions. The assistant can also send your business location and, if you enable it, buttons and lists for the customer to choose from.
The 24-hour window and templates
You can send free-text replies during the 24 hours after the customer's last message. Outside that window, sending through MuseRelay requires a Meta-approved template. Sending a template does not by itself open a new free-text window: the customer's reply opens it.
A template does not authorize unsolicited messages. The recipient must have provided their phone number and agreed to receive communications from your business. For your first test, use your own WhatsApp and an agreed test reminder.
Create a template in MuseRelay
- Open Channels, open your WhatsApp number's page and select the Messaging tab.
- Under Message templates, click Manage in MuseRelay. You can also use Manage templates (panel) in the reminder settings.
- Enter a name using lowercase letters, numbers and underscores, without spaces. For example:
appointment_reminder_calendar. - Select the language and category: Utility for an existing appointment, order or agreed service; Marketing for promotions. Do not add promotional content to a utility template. Meta can review or change its category.
- Write the message. For values that change between sends, use consecutive variables:
{{1}},{{2}},{{3}}. The footer is optional. - Fill in an example for every variable in the fields below. These are samples for Meta's review, not values that will be used for every message.
- Click Submit for approval. The button shows Submitting... with a spinner and is disabled to prevent duplicate submissions while waiting for the response.
- If Meta accepts the request, the template appears under Templates in Meta, usually with status
PENDING. If Meta returns an error, the panel shows the reason and preserves your fields so you can correct them. Click Refresh to check its status again.
This editor creates text templates with body variables and an optional footer. It does not create authentication templates, image headers or buttons.
What each status means
| Status | What to do |
|---|---|
PENDING | Meta is reviewing it. The request exists, but you cannot send the template yet. |
APPROVED | It is approved and can appear in the send selector, provided the account and phone number can send messages. |
REJECTED | It is not approved. Review the details in Meta and correct it or create an appropriate new template. |
PAUSED or DISABLED | It cannot be sent in that state. Check the reason and available actions in Meta. |
PENDING_DELETION | Meta is processing its deletion. Do not use it for new sends. |
Creating a template does not guarantee approval. Template review and approving an app as a technology provider are separate processes.
Send an approved template
- Existing conversation: open the WhatsApp channel's conversation, click Template, choose an approved template, fill in its variables and review the message before sending.
- New conversation: open the inbox for the specific WhatsApp number and click the + button beside the search box, labelled New WhatsApp. Enter the recipient's phone number with its country code, select an approved template and fill in the values. This button is not shown in the global inbox.
If no approved template appears, check the selected WhatsApp account and template status. The send selector temporarily caches the list; a recent approval can take up to 10 minutes to appear. An API acceptance response does not guarantee that the recipient's phone has received the message: check the delivery status.
Messages outside the window may incur charges. Prices depend on the category and destination; check Meta's current rates. The account may also need a payment method and be subject to sending limits.
Review or delete a template in Meta
- In MuseRelay's template manager, click Manage in Meta, or Open Meta on the channel page.
- In WhatsApp Manager, open Message templates → Manage templates. Check the selector at the top to make sure you are using the correct WhatsApp account.
- Find the template by name and language. If it is missing, check the status and date filters. Meta shows the review details and the actions available for that template.
- To delete it, use the deletion action Meta allows and read the confirmation. If there are variants in multiple languages, check which ones will be deleted.
- Return to MuseRelay and click Refresh.
MuseRelay does not yet have its own buttons to edit, delete or cancel template review. These actions are performed in Meta and depend on the template's status. Do not delete a template used by automatic reminders without replacing it or disabling those reminders.
After deleting an approved template, Meta prevents creating another with the same name for 30 days. Disabled templates cannot be deleted. If sent messages remain undelivered, deletion can stay pending; deleting a template does not recall a message already sent.
Meta may show a notice about direct sending for eligible businesses. If it says this is not yet available for your business, keep using approved templates to start messages outside the window. The notice neither approves your template nor enables a new feature in MuseRelay.
Automatic WhatsApp appointment reminders
For automatic reminders, your template's variable order must match the values MuseRelay supplies: {{1}} date, {{2}} time and {{3}} service. The customer's name is not filled in automatically.
A template using {{1}} for the name, {{2}} for the date and {{3}} for the time can be sent manually, but must not be configured as an automatic reminder: it would receive values in the wrong positions. Create a dedicated template with date, time and service in the specified order.
Ready-to-copy example
Name: appointment_reminder_calendar
Language: English (en_US)
Category: Utility
Message:
Hello, this is a reminder of your {{3}} appointment on {{1}} at {{2}}.
If you need to reschedule or cancel, reply to this message.Optional footer: your business name.
Fill in the examples according to the number on each field:
- Example for 1, date:
October 15, 2026. - Example for 2, time:
10:30. - Example for 3, service:
Initial consultation.
The numbers identify values, not their order in the sentence: {{3}} remains the service even when it appears first. For real messages, use an existing booking and the appropriate consent.
Enable reminders
- Wait until the template is
APPROVED. - On the channel's Messaging tab, set the exact approved template name and language. Enable the template reminder setting and save your changes.
- In the calendar, enable Send reminders via WhatsApp, Instagram and Messenger and configure when they are sent.
- The customer must select Accept WhatsApp reminders when booking. If consent or a required setting is missing, the WhatsApp reminder is not sent.
With reminders enabled, free text can be used within the 24-hour window; outside it an approved template is required. If the workspace has several active WhatsApp numbers, automatic sending uses the first available active channel: check that it is the intended one before enabling automation.
For the platform rules, see templates and approval, management and deletion and permission to receive communications.
Channel options
- Channel AI agent: choose which assistant replies, or keep the channel for people only.
- Interactive buttons and lists: the assistant decides when to use them.
- Anti-flood protection: if someone sends many messages in a row, they are grouped and the reply pace is limited.
- Take over: in any conversation you can pause the AI and reply yourself.
- Enable or disable the channel at any time.
Channel status and alerts
MuseRelay checks the connection every few hours and emails you if something fails. In the channel list you’ll see the status:
- Active: ready to send and receive.
- Disconnected: the token is no longer valid; generate a new one and update it in the channel.
- Payment pending: it receives messages, but Meta needs a payment method to send.
- Rate limited: the message limit has been reached; wait a few minutes.
Your number’s quality at Meta is also checked daily, and we email you if it drops.
What it doesn’t do yet
- One-click guided connection and using the same number in the phone app (in preparation).
- Templates with images, buttons or the Authentication category.
- Campaigns or bulk sending.
- SMS reminders as a fallback if WhatsApp fails.
Own credentials or guided connection, how long access lasts, who renews it, which alerts you get and what to do if the channel stops working: full guide.
FAQ
Can I keep using the number on my phone?
A number connected to the API is handled from MuseRelay. It’s common to use a dedicated number for customer service.
Why does my channel show as disconnected?
It’s almost always the token: a normal user token expires. Create a permanent System User token and update it in the channel.
Which plan includes WhatsApp?
From the Basic plan. See the details on Pricing.