The 24-hour service window
When a customer sends a message, a call, or certain ad clicks, a care window opens. During that window agents type normally in OneBox. When it closes, WhatsApp accepts an approved template only. The full rules are in the 24-hour window guide.
Have at least one approved utility template ready, such as a short “reply to continue this request,” before you publish your number. Without it, an agent who sees the chat late cannot type at all.
Set the inbox up before you advertise the number
- Invite the people who should reply. Sharing one login hides who answered. See shared inbox for teams.
- Agree labels for sales, support, and billing so chats do not sit in one unmarked list.
- Write a first-reply habit: greet, name the business, ask the one question you need. A chatbot can take opening hours and the questions you answer fifty times a day, then hand the thread to a person.
- Turn on WhatsApp calling only after the team knows who answers a ring. See voice calling.
Where chats should start
Publish a wa.me link, a website button, and a QR code that open this API number. Ads and social entry points are covered in entry points. Every public number should be the Cloud API number, not an old personal SIM you forgot to delete.
Usernames
Meta lets some people show a WhatsApp username as well as a phone number. OneBox still threads the conversation on the contact Meta sends with the webhook. Save a clear name on the contact when an agent learns it. Do not create a second contact for the same person because the profile title changed.
FAQ
Can I type to someone who has never messaged me?
Only with an approved template, and only if messaging rules and opt-in allow it. Free typing is for the open service window.
What if several agents reply at once?
Assign the conversation to one owner. OneBox is the shared queue so the phone is not the only place a customer can be answered.
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