Connect WhatsApp

This guide walks you through connecting your own WhatsApp Business Account (WABA) to HuddleX. Once connected, every message a customer sends to your WhatsApp number appears in Converse, and your team can reply from there.

There are two ways to connect:

• Connect with Meta (easiest) — if you see a Connect with Meta button, use it. You log in with Meta, pick your WhatsApp account and number, and HuddleX fills in everything for you. Jump to that flow.
• Manual setup — if you don’t see that button, you’ll copy a few values from Meta into HuddleX yourself. Jump to manual setup.

Before you start

• A Meta Business account with a verified WhatsApp Business Account. Create one at business.facebook.com if you don’t have it.
• Admin access to that Meta Business account.
• A HuddleX account with the Manage channels permission. If you’re not sure, ask your HuddleX workspace admin.

Option A — Connect with Meta

This is the quickest path and skips all the manual copying below.

1. In HuddleX, go to Outbound → WhatsApp.

2. Click Connect with Meta.

3. A Meta window opens. Log in, choose the WhatsApp Business Account and phone number you want to connect, and approve the permissions.

4. The window closes and your number appears as connected in HuddleX. Skip ahead to Verify it works.

Note

Don’t see a Connect with Meta button? Your workspace uses manual setup instead — follow Option B below.

Option B — Manual setup

If you don’t have the Connect with Meta button, you’ll collect a few values from Meta and paste them into HuddleX.

Step 1: Find your Phone Number ID and WABA ID

1. Go to the Meta for Developers dashboard and open your WhatsApp app.

2. In the left sidebar, open WhatsApp → API Setup.

3. Under Step 1: Select phone numbers, pick your business number from the From dropdown.

4. Two IDs appear right under the dropdown — copy both:

   • Phone number ID — a long numeric string, e.g. 1151694701352665. This is how HuddleX knows which number a message belongs to.
   • WhatsApp Business Account ID (WABA ID) — e.g. 990560900166301.

Phone Number ID ≠ phone number

The Phone Number ID is the long numeric ID, not the actual +1… / +91… phone number. HuddleX needs the ID.

Step 2: Create a permanent access token (System User)

A temporary token expires in 24 hours and your number would silently stop working. Create a permanent System User token instead.

1. Go to Business Settings → Users → System Users (open it here).

2. Click Add, give the user a name (e.g. huddlex-whatsapp), set the role to Employee or Admin, and create it.

3. With the new System User selected, click Add Assets, then:

   • Apps → select your WhatsApp app → enable Manage app.
   • WhatsApp Accounts → select your WABA → enable Full control (Manage).

   Don't skip the WhatsApp asset

   If the WABA isn’t assigned to this System User, the token can’t see your phone number and the connection test fails with “Object … does not exist, cannot be loaded due to missing permissions.” This is the most common mistake.

4. Click Generate New Token. Select your WhatsApp app, then check these scopes:

   • whatsapp_business_messaging
   • whatsapp_business_management

5. Set Token expiration to Never, generate, and copy the token. Meta shows it only once — store it somewhere safe for the next step.

Step 3: Connect the WABA in HuddleX

1. In HuddleX, go to Outbound → WhatsApp (https://huddlex.bluemicrodot.com/outbound/whatsapp).

2. Click Connect WABA.

3. Fill in the form:

   Field	Value
   Business name	A label for this connection, e.g. your company name
   Access token	The permanent token from Step 2
   Phone Number ID	The Phone number ID from Step 1
   WABA ID	The WhatsApp Business Account ID from Step 1

4. Click Test connection. HuddleX checks with Meta that your token can read the number. Fix any error before continuing — see Troubleshooting.

5. Click Save & connect. Your token is stored securely and your number starts receiving messages.

Verify it works

1. From a personal phone, send a WhatsApp message to your business number.

2. Open Converse in HuddleX. The message appears as a new conversation within a few seconds.

3. Reply from the composer — your customer receives it on WhatsApp.

Reply window

WhatsApp only lets you send free-form replies within 24 hours of the customer’s last message. Outside that window you must use an approved message template.

Troubleshooting

Symptom	Cause	Fix
”Object … does not exist, cannot be loaded due to missing permissions” on Test connection	The WABA isn’t assigned to your System User, or the token is missing the whatsapp_business_management permission.	Assign the WABA asset (Step 2.3) and regenerate the token with both permissions.
Test connection passes, but no messages reach Converse	The connection didn’t finish setting up.	Click Save & connect again to re-establish it. If it still doesn’t work, contact your HuddleX workspace admin.
Token stops working after a day	You used a temporary token.	Generate a permanent token with expiration set to Never (Step 2).
Replies fail outside a conversation	You’re past the 24-hour reply window.	Send an approved message template instead.