WhatsApp Connector¶
This page is a reference of the WhatsApp connector settings, the WhatsApp Business Account authorisation and Meta's pricing and communication rules. If you are setting up WhatsApp from scratch, follow the step-by-step guide Set Up WhatsApp. Before starting, please note the WhatsApp communication rules in the first section.
WhatsApp Pricing & Communication Rules (Meta Platform)¶
WhatsApp communication in Daktela is governed not only by routing setup, but also by Meta's official WhatsApp Business Platform pricing and policy rules.
Meta Charges Only for Business-Initiated Messages¶
WhatsApp is not billed by Daktela, but directly by Meta (WhatsApp Business Platform).
Under the new pricing model (effective from July 2025):
- Meta charges only for outbound business-initiated template messages
- Replies to inbound customer messages remain free within the support window
Meta applies charges only when: β your business sends a template message outside the 24-hour customer service window
Changing in H2 2026
This "replies are free within the window" rule changes from 1 October 2026, when Meta begins charging for non-template replies sent inside the 24-hour window. See Upcoming changes (H2 2026) below.
24-Hour Customer Service Window¶
When a customer contacts your business first, WhatsApp opens a 24-hour service window.
During this window:
- agents can freely reply using normal messages
- no template is required
- Meta does not charge per message for standard support communication
This means inbound support conversations behave as expected: Customer writes β agent replies β conversation continues freely for 24 hours.
Template Messages Outside the Window¶
If you want to message the customer again after 24 hours, WhatsApp requires an approved template message, which becomes chargeable.
Examples include:
- Order notifications sent later
- Follow-up messages after inactivity
- Authentication or confirmation messages
Pricing depends on template category (Utility, Authentication, Marketing) and country.
You can review Meta's official price list here: https://business.whatsapp.com/products/platform-pricing
Upcoming changes (H2 2026): Meta to charge for in-window replies¶
Future change β not yet in effect
The following describes an upcoming change to Meta's WhatsApp Business Platform pricing, announced by Meta. The date and rates below are set by Meta and may still change β always confirm the current terms in Meta's official platform pricing before relying on them. Daktela does not set or add to these prices; WhatsApp is billed directly by Meta.
Today, the replies you send while the 24-hour window is open β agent messages, autoresponders and AI/bot replies β are not charged by Meta. That changes on 1 October 2026: Meta will charge per message for service messages β any non-template reply sent inside the window, whether typed by an agent or generated by AI or a bot. Utility template messages sent inside the window, free since July 2025, also become chargeable again.
Service-message rates match Meta's utility/authentication rates for each market and have no volume tiers. Meta published the rates effective 1 October 2026 on 1 September 2026. The rate is set by the recipient's country (the country code of the customer's phone number), not by where your business is based. The table lists the markets where Daktela operates; the full rate card in all currencies is in Meta's rate cards.
| Recipient's country | Meta rate zone | Service, utility and authentication messages | Marketing messages |
|---|---|---|---|
| Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Serbia | Rest of Central & Eastern Europe | β¬0.0175 ($0.0212) | β¬0.0712 ($0.0860) |
| Poland | Poland | β¬0.0101 ($0.0122) | β¬0.0303 ($0.0366) |
| Hungary | Hungary | β¬0.0289 ($0.0350) | β¬0.0712 ($0.0860) |
| Romania | Romania | β¬0.0239 ($0.0290) | β¬0.0712 ($0.0860) |
| United Kingdom | United Kingdom | β¬0.0182 ($0.0220) | β¬0.0526 ($0.0635) |
| Germany | Germany | β¬0.0456 ($0.0550) | β¬0.1131 ($0.1365) |
| Austria | Rest of Western Europe | β¬0.0142 ($0.0171) | β¬0.0490 ($0.0592) |
| United Arab Emirates | United Arab Emirates | β¬0.0130 ($0.0157) | β¬0.0476 ($0.0576) |
| Philippines | Rest of Asia Pacific | β¬0.0094 ($0.0113) | β¬0.0697 ($0.0842) |
Per delivered message, Meta rate card effective 1 October 2026. Meta bills in the currency set on your WhatsApp Business Account; both are shown for orientation.
Free entry point stays free
Messages sent within the 72-hour free entry point window β opened when a customer clicks a Click to WhatsApp ad or a Facebook call-to-action button β remain free of delivery charges after 1 October 2026 as well.
Action required so your WhatsApp keeps working after 1 October 2026
Because in-window replies stop being free, a WhatsApp Business Account with no valid billing set up may have its outbound messages fail once charging begins. Before 1 October 2026:
- Add and verify a payment method on your WhatsApp Business Account in Meta Business Manager. If you have only ever replied to inbound chats (and never sent business-initiated templates), you may not have added billing yet β do it now. You can set this up during authorisation (see Authorise Your WhatsApp Business Account below) or later in Meta Business Manager.
- Expect per-message costs on ordinary support. From 1 October 2026 every agent reply and every Daktela bot/AI reply sent inside the 24-hour window is a billable service message β factor this into your budget.
- Keep automations lean. Trigger autoresponders and bots at most once per conversation, not once per incoming message (already recommended under Sending Limits & Temporary Blocks below) β from October this also directly controls your cost.
Source: Meta β "Pricing for non-template messages", WhatsApp Business Platform documentation.
Customer Consent & WhatsApp Policy Compliance¶
Daktela cannot automatically detect whether a phone number is active on WhatsApp.
It is the responsibility of the customer's business to ensure:
- the end user has given consent to communicate via WhatsApp
- messaging complies with Meta policies
WhatsApp Is Not a Marketing Broadcast Channel¶
WhatsApp is not designed for cold outreach or unsolicited campaigns.
If businesses send marketing messages without user permission, Meta may:
- block message delivery
- restrict the WhatsApp Business account
- permanently ban the number from WhatsApp Business Platform
This has already occurred for several companies.
We strongly recommend using WhatsApp mainly for: β customer-initiated support β transactional and service communication β approved template notifications when necessary
Sending Limits & Temporary Blocks¶
Besides policy compliance, Meta also enforces anti-spam sending limits that can temporarily block your outbound messages even during regular customer service β most often when many messages are sent to the same number in a short time.
How to recognize a block:
- outbound messages (agent replies and automatic messages) stay in the not yet delivered state (grey icon next to the message)
- incoming messages keep arriving normally
The block is temporary and usually clears within a few hours.
How the limits work:
- the limit applies per recipient, not to your overall traffic (Meta error 131056, "pair rate limit")
- it tightens significantly when the recipient is not responding β a live conversation where the customer keeps replying is normally safe even if it is long; a rapid series of messages without any customer response is what typically triggers the block
- repeatedly resending failed messages during a block prolongs it
- separately, if recipients block or report your number, its quality rating drops and Meta can restrict sending for the whole number (Meta error 131048)
Info
Meta deliberately does not publish concrete thresholds. The limits are dynamic and depend on sending frequency, conversation history, your number's quality rating and recipient reactions β no specific "safe number of messages" can be guaranteed.
How to reduce the risk:
- Send one longer message instead of a rapid series of short ones.
- Set up automatic messages and autoresponders to trigger at most once per conversation, not once per incoming message.
- Make sure bots and workflows cannot answer themselves or another automated system and that failed messages are not retried automatically.
- When a message fails to deliver, stop sending to that recipient and wait β do not resend it immediately.
During a block, wait for delivery to resume (typically within a few hours) and verify that new messages are delivered. If delivery does not resume within 24 hours or blocks keep recurring despite these measures, contact Daktela support.
Inbound Routings/Connectors¶
Warning
It is recommended to first create a corresponding WhatsApp queue before creating a routing/connector so you can pair them in the routing/connector. You can however set up several routings'/connectors' destinations at the same WhatsApp queue.
Tip
If you want outgoing messages for WhatsApp, you need to create a template.
Info
Please get in touch with us before creating a new connector. Our Sales team will be happy to get you started.
Go to Settings β Routings β WhatsApp. You will see an overview of your inbound routings/connectors.
You can view a diagram tree of each inbound routing/connector by clicking the grey Tree button in the Actions column.
Click the Title of an inbound routing/connector to open its details or click Add new to create a new inbound routing/connector. The inbound routing/connector details will open.
Title: enter a title.
Description: enter a description.
API Token: will be generated automatically after you authorise your WhatsApp number.
Channel ID: will be generated automatically after you authorise your WhatsApp number.
Number: will be filled in automatically once you save your routing/connector.
Next destination: select where the chat should be routed.
You can select:
- Terminate. The chat will end or be offline β select which Terminate option to use.
- Queue. Select which queue the chat will be routed to.
- Time condition. Decide where the chat will be routed depending on the date/time.
- Decision tree. Route the chat to a chat bot.
Allow attachments: choose whether to allow uploads from customer or both directions.
Authorise Your WhatsApp Business Account¶
After you create your connector, save it and reopen it.
Click the Authorise WAP button at the bottom. A modal window will open. Click Login with Facebook.
Tip
Log in with the account that you use to manage the business you are connecting WhatsApp to.
Warning
A phone number can be active either in the WhatsApp mobile app or on the WhatsApp Business API that Daktela uses β never both at once. If the number is currently registered in the WhatsApp or WhatsApp Business app on a phone, delete the account from the app first; otherwise the authorisation fails with an error saying the number is already in use. Once the number is connected to Daktela, it can no longer be used in the mobile app.
A pop-up will open. Follow the wizard:
- Continue with the credentials.
- Connect your Daktela account.
- Select the business you want to connect WhatsApp to and fill out its info.
- If you already have a WhatsApp Business Account, select it here. If not, create a new one. The same applies to the WhatsApp Business Profile β this is the number and display name your customers will see.
- If you're creating a new number, enter it in the next step. If the number is a landline, make sure to select Phone call as the verification type, e.g. if you are using one of the numbers you use for Daktela phone calls.
- Your WhatsApp Business Account is set up. If you are planning to send business-initiated conversations, you can add a payment method now.
Automessages¶
Send automatic messages to customers while they wait in the queue. Automessages are shared across channels and are described in Automessages; for WhatsApp they live in Settings β Routings β WhatsApp β Automessages.
Time Conditions¶
Route the chat to different targets depending on the date and time β typically your business hours. Time conditions are shared across channels and are described in Time Conditions; for WhatsApp they live in Settings β Routings β WhatsApp β Time conditions.
Decision Trees¶
Build a chatbot directly in Daktela that guides the customer through predefined questions and answers. Decision trees are shared across channels and are described in Decision Trees; for WhatsApp they live in Settings β Routings β WhatsApp β Decision trees.
Chatbots¶
Connect a third-party chatbot to your WhatsApp chats. Chatbot connections, including the structure of the data exchanged with the bot, are shared across channels and are described in Chatbots; for WhatsApp they live in Settings β Routings β WhatsApp β Chatbots.
Terminate¶
Define how your WhatsApp chats end in different scenarios β the disconnection cause, an automatic response and whether the chat counts as answered or missed. Terminate targets are shared across channels and are described in Terminate; for WhatsApp they live in Settings β Routings β WhatsApp β Terminate.