Setting Up WhatsApp

Connect WhatsApp to receive and respond to customer messages through Helplane.

Prerequisites

Before setting up WhatsApp, you'll need:

• A Twilio account with WhatsApp enabled
• A WhatsApp-enabled phone number from Twilio
• Your Twilio Account SID and Auth Token

Configuring Twilio for WhatsApp

• Go to Settings in the left sidebar
• Select Integrations
• Find the Twilio integration card

Required Settings

Enter the following credentials from your Twilio account:

Account SID Your Twilio Account SID (starts with "AC"). Find this in your Twilio Console dashboard.

Auth Token Your Twilio Auth Token. This is used to authenticate API requests.

WhatsApp-enabled Number Your Twilio WhatsApp number in the format whatsapp:+15551234567. This must be a number that has been approved for WhatsApp messaging in your Twilio account.

Webhook Secret (Optional) A secret key to verify incoming webhook requests from Twilio.

Setting Up the Webhook

Helplane needs to receive incoming WhatsApp messages via webhook. You have two options:

Option 1: Auto-Configure

• Save your Account SID, Auth Token, and WhatsApp number first
• Click the Auto-Configure Webhook button
• Helplane will automatically configure Twilio to send messages to the correct URL

Option 2: Manual Configuration

• Copy the webhook URL shown in the settings panel
• Go to your Twilio Console
• Navigate to your WhatsApp Sender settings
• Set the webhook URL for incoming messages

Testing the Connection

After configuration:

• Send a WhatsApp message to your Twilio number
• Check your Helplane inbox for the incoming conversation
• Reply to verify two-way messaging works

Troubleshooting

Messages not appearing

• Verify your webhook URL is correctly configured in Twilio
• Check that your WhatsApp number format includes the whatsapp: prefix
• Ensure your Twilio account has sufficient credits

Cannot send replies

• Verify your Auth Token is correct
• Check that your WhatsApp number is properly verified in Twilio
• Ensure you're responding within the 24-hour WhatsApp messaging window