WhatsApp is an add-on. If it isn't in your settings, it isn't on your plan — see What's included, and what's an add-on.
What this is for
Sending notifications over WhatsApp Business rather than email or SMS.
In many markets it's simply where customers are. An order update on WhatsApp gets read; the same message by email often doesn't.
What you need first
This connects to the WhatsApp Business API through Meta, so there's setup outside Restodesk:
- A Meta Business account.
- A WhatsApp Business Account (WABA).
- A phone number registered to it.
- Message templates approved by Meta.
That last one is the part people underestimate — see below.
Connecting it
Under Settings › WhatsApp:
| Field | Where it comes from |
|---|---|
| Enable WhatsApp Notifications | The master switch. |
| WhatsApp Business Account ID (WABA ID) | Your WhatsApp Business Manager account. |
| Access Token | Your Business API token. Stored encrypted. |
| Phone Number ID | The number in your WhatsApp Business account. |
| WhatsApp Verify Token | A token you choose, for webhook verification. |
The settings screen links straight to Meta's WhatsApp Manager, and the webhook URL follows the
pattern https://your-domain.com/whatsapp/webhook/verify.
Then Test Connection before relying on it. It tells you plainly whether it worked.
Templates, and why they matter
WhatsApp does not let you send arbitrary messages to customers. Business-initiated messages must use a template approved by Meta in advance.
That's a platform rule, not a Restodesk limitation, and it's the main thing that makes WhatsApp setup slower than email.
Restodesk ships a Template Library to make it manageable:
- Open the template library in your WhatsApp settings.
- Pick the notification type you want — templates are grouped by Customer, Admin, General, Staff, Delivery and Automated.
- Copy JSON.
- Paste it into your WhatsApp Business Portal when creating a new template.
- Use the exact template name shown. Restodesk looks for that name when sending.
Each template shows its header, body, footer, buttons, variables and media type before you copy it, so you can see what the customer will receive.
Some templates consolidate several notification types into one, or replace an older one — the library says which.
Getting templates approved
Meta reviews each one. In practice:
- Submit early. Approval isn't instant, and a rejected template needs resubmitting.
- Don't edit the JSON beyond what you need. The supplied templates are shaped to pass review.
- Use the exact name. A template approved under a different name won't be found.
- Marketing-flavoured wording gets rejected. These are transactional messages; keep them transactional.
Choosing what to send
WhatsApp is the highest-attention channel you have. That's a reason to use it sparingly.
Good candidates:
- Order confirmed and order ready.
- Reservation confirmations and reminders.
- OTPs.
- Delivery on its way.
Bad candidates:
- Every status change. Nine messages for one order is how you get blocked.
- Anything promotional, unless the customer asked for it.
Being muted or reported costs you the channel entirely, so restraint here is self-interested.
When messages don't send
- Is WhatsApp enabled, and does Test Connection succeed?
- Is the template approved in your Business Portal?
- Does the template name match exactly?
- Has the access token expired? Meta tokens can be time-limited.
- Does the customer have a valid phone number, with country code?
- Is the number registered on WhatsApp? Not everyone is.
Good to know
- Meta charges per conversation. Costs are between you and Meta.
- WhatsApp sits alongside email rather than replacing it — see Who gets told what.
- Your access token is stored encrypted.
- If the template library is empty, template definitions haven't been seeded — one for whoever maintains your installation.