In the previous blog, I have given you hint on the agenda of the “Salesforce + WhatsApp Integration” series. Now, it’s time to get our hands dirty with the practical implementation. So, without any adieu let’s get started………….
Setting up Facebook Account for “Salesforce + WhatsApp Integration”
We all know that WhatsApp is an internal product of Facebook. So, to make things fall in right place, the first thing to be accomplished is to setup our Facebook Account. The very first step is to click on this link Facebook .
The next step is to Click on “Get Started” Tab which will allow you to setup Facebook Account.
For this, there are two ways. The first way is to use an existing Facebook account and the other way is to Create a new Facebook Account. The ideal way is to use your existing account which appears like this
Click on the “Continue” button. It will redirect you to next page where you will see the Email linked to your Facebook Account. All you need to do is accept the Terms & Conditions and click on “Confirm Email” button. After completing this step, the next step is to “Select the role that describes you”. For this series, we need to select “Developer Role”. Once you have selected Role, click on “Complete Registration”.
Note:- If you have already logged in through your Facebook Account, you will directly be redirected to “My Apps” Page. Please refer below image
Creating “WhatsApp” App
Once you complete the above-mentioned steps, you will be redirected to “Create App” Page which appears as shown below
The next step is to click on “Create App” button. Once you click on Create App, it will ask you to select the “App Type”. For this series, we need to select “Business App”. Click on the “Business” option and then click on Next button.
Now, you have selected the Business App and so the next step is to provide unique name to your App. For the demo purpose, I’ll name it as “Salesforce+WP”. The next thing is “App Contact Email” which is used to contact you about potential policy violations, app restrictions or steps to recover the app if it’s been deleted or compromised. For demo purpose, I have entered patherschools@gmail.com. The next option to select Business Account is optional. Since we don’t want this App to be related to any Business Account, we will leave this option and proceed ahead by clicking on “Create App” button.
For security reasons, it might prompt you to enter Password (your Facebook account password).
Once the Password is entered, you will be redirected to application page which confirms that application has been created.
Add Products to your App
In this step, we need to setup “WhatsApp” for our newly created application. For this you need to scroll down to the bottom of the page and look for “WhatApp”. Then Click on “Set up” button on the WhatsApp.
Once you click on “Set up” button, you will land to a new page where you will be asked to create or select a Meta Business Account. Keep the by default selected option and then click on “Continue”.
After this, you will be redirected to developer console of your WhatsApp where you will find your Temporary Access Token which you can use to make API calls. Below that you will see an option to “Send and receive messages” which consist of multiple steps that allows you to configure your WhatsApp for sending and receiving messages. Let’s understand the important steps under this option.
Step 1: – Select Phone numbers
This step allows you to configure your send & receive message phone number. “From” section allows you to send free messages from the “Test number” that has been provided by Facebook.
Note: – You can use your own phone number which is subject to limits and pricing. For more information click here
Under “To” section, you will find that there isn’t any phone number available. For setting up this section, select the “Manage Phone Number List” option that appears in the dropdown.
This allows you to add up to 5 phone numbers to receive free test messages. For learning purpose, add one phone number. Select your country of residence and then enter the phone number to which you want to send the Test messages. After this, a verification code will be sent to the mentioned WhatsApp number. Enter the number as shown below to complete the verification.
After the verification is successful, you will see that your WhatsApp number will appear in “To” section as shown below
Step 2: – Send Messages with the API
In this step, you will find the auto-generated command. All you need to do is, click on “Send Message” button to test your send message functionality.
Once you click on “Send Message” button, a test message will be sent to the WhatsApp number mentioned in the “To” section. The message will appear as shown below.
Congratulations!! It’s time to pat your back as you have completed the “Basic Setup for Salesforce + WhatsApp Integration”. Want to know more about next steps? Subscribe to our Newsletter & YouTube Channel and you will soon receive the next updates
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