Agents

WhatsApp prerequisites

What to have ready in Meta before you import a WhatsApp number, what signing in with Meta asks for, and what every connect message means.

Importing a WhatsApp number takes a minute on the Meta side and one sign-in in the portal. Finish this page first: you will know what to have ready in Meta, what signing in with Meta asks for, and what every message the import can end with means. When you have everything below, go to Connect WhatsApp.

What you need

  • A WhatsApp Business Account with the number added to it in WhatsApp Manager, and a Facebook account that can manage that business.
  • Until Meta approves EchoNova's app (business verification and App Review), that Facebook account also needs a role on EchoNova's Meta app. Meta only lets people with a role on the app sign in during this period.

If your account has no role on EchoNova's Meta app yet, signing in with Meta succeeds but returns no numbers. Ask your EchoNova contact to add your Facebook account to the app before you start.

  • An agent to bind the number to. The import starts from that agent's Channels tab, and a number you connect there answers as that agent from the first message.

Steps

Step 1: Confirm the number in WhatsApp Manager

Open WhatsApp Manager and confirm the WhatsApp Business Account lists every number you want an agent to answer. Signing in with Meta can only offer numbers that are on a WhatsApp Business Account your Facebook account manages.

Step 2: Know what signing in with Meta asks for

Pressing here (or Import another account, once you have any) opens Meta's own sign-in window and asks for two permissions:

Permission What it lets EchoNova do
whatsapp_business_management Read your WhatsApp Business Accounts and the numbers on them
whatsapp_business_messaging Send replies from the numbers you connect

Grant both. Declining either one ends the sign-in with Access was declined. No changes were made.

The sign-in window is valid for 10 minutes. Leave it open longer than that and you land on the Agents list with nothing connected; open the agent and start again from its Channels tab.

Step 3: Let messages reach EchoNova on their own

There is no webhook to set up yourself. Once a number is connected, either straight after sign-in or by ticking it in Choose what to connect, EchoNova subscribes to that number's messages for you. If Meta refuses the subscription, nothing is saved and the number shows We couldn't create the webhook. Check the app's permissions, then reconnect.

What each connect message means

Every import ends on the agent's Channels tab with a toast, a dialog, or the Choose what to connect picker. The rows below are the messages as the portal shows them.

Signing in for one number

Message What happened What to do
WhatsApp connected The number is imported and bound to this agent Send it a message; see Connect WhatsApp
This channel was already connected. It's now linked to this agent. The number was already in this workspace with no agent. Its access was refreshed and it is now bound to this agent Nothing. The row is on the tab
Move this channel? The number is already connected to another agent in this workspace Move binds it to this agent and closes its open conversations; Cancel leaves it where it is
This channel is already connected to another agent in this workspace. To move it, open that agent's Channels tab and use Assign to another agent. Same as above, shown when the portal cannot offer Move directly Do as the message says
Access was declined. No changes were made. You cancelled Meta's window or declined a permission Start again and grant both permissions
The connection didn't complete. Please try again. Meta returned without a usable sign-in Try again
No message. You land on the Agents list with nothing connected More than 10 minutes passed, or the sign-in finished in a different browser from the one that started it Open the agent again and start from its Channels tab
We couldn't resolve that WhatsApp phone number. Please try again. The sign-in granted no WhatsApp Business Account, or the account it granted has no number Confirm the number in WhatsApp Manager, then sign in again with the account that manages it
That WhatsApp number is already connected to a different EchoNova workspace. A number belongs to one workspace at a time Disconnect it in the other workspace first
We couldn't create the webhook. Check the app's permissions, then reconnect. The number was found but Meta refused to send its messages to EchoNova, so nothing was saved Sign in again with an account that manages the WhatsApp Business Account and approve both permissions
Something went wrong connecting this channel. Please try again. The connect failed for a reason with no message of its own Try again

Signing in for several numbers

When the sign-in grants more than one number, the portal opens Choose what to connect instead of connecting straight away. Before you tick anything, each number in the list carries one of these:

Label Meaning Can you tick it?
No label Not yet imported anywhere Yes
Connected here Already imported into this workspace: unbound, on this agent, or on another agent in this workspace Yes, to bind or refresh it
In another workspace Connected to a different EchoNova workspace No. Disconnect it there first

After you press Connect, each ticked number gets its own result line:

Result What happened
Connected The number was not imported before; it is now, bound to this agent
Reconnected The number was already imported and is now refreshed, bound to this agent if it had none
On another agent The number turned out to be bound to a different agent in this workspace; open that agent's Channels tab to move it
In another workspace Another workspace claimed the number between the list loading and you pressing Connect; it cannot be moved from here
Meta refused the webhook. Try again. The number was found but Meta refused to send its messages to EchoNova
Couldn't connect. Try again. The connect failed for another reason

The dialog itself can also show, instead of a list:

Message What happened What to do
This choice expired. Start again. More than 10 minutes passed since the sign-in, or this list was already used Press Import another account again
Couldn't load the accounts. Try again. The list of numbers could not be read Close the dialog and try again
Something went wrong. Check your channels, then try again. Connecting failed after the ticked numbers were already claimed; some may still have connected Check the Channels tab before retrying

FAQ

Which number gets connected?

You choose. A sign-in that grants one number connects it straight away; one that grants several opens Choose what to connect, where you tick the numbers you want.

Do I need a Meta app of my own?

No. Pressing here or Import another account signs you into Meta directly, and EchoNova's own Meta app handles the connection and the messages.

How long does the connection last?

About 60 days. During the last 7 days the channel shows Reconnect by <date>; after that it shows Token expired. Reconnect. Reconnect by pressing Import another account and ticking the same number, which shows as Connected here.

What happens to the access Meta grants?

It is saved with the channel and used for every reply the agent sends from that number. It is not shown again, and it is not listed under Auth connections. Disconnecting the channel deletes it.