Connect your WhatsApp account to receive WhatsApp messages and reply via Cloudbeds Guest Experience. In this article, find information on how to configure WhatsApp messaging channel and create templates.
Notice: Some businesses may experience restrictions when messaging guests in Brazil, Indonesia, Mexico, and India due to recent Meta (WhatsApp) policy changes. In certain cases, WhatsApp messages cannot be delivered internationally unless the sender’s Meta Business Manager registered address matches the destination country.
Things to note before getting started
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You can use your number for WhatsApp in Cloudbeds Guest Experience. However, if the number is already registered to a WhatsApp account, it must be disconnected. Once disconnected, return to Cloudbeds Guest Experience to attempt the connection again.
Note that disconnecting a current account from WhatsApp will result in the loss of data, the new account will not import previous conversation history.You must have a verified Meta/Facebook Business account. Verify or update your Meta Business Profile in step 1 before proceeding to guarantee that your profile reflects accurate and up-to-date information once connected to Cloudbeds Guest Experience.
The user undergoing the flow must be an Administrator of this business account.
Click here to check the estimated WhatsApp Pricing per Country/Region.
Ensure all administrators of the Meta Business Account have Two-Factor Authentication enabled before enabling WhatsApp.
In Meta Business Suite, verify that the Business Info (address, website, phone) is complete and validated.
Check your Payment Settings in Meta are valid (even if not running ads) — incomplete billing info can occasionally trigger account checks.
Ensure you follow all business verification steps, comply with WhatsApp policies, and confirm your number is properly registered, as blockers in these areas may delay the integration.
1 - Getting Started
Verify and update your WhatsApp Profile in Meta by following the next steps:
- Navigate to your Meta Business Suite
- Login to your Facebook business account - If you have multiple accounts, select the one you want to update
- Select the phone number profile you wish to update
- Open the Profile settings
-
Update settings including:
Photo
Business Category
Submit Request for Official Business Account (Optional)
Description
Contact Information - Save.
2 - Enable WhatsApp messaging
-
Access the Company
page
- Go to Messaging Services
- Search for WhatsApp
-
Switch the toggle on
to enable it
- Click to edit settings
- Select which number you want to connect
-
Click to
- Authorize Cloudbeds to continue with Meta login
- Click to get started with the connection to Cloudbeds
- Fill out the business information form
- Create or select a Whatsapp Business account to be connected
Once you select the correspondent account, the Whatsapp connection is complete. Click to finish.
You're ready to use Whatsapp with your guests in Cloudbeds Guest Experience.
3 - Configure your WhatsApp templates
WhatsApp message templates are a great way to send valuable information to customers. You can use them to deliver reminders, notifications, or customized updates. All outbound messages in WhatsApp must have a message template to start a conversation with customers.
- WhatsApp can take around 48 hours to approve or reject your template.
- If your template remains pending for more than 48 hours, reach out to support.
- Important: WhatsApp templates created directly in Meta Business Manager do not automatically sync to Cloudbeds Guest Experience. To use a template in Cloudbeds Guest Experience, create and submit it from the Cloudbeds Guest Experience interface. This allows you to monitor the template status in Cloudbeds Guest Experience once submitted. If you already created a template in Meta, recreate it in Cloudbeds Guest Experience and submit it through the built-in approval flow.
- In the WhatsApp settings page, click to add
- Create the title, message template, and language
- Save
- You can select the template you want to set as the default
Once configured and approved, you can access all templates through the conversation box:
Opt-in Requirements for WhatsApp Messaging
- By default, WhatsApp messaging requires guest consent to allow freeform messages to be sent.
- If you prefer, you can disable WhatsApp's opt-in requirements in Cloudbeds Guest Experience WhatsApp settings and include “opt-out” verbiage within your newly created templates.
- A message from the guest in a 24-hour window is still required to enable freeform.
Tips for creating your templates
- If you are unsure how to phrase your template, take an iterative approach. Submit a template, get it approved by WhatsApp, and tweak it based on results. You can always submit a new template version and delete the old version.
- If you need to write a template to re-open the 24-hour window, we suggest starting with mentioning the previous thread. Example: "I'm sorry that I couldn't respond to your concerns yesterday but I'm happy to assist you now. If you'd like to continue this discussion, please reply with YES".
- Consider using a friendly tone when sending messages over WhatsApp. Selective use of specific emojis is shown to increase engagement with end users.
Each template needs to be reviewed and approved by Meta before being used. You can check the template statuses, rejection reasons, and other important WhatsApp information in the following sections:
Use this cheat sheet for a quick overview of how the WhatsApp Business integration works in Cloudbeds Guest Experience.
| Key Point | How It Works |
|---|---|
| How billing works | This integration uses credits to cover WhatsApp conversation charges. |
| When WhatsApp charges apply | WhatsApp applies a charge when you initiate a 24-hour conversation with a customer. |
| Pricing by country | WhatsApp pricing varies based on the customer’s country. Credit usage reflects this cost. |
| Starting a conversation | To initiate a conversation, you must send a WhatsApp-approved message template. |
| Customer-initiated messages | No WhatsApp charge applies when a customer messages you first. |
| Regular messaging | Once the conversation is open, messages can be exchanged normally within the allowed 24-hour window. |
| Creating a WhatsApp account | You cannot use an existing WhatsApp account. You need to create a new account using either your own number or a number provided by Cloudbeds, depending on availability in your country. |
| Voice & video calls | ❌ Voice and video calls are not supported with this WhatsApp Business API integration. |
| Group chats | ❌ Group chats are not supported. Only one-to-one conversations are available. |
| Difference from personal WhatsApp | This integration follows WhatsApp Business API rules, which differ from using WhatsApp on a personal mobile device. |
- Pending
Indicates that the template is still under review by WhatsApp. The review can take up to 24 hours.
- Approved
The template was approved by WhatsApp and can be used to notify customers.
- Rejected
The template has been rejected by WhatsApp during the review process.
- Paused
The template has been paused by WhatsApp due to recurring negative feedback from end users, typically resulting from “block” and “report spam” actions associated with the template. Message templates with this status cannot be sent to end users.
- Disabled
The template has been disabled by WhatsApp due to recurring negative feedback from end users or for violating one or more of WhatsApp’s policies. Message templates with this status cannot be sent to end users.
WhatsApp will generally reject templates for three reasons:
The format is incorrect, such as misplaced or malformed placeholders.
The template breaks the WhatsApp Terms of Service, Commerce Policy, Business Policy, or is seen as abusive.
The template is too generic and has placeholders that could be used for abuse.
Because placeholders can be replaced with multiple words, WhatsApp does not allow template placeholders to be placed at the beginning or end of the message. Doing so will result in the automatic rejection of the template.
| Rejection Reason | Solution |
|---|---|
| Variables are placed at the very beginning or end of the message. | Add additional words or punctuation before or after the variable. |
| Variables are placed next to each other, such as “{{1}} {{2}}”. | Make sure there is at least one word between each variable, or use one variable instead of multiple variables. A placeholder value can contain multiple words. |
| Variables have mismatched curly braces or use words instead of numbers. | The correct format is {{1}}, not {{one}}. |
| Variable parameters are not sequential. For example, {{1}}, {{2}}, {{4}}, and {{5}} will lead to a rejected template because {{3}} does not exist. | Double-check that all placeholders are sequential. |
| The template contains new lines, tabs, or more than four consecutive spaces. | These formatting elements are not allowed under Meta’s rules. |
| The template is a duplicate. WhatsApp rejects templates submitted with the same wording under a different name to prevent abuse. This check does not apply to OTP templates. | Adjust the name and content of the new template. |
| The template contains content that violates the WhatsApp Commerce Policy or the WhatsApp Business Policy . This includes requesting sensitive identifiers such as payment card numbers, financial account numbers, or national identification numbers. | Follow WhatsApp’s policies to avoid further enforcement action from Meta. When sensitive identifiers are required, request partial identifiers, such as the last four digits of an identification number. |
| Templates appear to be related to gaming or gambling. Words such as “raffle” or “win a prize” may cause a template to be rejected. | Identify words that could be perceived as gaming- or gambling-related and replace them. |
| Templates are overly vague, such as “Hi, {{1}}, thanks.” These templates may be considered spam and rejected. | Surround the parameters with information that clarifies what type of content will be inserted. |
| The wrong language was selected. For example, an English template was submitted as Portuguese. | Double-check that the selected language matches the template content. |
Cloudbeds Guest Experience provides a delivery status for each outbound message. If a message fails, check its delivery status and the error text. Common error types and first-line actions include:
| Error | Recommended Action |
|---|---|
| Unknown error | Generic carrier error. Retry the message or ask the guest to confirm their number. |
| Unknown destination handset | The number is invalid or disconnected. Verify it with the guest. |
| Unreachable destination handset | The device may be switched off or out of service. Try again later. |
| Carrier violation or message blocked | The content may violate a carrier or WhatsApp policy. Review the template wording and remove potentially flagged terms. |
| Landline or unreachable carrier | The number may be a landline. Confirm that the guest provided a mobile number. |
| “SMS is disabled” — Error 1300 | The property’s messaging or SMS services may not be fully registered. Go to Messaging Services in Cloudbeds Guest Experience to verify the registration and enable messaging. |
When troubleshooting, make sure to:
- Verify the guest’s number.
- Review the message or template content for policy-related words.
- If the template status is Paused or Disabled due to negative feedback, review the template or create a new template.
Comments
I'd like to suggest two updates to this help article:
1. It should be clear that if you connect your WhatsApp number to Whistle/Twilio, you will no longer be able to connect that number to WhatsApp to use directly. So properties who use WhatsApp for their business should instead get a new number for use with Whistle. Therefore, it would also be helpful to suggest backing up your data prior connecting an active account.
2. This article should also mention that if you need to disconnect your WhatsApp number from Whistle, you cannot do it yourself and will need to request the change from Support.
Hello, Chelsea Solano!
Thank you very much for sending us your suggestions for this Help Center article.
We will carefully review it to apply the corresponding adjustments.
Regards,
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