WhatsApp Channel Configuration Options

The WhatsApp channel configuration is split across two tabs. The Channel Settings tab is configured by your admin team. The General tab is configured by MaxContact during implementation and cannot be edited from within the portal, with the exception of enabling or disabling WhatsApp interactions on the channel.

To access a WhatsApp channel, go to Admin > Channels > Channels, filter by WhatsApp, and select the channel you want to configure.

WhatsApp opt-in rules

WhatsApp requires customers to opt in before you can initiate a conversation with them. This is a platform-level requirement and not something MaxContact controls. The rules below apply to all WhatsApp interactions.

Scenario	What to do
First contact with a customer (outbound)	You must send an opt-in template message. Select the template message button at the bottom left of the conversation box. This sends a predefined message to the customer with a built-in Accept button. The customer opts in by selecting the button or by replying to the message.
Customer initiates the conversation (inbound)	No opt-in template is required. By sending a message, the customer automatically opts in for 24 hours from the time of their last message.
More than 24 hours since the customer's last message	The opt-in window expires 24 hours after the customer's last message, regardless of how many messages you have sent in that period. You must send the opt-in template again before continuing the conversation. Any messages sent after the 24-hour window will not be received by the customer — the agent will see an error instructing them to send a new opt-in.

Common error messages

Error	Cause and action
RECIPIENT_NOT_OPTED_IN	The customer has not opted in. Send or resend the opt-in template message.
OUTSIDE_ALLOWED_SENDING_WINDOW	The 24-hour opt-in window has elapsed. Send the opt-in template again to restart the conversation.
TEMPLATE_INSUFFICIENT_PARAMETERS	A template fill point is blank in the channel configuration. An admin user will need to complete the fill point fields in the General tab of the WhatsApp channel. See the General tab section below for more detail.

For a full list of possible WhatsApp errors, see WhatsApp Conversation Possible Errors.

Channel Settings tab

Channel settings

Setting	Description
Name	The channel name, visible to agents and used in reporting. Maximum 40 characters.
Channel type	The type of channel. Set to WhatsApp.
Active	Toggle to make the channel active or inactive.
Description	An internal description for the channel. Not visible to customers. Maximum 1,000 characters.
Ticket reopening	When enabled, a customer who messages within the specified number of days will reopen their previous ticket rather than creating a new one. If the period has expired, a new ticket is created automatically.

Tagging

Visible only when the tagging feature is enabled. Select the tag field to assign or remove tags on this channel. For more information, see Tagging — Where and how it affects the system.

Plans

Setting	Description
Result code	The result code plan used for interactions on this channel. Only result codes within the selected plan are available to agents when dispositioning. Result codes must also have the WhatsApp channel type assigned in their configuration to appear. See Result Codes for more detail.

SLA

Setting	Description
Response time	The maximum time an agent should take to respond to an interaction. A countdown timer is displayed on the interaction tab in Contact Hub.
Response warning	The percentage of the response time at which agents are warned they are approaching the SLA. The interaction tab changes from green to amber at this point. Set to 100% to disable the warning.
Manual park	When enabled, agents on the queue associated with this channel can manually park an interaction to pause the SLA timer while they carry out work away from the screen. See Park Interactions for more detail.
Automatic park	When enabled, interactions are automatically parked when an agent on the queue receives an inbound call. Without this, the SLA timer continues to run during voice calls. Both manual and automatic park can be enabled simultaneously.

User settings

Setting	Description
Capacity	The maximum number of concurrent WhatsApp interactions an agent can handle from this channel at any one time. Capacity is cumulative across all channels an agent is assigned to unless a specific user capacity plan is set. See Agent Capacity Plans for more detail.
Force ready	When disabled (default), agents go Not Ready when they receive an interaction and return to ready manually. When enabled, agents remain ready after receiving an interaction until their capacity is filled, and automatically return to ready once capacity drops. Agents can only leave the campaign or take a break after their current interactions are completed.

Scripting

Setting	Description
Enable	Toggle to enable or disable the use of a script on this channel.
Provider	Select Max to use a script built within MaxContact, or Other to use an external CRM or third-party system.
Max Script	The MaxContact script to display to agents for interactions on this channel. Only available when Provider is set to Max.
Script URL	The URL for the script. Populated automatically for Max scripts. Enter the URL manually when Provider is set to Other.

General tab

The General tab is configured by MaxContact during implementation. Most settings cannot be edited from within the portal — contact the support team if you need changes made. The exception is the Enable WhatsApp toggle, which can be changed at any time.

General

Setting	Description
App ID	The application identifier for the WhatsApp integration. Configured by MaxContact — contact the support team for any issues or changes.
Number format	The number format prefix for WhatsApp messages, making the channel configurable for different countries.
Project ID	The project identifier for the WhatsApp integration. Configured by MaxContact — contact the support team for any issues or changes.
Enable WhatsApp	Toggle to enable or disable WhatsApp interactions on this channel. This is the only field on this tab that can be edited from within the portal.
WhatsApp outbound number	The number used to send WhatsApp messages from this channel. Configured by MaxContact — contact the support team for any issues or changes.

Template

The template is the opt-in message sent to customers before a conversation can begin. It is set up by MaxContact and pre-approved by WhatsApp — the text itself cannot be changed without going through an approval process. Fill points allow you to personalise parts of the message dynamically at the time of sending.

Setting	Description
Template ID	The ID of the approved opt-in template. Configured by MaxContact — contact the support team for any issues or changes.
Language code	The language code assigned to the template. Configured by MaxContact — contact the support team for any issues or changes.
Fill points	Text values that are automatically inserted into the template at the positions marked {{1}}, {{2}}, etc. Fill points allow you to personalise the opt-in message — for example, inserting a product name or company name. If your template includes fill points, all of them must be completed here or the template cannot be sent. Contact MaxContact Support to make changes to which fill points appear in your template.
Template preview	Shows how the template will appear to the customer, with fill point placeholders replaced by the values entered above.