WhatsApp messages for admissions

The three messages

Each message has its own switch, so you can turn on only the ones you want. Enquiries you add by hand get the welcome (when you mark that they agreed), but no counsellor alert, because you already know about them.

What you need from Meta

• A Meta developer app with WhatsApp added, made at developers.facebook.com with your Facebook account. It is free.
• A phone number for WhatsApp. To try it first, Meta gives every new app a free test number. For real students, add your own number in the app's API Setup. Use a number that is not already on the WhatsApp or WhatsApp Business app on a phone; Meta explains the options when you add it.
• The number's Phone number ID and an access token, both from WhatsApp, API Setup in the app.
• Message templates that Meta has approved, one for each message you switch on.

Try it with Meta's free test number

1. 1
   Go to developers.facebook.com, click My Apps, then Create app. Choose the WhatsApp use case (Connect with customers through WhatsApp) and follow the steps. Meta makes a test number for the app.
2. 2
   In the app, open WhatsApp, then API Setup. Under To, add your own mobile number and type the code WhatsApp sends you. A test number can only send to up to 5 numbers added here.
3. 3
   Copy the Phone number ID shown under the test number (a long number, not the phone number itself), and click Generate access token and copy the token.
4. 4
   In Sikhami, open Admissions and click WhatsApp. Paste the Phone number ID and the Access token, then click Connect. You see the test number and Connected.
5. 5
   Under Welcome the student, type hello_world as the template name and en_US as the language. Leave Template values empty, because this template has none. Click Save.
6. 6
   Type your number under Send a test to and click Send a test. Meta's "Hello World" message arrives on your WhatsApp.

A permanent token for daily use

1. 1
   Open Meta Business Settings (business.facebook.com/settings) for the business that owns your app and WhatsApp account.
2. 2
   Go to Users, then System users, and click Add. Give it a name, such as Sikhami, and the Admin role.
3. 3
   Click Assign assets. Add your app and your WhatsApp account, each with full control.
4. 4
   Click Generate new token, choose your app, set the token to never expire, and tick whatsapp_business_messaging and whatsapp_business_management. Copy the token.
5. 5
   In Sikhami, open Admissions, WhatsApp, click Change token, paste your Phone number ID and the new token, and click Connect.

Make your templates

WhatsApp only lets a business start a conversation with a template that Meta has approved. Make them in WhatsApp Manager (from Meta Business Suite, or Manage message templates in your app's API Setup): click Create template, choose the Utility category, give it a name with small letters, digits and _, choose its language and write the text. Put {{1}}, {{2}} and so on where Sikhami should fill in a value. Meta usually reviews a template within minutes to a day.

In Sikhami, type the template's exact name and its language code (for example en, en_US or hi, as shown in WhatsApp Manager). Under Template values, click Add a value once for each {{1}}, {{2}}… in the template, and choose what goes in each, in the same order. The number of values must match the template, or Meta refuses the message.

Students must agree first

• When WhatsApp is connected and the welcome is on, the Ask about admission form on your institute's page shows a box: Send me updates about this enquiry on WhatsApp from your institute's name. It starts unticked. Only students who tick it get the welcome.
• For walk-ins and phone calls, tick They agreed to get WhatsApp messages when you add the enquiry, but only when they really said yes. You can change it later in the enquiry with Agreed to WhatsApp messages.
• Counsellor alerts and the morning list go to the numbers you type, so use only numbers whose owners agreed.

Meta requires this agreement, and sending to people who did not agree can get your number blocked or limited by WhatsApp.

Limits, so one institute never slows down another

• Each institute can send up to 30 messages a minute and 1,000 a day through Sikhami. Messages over a limit are not sent and show as Not sent with the reason under Recent messages.
• If Meta says the token has expired or lost its permission, or the account is restricted, sending pauses at once and the WhatsApp window shows why. Sending also pauses after 10 messages in a row fail. Fix the cause and click Connect again to start sending.
• Meta has its own limits too: a new WhatsApp Business number can start conversations with about 250 people a day, and Meta raises this as you send messages people do not block or report.

Recent messages at the bottom of the WhatsApp window lists the last 10 messages with their result. Each enquiry also shows whether its welcome was sent.

Questions