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WhatsApp Setup ​

Argonautas supports two-way WhatsApp messaging. Once your WhatsApp Business number is connected, WhatsApp messages from guests show up in your inbox alongside email, SMS, OTA messages, and live chat. This page explains what WhatsApp gives you, how setup works, what the channel card in Settings shows, and what you can check yourself when something goes wrong.

What WhatsApp Gives You ​

  • Guest messages in the inbox. When a guest messages your WhatsApp Business number, the message appears in the inbox (Messages in the sidebar). You reply from the same conversation, and your reply reaches the guest as a WhatsApp message from your business number.
  • New conversations. From New Message in the inbox you can choose WhatsApp and enter a guest's phone number. See the 24-hour window for when WhatsApp actually delivers these.
  • Delivery status. Each message you send shows a status icon. A clock means it's still sending, one check means sent, and a double check means delivered. The double check changes color when the guest has read the message. A warning icon means sending failed, and the error appears under the message.
  • Payment links by WhatsApp. In a booking's Send Payment Link window, the WhatsApp / SMS delivery method sends the payment link to the guest's phone. See Payment links below.

How Setup Works ​

You don't connect WhatsApp yourself. The Argonautas team connects your number for you. Until then, the WhatsApp Business card in Settings > Messaging shows Not connected and reads "Contact Argonautas to set up this channel." There is no connect button, and you don't need to enter an API key or any other credentials in Argonautas.

To get started, contact Argonautas support (support@argonautas.pro) and have the following ready:

What you needDetails
A WhatsApp Business numberThe phone number guests will message. It can be a new number or one you already use. A number that is currently active in the WhatsApp or WhatsApp Business phone app has to be moved over, and it then stops working in that app.
Your Meta business accountWhatsApp Business numbers are registered with Meta (Facebook). Have access to your Meta business account, because Meta may ask you to verify your business before the number can send messages.

Support tells you when the number is connected. When it is, the card shows Connected.

The WhatsApp Card in Settings ​

Go to Settings > Messaging. Connected channels are listed first, so a connected WhatsApp Business card is near the top. It shows:

  • A Connected badge.
  • Phone number: your connected WhatsApp Business number.
  • Display name: the business name registered for the number, when one is available.
  • Webhook status: the webhook is how incoming WhatsApp messages reach Argonautas:
    • Webhook active (green), with the address Argonautas receives messages on. Everything is working.
    • Webhook not configured — inbound messages won't be received (amber), with a Register Webhook button. See troubleshooting.
  • Disconnect: turns the channel off. Argonautas asks you to confirm: "Active conversations on this channel will no longer receive replies. Guests will be contacted via SMS instead. Disconnect?"

You can't reconnect WhatsApp from Settings. After you disconnect, you have to contact Argonautas support to connect the number again. Only disconnect if you really mean to stop using WhatsApp.

The 24-Hour Window ​

WhatsApp only lets a business send ordinary messages to a guest within 24 hours of that guest's last message. Replies in an open conversation are free text, like any other chat.

Outside that window, including when you start a new WhatsApp conversation with a guest who hasn't messaged you, WhatsApp only accepts message templates. Templates are messages worded in advance and approved by Meta. A free-text message sent outside the window can fail, or it may be dropped by WhatsApp and never reach the guest.

If the window has closed, reach the guest by SMS or email, or wait for them to message you on WhatsApp. That opens a new 24-hour window.

Message Templates ​

There is no screen in Argonautas for creating WhatsApp templates, submitting them to Meta, or checking their approval status. WhatsApp templates are set up with Meta by the Argonautas team.

The Templates page in the sidebar (Communication Templates) is where you manage your guest templates. They aren't submitted to Meta, and the page has no WhatsApp approval status. See Lifecycle Message Templates.

Payment links are where Argonautas sends a WhatsApp template. When you send a payment link with WhatsApp / SMS:

  1. Argonautas first tries WhatsApp, using the approved payment-link template. It includes the guest's first name, the property name, and the link.
  2. If WhatsApp doesn't accept it, the link goes out as a text message (SMS) instead.
  3. If SMS fails as well, the link is sent by email.

WhatsApp / SMS is only available when the guest has a phone number and has opted in to SMS/WhatsApp. Otherwise the option shows No phone on file or Guest has not opted in to SMS/WhatsApp.

Testing the Connection ​

When support tells you the number is connected, check that messages flow both ways:

  1. Inbound test: Send a WhatsApp message from a personal phone to your connected business number. It should appear in the inbox within a few seconds.
  2. Outbound test: Reply to that message from the inbox. The reply should arrive on the personal phone as a WhatsApp message from your business number. Because the test message opened a 24-hour window, a free-text reply is fine.

If either step fails, see the troubleshooting section below.

Troubleshooting ​

Guest Messages Aren't Reaching the Inbox ​

  1. Open Settings > Messaging and check the WhatsApp Business card.
  2. If it says Not connected, WhatsApp isn't set up for your company. Contact Argonautas support.
  3. If it says Webhook not configured — inbound messages won't be received, click Register Webhook and confirm. The card should then show Webhook active. Send yourself a test message to confirm.
  4. If the card shows Webhook active and messages still don't arrive, contact Argonautas support with the time you sent a test message and the number you sent it from.

A Reply Shows as Failed or Never Arrives ​

  • The 24-hour window has closed. This is the most common cause. See The 24-Hour Window. Contact the guest by SMS or email instead.
  • The guest's number is wrong. Check the guest's phone number. For guests from other countries, make sure it includes their country code.
  • Your Meta business verification is incomplete. Meta may limit messages from a number whose business isn't verified. Complete verification in your Meta business account, or ask Argonautas support what's outstanding.

The error text under a failed message shows why it failed. Include it if you contact support.

This is expected when WhatsApp doesn't accept the payment-link message. Argonautas falls back to SMS, then email, so the guest still gets the link. If it happens every time, contact Argonautas support.

Messages Are Delivered but Never Show as Read ​

Read receipts depend on the guest's WhatsApp privacy settings. If a guest has turned read receipts off, their messages stop at delivered. This is normal WhatsApp behavior, not a problem with Argonautas.

Key Concepts ​

  • 24-hour window: WhatsApp's rule that allows free-text messages only within 24 hours of the guest's last message. Outside it, only Meta-approved templates can be sent.
  • Message template: A message worded in advance and approved by Meta. It's needed for messaging a guest outside the 24-hour window.
  • Webhook: The connection that delivers incoming WhatsApp messages to Argonautas in real time. Its status is shown on the WhatsApp card.
  • Managed setup: WhatsApp, Airbnb, and Booking.com are connected by the Argonautas team, not from Settings.

Common Questions ​

Can I use my existing WhatsApp number? Yes, but it has to be moved to the WhatsApp Business platform. After that it no longer works in the WhatsApp or WhatsApp Business phone apps. Argonautas support takes you through it.

How many WhatsApp numbers can I connect? One WhatsApp number per company. If you manage several companies in Argonautas, each can have its own number.

Do guests need to save my number to message me? No. Guests can message your WhatsApp Business number directly. Saving it just makes it easier for them to find you.

Can I message guests who booked through Airbnb on WhatsApp? Only if you have the guest's phone number, and the 24-hour window applies. OTA privacy rules may limit the phone numbers you get. If Airbnb or Booking.com messaging is connected for your company, you can reply in the guest's OTA conversation in the inbox instead.

Can I change the API key or other WhatsApp settings myself? No. The connection details are managed by Argonautas. For any change to your WhatsApp number or connection, contact Argonautas support.

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