WhatsApp Enablement for Assistants
Objective
Enable WhatsApp messaging capability for AI Assistants in iX HC by configuring Twilio phone numbers for WhatsApp communication, ensuring secure, compliant, and reliable customer interactions across the WhatsApp channel in accordance with AppSec requirements.
Pre-requisites
An active Twilio number
You should have an active WhatsApp Enabled Twilio Phone Number. To create a WhatsApp Twilio Number, use this document
An iX Hello Account
For steps to create an account, follow the steps here
Setup connection to WhatsApp in iX Hello
Login to the iX Hello portal at https://bots.ixhello.com
Click on the Studio Mode link at the top of the page:
Navigate to Custom Apps.
Select the bot application you want to configure.
Open the Publish section.
Click Edit.
Locate the WhatsApp Configure Numbers toggle.
Enable the toggle.
Once enabled:
The system fetches all WhatsApp-enabled phone numbers associated with the connected Twilio account.
Available phone numbers are displayed in the configuration screen.
Select the desired phone number and save the configuration.
Now, you can start communication with the bot from your phone on WhatsApp or Login to the https://web.whatsapp.com/
WhatsApp web is a browser-based computer extension of the mobile WhatsApp app. It lets you send and receive messages, share files, and view chats on a computer screen by mirroring your phone's account
When multiple phone numbers are available, a bot can claim only one phone number at a time. Once a phone number is assigned to a bot, it is no longer available for selection by other bots. The remaining unassigned phone numbers continue to be visible in the available pool and can be claimed by other bots as needed. For example, if there are 10 available phone numbers and one bot claims a number, the other 9 phone numbers remain available for assignment.
Connect the WhatsApp Number
After selecting a number, WhatsApp activation may require linking the number through a QR code verification process.
Open the WhatsApp setup screen.
Scan the displayed QR code using the required device.
No additional application installation is required during this step.
Complete the verification process to activate the connection.
Note: For QR-code-based setup, simply scan the QR code when prompted. Downloading an additional application is not required unless specified by the setup instructions.
Add the Twilio number to the whatsapp contacts. Once added the type in the Join Code.
Once you provide the join code, you will see a welcome msg from the added number.
Once you are verified you can start the conversation with the assistant using the provided FAQ's.
You can add more FAQ's or the content in the basic mode, under training tab.
The conversation done with the bot on WhatsApp is stored in iX Hello for any assistant, similar to conversation history on other channels.
Using these FAQ's, you can query the bot, and you receive the responses.
WhatsApp Conversation:
Basic Mode Conversation.
Studio Mode Conversation:
Limitations of using a meta sandbox account
When using a sandbox account, the following limitations apply:
Joint Code Requirement: Users must use the provided joint code to connect and enable messaging on the sandbox number. This additional setup step is required for testing and validation purposes.
Single Phone Number per Environment: A sandbox environment supports only one phone number. Unlike production setups where multiple phone numbers can be managed, sandbox environments are limited to a single number for testing and development activities.
These limitations should be considered when planning and validating WhatsApp messaging workflows in a sandbox environment.
What is Join Code
The join code (sometimes called a sandbox join code) is a unique code provided by Twilio WhatsApp Sandbox that allows a user's WhatsApp number to connect to the sandbox environment before testing can begin.
Purpose of the Join Code
When using a Twilio WhatsApp Sandbox:
Users cannot directly start messaging the sandbox number.
They must first send a specific join code (secret keyword) to the sandbox WhatsApp number.
This action registers or "joins" their WhatsApp number to the sandbox environment.
Once joined, they can start conversations with the AI Assistant through the sandbox number.
Note: This step is only required for sandbox testing and is not required in production environments.
Last updated
Was this helpful?