Connect your organisation’s WhatsApp Business number to a project. Messages arrive in the inbox and your team replies from Commelia. Each project can have one number.
WhatsApp is available depending on your plan.
What you need
Section titled “What you need”- A phone number for your organisation. It can be the number you already use in the WhatsApp Business app (it keeps working there), or a new number that can receive an SMS or call. Private WhatsApp numbers cannot be used.
- A Facebook account with admin access to your organisation’s Meta business portfolio. You can create one during sign-up.
- A display name that matches your organisation. Meta reviews it.
Connect
Section titled “Connect”Open Project settings → WhatsApp and click Connect WhatsApp. A Meta window opens: log in, choose or create your business and enter your number. It takes about five minutes.
If you keep using the WhatsApp Business app on the same number, replies sent from the app also appear in the conversation in Commelia. Group chats, calls and broadcasts stay in the app.
Organisations with their own Meta developer app (and self-hosted installations) can connect manually with the phone number ID, the WhatsApp Business Account ID, a permanent access token and the app secret. Keeping the number in the WhatsApp Business app at the same time does not work with a manual connection: connecting a number manually disconnects it from the Business app, so only use numbers that are not active there. Commelia then shows the webhook URL and verify token to enter in your Meta app.
The 24-hour reply window
Section titled “The 24-hour reply window”WhatsApp only allows free replies until 24 hours after the contact’s last message. The conversation shows how much time is left. After that, only internal notes are possible until the contact writes again.
Opening hours and the AI assistant
Section titled “Opening hours and the AI assistant”- If opening hours are enabled, contacts who write while you’re closed get one automatic reply saying when you’re back.
- In auto mode, the AI assistant answers WhatsApp messages just like in the web chat and hands over to the team when needed.
Photos, voice messages and documents
Section titled “Photos, voice messages and documents”Files people send are stored privately with the conversation and are only visible to your team. They are deleted together with the conversation. Your team replies with text.
Costs and limits
Section titled “Costs and limits”Meta bills your organisation directly. Each WhatsApp phone number includes 1,000 free service messages per month. After that, current Meta rates apply, including replies within the 24-hour window (since 1 October 2026).
Not supported yet: starting conversations, template messages, group chats, calls and status updates.
Privacy
Section titled “Privacy”WhatsApp messages pass through Meta’s servers. Mention this in your privacy policy, and recommend the web chat for very sensitive topics.