How to connect WhatsApp Business to your company in 15 minutes

Why WhatsApp is the right channel for your business

WhatsApp is the most used messaging channel in Europe. With over 2 billion users worldwide, ignoring this channel means ignoring where your customers spend their time. Unlike email — which many no longer open — or phone calls — which many avoid — a WhatsApp message has an open rate of over 95% within the first 5 minutes.

For a small or medium business, this means: the customer reads your message. Almost always.

The problem is that managing WhatsApp conversations on a personal phone doesn't scale. One person cannot handle 50 conversations simultaneously. And when 2 or 3 people reply from the same personal number, chaos quickly ensues.

The solution is WhatSMS: a platform that connects your company's WhatsApp to a shared team inbox — with automation, AI agents, and complete conversation history.

Two ways to connect WhatsApp

There are two approaches, each with different advantages:

Option A — Via QR Code with Android (recommended to start)

This is the simplest and fastest way. You need:

• An Android smartphone (any model with Android 7 or higher)
• A SIM card with your company's WhatsApp number
• The number must not be registered with WhatsApp Business API

Step 1: On the WhatSMS platform, go to Settings → WhatsApp Channels → Add channel.

Step 2: Select "Connect via QR Code". A QR code appears on screen.

Step 3: On the Android phone, open WhatsApp Business, go to Linked Devices → Link a device and point at the QR code.

Step 4: The connection is established in seconds. The number becomes active and all messages start arriving in the platform.

This approach does not require Meta approval. The number stays on the Android phone and the platform works as a management interface. It's the ideal option for companies that want to start today.

Option B — Via WhatsApp Cloud API (recommended to scale)

The official Meta API offers higher sending limits, certified message templates, and greater stability for high volumes.

Step 1: Create or verify a Meta Business Manager account.

Step 2: Register a phone number on the WhatsApp Business Platform.

Step 3: In WhatSMS, go to Settings → WhatsApp Channels → Add channel → Official API and enter the phone number ID and Meta access token.

Step 4: Configure the webhook: copy the URL provided by WhatSMS and paste it into the Meta app settings.

The process takes between 30 minutes and a few hours, depending on Meta verification.

Initial inbox setup

After connecting the channel, configure the shared inbox:

Users and permissions: Invite your team in Settings → Users. Each member gets their own login and can be assigned to specific queues.

Welcome message: Set up an automatic reply for when someone starts a conversation outside of hours.

Tags and categories: Create tags to classify conversations (Sales, Support, Billing) and make team triage easier.

First test: send and receive a message

Send a message to your company's WhatsApp number from your personal phone. It should arrive in the platform in under 2 seconds. Reply through the platform. Verify the reply arrived on your phone.

If everything works, your company is now operational on WhatsApp — professionally, with history and your team working together.

Next steps

With the channel active, you can move on to:

• AI Agent: upload your company FAQ and let AI automatically answer the most common questions.
• Campaigns: send proactive notifications to segmented contact lists.
• Automation Flows: create automatic sequences for lead qualification, appointment booking or order confirmation.

Most companies automate 60–70% of messages within the first week after activating the AI agent.