Integrating WhatsApp with Zoho Desk

Integrating WhatsApp with Zoho Desk

Introduction 

With about 2 billion users, WhatsApp is the most widely used instant messaging (IM) app across the world. The ubiquity of this app is reason enough for businesses of all sizes to look at it as a channel for customer support. So, if your customers frequently contact you for support via WhatsApp, you stand to benefit greatly by integrating your WhatsApp account with your Zoho Desk portal.  

Through this integration, your agents can view WhatsApp conversations right within Zoho Desk and reply to customers instantly, like they would in a live chat. The integration comes with a familiar UI and extensive capabilities, so that both your customers and agents get the best experience.  

This integration is provided in collaboration with Twilio, a cloud-based communications platform. So, you must get a few things ready outside Zoho Desk, before you can get started. 
  1. The integration is currently in the Beta stage and is available only for portals with the Professional or Enterprise edition of Zoho Desk. So, if you would like to access the Beta release, please send a request through this link.  
  2. Also, in the Beta version, you will be able to use only the WhatsApp phone number provided by Twilio. Provision for using your current WhatsApp phone number will be made available in the future. 
Here, you'll learn how to carry out the first step, which is raising a WhatsApp integration request.  

Below is a list of prerequisites that are essential for this integration: 
  1. Twilio Account SID 
  2. Facebook Business Manager ID 
  3. Alternate Account SID 
 

Retrieving Your Twilio Account SID 

Twilio account SID refers to the unique identifier associated with each Twilio account. To retrieve this information, you must first create an account in Twilio.  
 
To create a Twilio account, perform the following steps: 
  1. Visit the Twilio sign-up page. 
    The Twilio sign-up form appears.  

  2. Enter the necessary details in the form and select the checkbox next to I accept the Twilio Terms of Service and have read the Twilio Privacy Statement.  
  3. Then, click the Start your free trial button. 
    A confirmation mail is sent to the email ID you entered.  

  4. Confirm your ID through the mail. 
    Next, a phone number verification screen appears. 
  5. Enter your phone number in the relevant field and click the Verify button. 
    A verification code is sent to your phone number.  

  6. Enter the verification code in the relevant field and click the Submit button. 
    Your Twilio account and project are created. 
  7. You can now view the Twilio account SID from the dashboard of your project.  

  8. Next, visit the Twilio Sandbox for WhatsApp page. This is where you accept WhatsApp's terms of service (mandated by WhatsApp).  
    A confirmation dialog box appears on the page. 

  9. Select the I agree. Show me my Sandbox. option, and click the Confirm button.  
    You have now accepted WhatsApp's terms of service. You can proceed to the next step. 
 

Retrieving Your Facebook Business Manager ID 

Next, you need the Facebook Business Manager ID. If you already have a Facebook Business Manager account, you can use the ID associated with it. Else, you must create a Facebook Business Manager account.  
Business page verification is an essential step for this integration. If your business page is already verified on Facebook, you stand to get the integration enabled at the earliest. 
To create a Facebook Business Manager account, perform the following steps: 

  2. On the upper-right side of the page, click CREATE ACCOUNT. 
    A sign-up form appears.  
  3. Enter your contact details in the form and click the Next button.  

  4. Enter your business details in the next form that appears and click the Submit button. 


    Your Facebook Business Manager account is created.  

  5. On the upper-right side of your Business Manager account page, click the Settings icon or the Business Settings button. 

    The Business Settings page appears. 
  6. Scroll down the left pane on this page and click Business Info. 

    The Business Manager info section appears. 
  7. You can view your Business Manager ID displayed below the name of your business.  


Retrieving the Alternate Account SID 

Alternate Account SID refers to the unique ID provided by the third party implementing the WhatsApp integration for you. You must share this ID with Twilio, so that they can authorize the integration accordingly. In this case, the third party would be Zoho Desk.  
 
To retrieve your Alternate Account SID, perform the following steps: 
  1. On the upper-right side of your Zoho Desk screen, click the Setup icon. 
    The Setup screen appears. 
  2. On this screen, under Channels, click WhatsApp. 
    The Integrate with WhatsApp page appears.  

  3. On this page, click the Integrate button. 
    A pop-up box appears, asking for your confirmation.  

  4. Click the I Agree button. 
    The Twilio Account Details page appears. 
  5. You can view the Alternate Account SID on this page.  


Submitting the WhatsApp Integration Request 

After collecting the three unique IDs necessary, you can proceed to submit the integration request to Zoho Desk.  

To submit the integration request, perform the following steps: 
  1. Visit the WhatsApp onboarding form.  
  2. Enter your business details, including the Twilio Account SID, Facebook Business Manager ID, and alternate Account SID. (The number you enter in the Phone Number field will be used only to contact you for business verification purposes. This is not the phone number that will be used in the integration.)  
  3. In the Completed Facebook Business Verification drop-down menu, select the option that is applicable to you. If your business page on Facebook is already verified (blue tick next to the name, on Facebook), select Yes. Else, select No.

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