Social Media: Set up WhatsApp with a reused numberUpdated an hour ago

To bring WhatsApp conversations into your helpdesk, you need to create a WhatsApp account through Gorgias. Because a phone number can only be associated to one account at a time, you'll need to delete your existing WhatsApp account to reuse the number with a Gorgias-created WhatsApp Business account.

Follow the steps that apply to your situation

This article covers how to create a WhatsApp account in your helpdesk with a phone number you own that's currently in use by a WhatsApp account that wasn't created in Gorgias. If that doesn't apply to you, navigate to the article that best matches your situation for the most relevant setup instructions:

Before you start

• Set up a Meta business portfolio.
• Make sure you can sign in to a Facebook account with full access to that Meta business portfolio.

Step 1: Free up a number used in an existing WhatsApp account

Meta won't let you use a phone number that's currently in use on another WhatsApp account, so you'll need to delete that account before you can create a WhatsApp account in Gorgias.

1. Open the WhatsApp account that uses the phone number.
2. Delete the account for that number from your WhatsApp settings.
3. Wait a few minutes for the number to become available again.

Step 2: Create a WhatsApp integration with your phone number

You'll be redirected to Facebook to complete most of the WhatsApp account setup through Meta's sign-up flow, and redirected back to Gorgias when you're done.

1. From your helpdesk, click the  Settings icon in the bottom-left corner.
2. In the menu, locate Apps, then select App store.
3. Search for and select WhatsApp.
4. Click Connect WhatsApp Business. You'll be redirected to Facebook.
5. Sign in to the Facebook account that has access to your Meta business portfolio.
6. Follow Meta's steps to select the business portfolio and create a WhatsApp Business Account.
7. Enter the phone number you made available in Step 1. Under Choose how you would like to verify your number, select Text message or Phone call.
8. Enter the code to verify the number, then finish Meta's setup flow.
9. Return to Gorgias in your browser. Navigate to Installed apps → WhatsApp → Integrations to see your new WhatsApp integration.

What Gorgias sets up for you

While creating the integration, Gorgias completes the following tasks in the background:

• Two-step verification. Gorgias sets a two-step verification PIN on the number as part of registering it with Meta.
• Billing with Meta. Meta bills Gorgias for WhatsApp conversation charges, and your WhatsApp tickets are then billed to you as helpdesk tickets. You'll never see a bill from Meta for using WhatsApp.
• Your existing templates. Gorgias imports the message templates associated with that WhatsApp Business Account from Meta.
• A dedicated view. Gorgias creates a view named WhatsApp - [integration name] that lists open tickets from that number. You can edit it like any other view.

What's next

• Social Media: Manage your WhatsApp integration to learn about managing, deleting, and reconnecting your WhatsApp integerations.
• Handle tickets in Gorgias: WhatsApp to learn how your team replies to WhatsApp conversations in your helpdesk.

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