Help Center/ Cognitive Engagement Center/ User Guide/ Tenant Administrator Guide/ Configuring Channels/ Configuring the WhatsApp Channel
Updated on 2023-10-12 GMT+08:00
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Configuring the WhatsApp Channel

Prerequisites

You have obtained the following information from the WhatsApp service path supplier:

  • Infobip
    • Phone number for registering a WhatsApp service path provider user
    • Username for registering with the WhatsApp service path provider
    • Password for registering with the WhatsApp service path provider
    • URL prefix of the API provided by the WhatsApp service path provider. An application has been submitted to the system administrator and approved to add the API URL prefix to the address trustlist.
    • Account key provided by the WhatsApp service path provider for authentication
    • Webhook password, which is the authentication password for the channel to receive messages. The webhook password is customized by channel configuration personnel. After the channel is configured, you need to notify Infobip of the webhook password, which corresponds to the account key of the webhook API in Infobip.
    • Authentication certificate. To obtain the authentication certificate, perform the following steps:
      1. Visit https://api.infobip.com/.
      2. Export the browser certificate.
        1. Click in the address box. The following information is displayed.

        2. Choose Connection is secure > Certificate is valid to view the certificate information.

        3. Click Export and select a local path to save the certificate. Retain the default certificate name and format.

      3. Upload the authentication certificate by referring to Managing a Certificate.
  • other: The customer implements the BSP to connect to WhatsApp. The current version supports only ITAU.

    When WhatsApp Business Solution Provider is set to other, the options of Verification Method are as follows:

    • basic: direct authentication of the WhatsApp service path provider
    • oAuth: authentication of the WhatsApp service path provider using an API

    The information to be obtained varies according to the value of Verification Method.

    • Phone number for registering a WhatsApp service path provider user

      This item is not required when Verification Method is set to oAuth.

    • Username for registering with the WhatsApp service path provider

      When Verification Method is set to oAuth, you need to contact the system administrator to obtain the app key of the app that has subscribed to the sendWhatsappMessage API and bound to the tenant space for which the WhatsApp channel needs to be configured on the Configuration Center > Expansion Management > API Management > APP Service > APP Management page, and enter the app key in the UserName text box.

    • Password for registering with the WhatsApp service path provider

      When Verification Method is set to oAuth, you need to contact the system administrator to obtain the app secret of the app that has subscribed to the sendWhatsappMessage API and bound to the tenant space for which the WhatsApp channel needs to be configured on the Configuration Center > Expansion Management > API Management > APP Service > APP Management page, and enter the app secret in the Password text box.

    • URL prefix of the API provided by the WhatsApp service path provider

      When Verification Method is set to oAuth, the URL prefix must be https://IP:PORT/apiaccess/rest/ccmessaging, where IP:PORT indicates the IP address and port number for logging in to the AICC frontend and can be replaced with a domain name.

    • Authentication key provided by the WhatsApp service path provider

      This item is not required when Verification Method is set to oAuth.

    • Authentication password for the channel to receive messages
    • Trust certificate provided by the WhatsApp service path provider. You have uploaded it by referring to Managing a Certificate.
    • Identity certificate of the current system. You have uploaded it by referring to Managing a Certificate.

      This item is not required when Verification Method is set to oAuth.

  • cloud-api: Currently, this function can only be demonstrated and cannot be put into commercial use.
    • Information about the app created on Meta for Developers
      1. Log in to Facebook using a Meta for Developers account and access https://developers.facebook.com/apps to create an app.

        Click Other, select the Business type, customize the app name, and retain other default settings.

      2. Return to https://developers.facebook.com/apps, find the new app, copy the app ID, access https://developers.facebook.com/apps/App ID/settings/basic, and view the app information.
        Figure 1 Obtaining app information

        The app ID corresponds to the value of APP Key in the channel configuration in the AICC.

        The app secret corresponds to the value of APP Secret in the channel configuration in the AICC.

      3. Add the WhatsApp product to the app.
        Figure 2 Adding the product
      4. Choose WhatsApp > Quickstart to configure the quick start.

        If the advertisement placement function is disabled for the Facebook account, you need to apply for enabling the function.

      5. Choose WhatsApp > API Setup and obtain the phone number and base URL.
        • The test number corresponds to the value of Phone Number in the AICC.
        • The URL in the red box corresponds to the value of BaseUrl in the AICC.
        • The recipient number is the mobile number of an object served through the WhatsApp channel and is a mobile number. The recipient number needs to be manually added so that the customer can access the WhatsApp channel.
        Figure 3 Obtaining the phone number and base URL
      6. Access https://business.facebook.com/settings/system-users, select the business of the app, choose Users > System users, and add an administrator.
        Customize System user name and set System user role to Employee.
        Figure 4 Adding an administrator
      7. Add assets and generate a new token.
        Figure 5 Adding assets
        Figure 6 Generating a new token

        The generated token must have the whatsapp_business_messaging and whatsapp_business_management permissions.

        The generated token corresponds to the value of access token in the channel configuration in the AICC.

        When generating the token, you need to select a validity period, which corresponds to the token validity period in the AICC.

    • Trust certificate. You have uploaded it by referring to Managing a Certificate.
      • In China: Direct access to https://graph.facebook.com/v8.0 is restricted. You need to configure a proxy server and obtain the trust certificate of the proxy server. The certificate must be in .der format.
      • Outside China: Access https://graph.facebook.com/v8.0 and export the certificate using a browser. The certificate must be in .der format.
    • Identity certificate of the current system. You have uploaded it by referring to Managing a Certificate.

      Access the current system and export the certificate using a browser.

Context

If the information provided by the WhatsApp service path provider is changed, you need to modify the involved WhatsApp channel as follows: Sign in as a tenant administrator, choose Configuration Center > Access Configuration > Channel Configuration, click Modify in the Operation column corresponding to the involved channel, and update the values of UserName, Password, BaseUrl, and AccountKey.

Procedure

  1. Sign in to the AICC as a tenant administrator and choose Configuration Center > Access Configuration > Channel Configuration.
  2. Click New. The Social Media Enabling Configuration page is displayed.

    Set Channel Access Code, select WHATSAPP, and click Next. The page for configuring the WhatsApp channel is displayed.

    The channel access code must be unique. The code can contain a maximum of 64 characters, including only letters, digits, and underscores (_), and can start only with a letter or an underscore (_).

  3. On the Choose configuration method page, set WhatsApp channel parameters.

    Table 1 WhatsApp channel parameters

    Parameter

    Description

    Personalized Configuration

    Set the parameters based on the information obtained in Prerequisites.

    Common Configuration

    Channel access code

    The channel access code set in 2 is displayed and can be modified.

    OU Configuration

    Select an OU created in Configuring an OU to assign it to channel resources.

    Info Configuration

    Set the following parameters:

    • Skill Queue: The options are all multimedia called routes of the current tenant space. Select an option as required.
    • Keyword for Transfer to Agent: Keywords for switching from chatbot service to manual service. After a customer enters any of the keywords on the WhatsApp client, chatbot service is switched to manual service.
      NOTE:

      If the intelligent chatbot is disabled, you do not need to set this parameter.

    Last Agent Mode

    If this function is enabled, you need to set the following parameters:

    • Selection Mode: Mode of selecting the last agent. The options are Time range and Current day.
    • Time Range (hour): This parameter is mandatory if Selection Mode is set to Time range.

    Dialog End Method

    Customized timeout period for no customer reply and session end message. This function is disabled by default. If it is disabled, the default timeout period is 3 minutes. If it is enabled, you need to configure the following:

    • Prompt Interval for No Reply (min): If a customer does not reply on the client within this period, the session is disconnected. The default value is 3.
    • Conclusion: The system sends this end reminder after the session is disconnected.

    Agent Timeout Transfer

    Customized timeout period for session transfer due to no agent reply and prompt message for agent reassignment.

    If this function is enabled, you need to set the following parameters:

    • Timeout Interval for No Agent Reply (min)
    • Prompt for Reassigning Agent

    Session Transfer

    Whether to display only skill queues of the corresponding channel type when an agent transfers a session.

    Offline Message

    For details about how to enable offline messages, see How Do I Enable Offline Messages?.

    Agent Work Time
    • Workday: A maximum of four working time segments (from 00:00 to 24:00) can be configured. By default, a time segment is displayed. You can click New to add a time segment.
    • Non-workday: A maximum of four working time segments (from 00:00 to 24:00) can be configured. By default, a time segment is displayed. You can click New to add a time segment.
    • Non-Working Time Notification: When a customer call is connected to an agent in non-working time, this message is displayed to notify the customer that the agent is in rest state.

    Chatbot Configuration

    This function is disabled by default, indicating that sessions are directly connected to agents. If it is enabled, you need to configure chatbot information as required. Set the following parameters:

    • Change Avatar: Chatbot avatar.
    • Name: Chatbot name.
    • Gender: Chatbot gender.
    • Chatbot Access Code: Chatbot access code configured in the intelligent IVR.
    • Default reply: Customized reply displayed when the chatbot cannot recognize the intent of a customer.
    • Timeout reply: Customized reply displayed when the session with a customer times out.
    • Prompt for transfer to agent: Customized prompt message indicating that chatbot service is switched to manual service.
    • Silent Agent Skill Queue: The options are all multimedia called routes of the current tenant space. Select an option as required.

    Robot Assistant Configuration

    This function is disabled by default. If it is enabled, the chatbot assistant is enabled on the agent side.

    • Assistant Access Code: Chatbot assistant access code configured in the intelligent IVR.

  4. Click Save And Proceed To The Next Step. The Integration instructions page is displayed.

    • If the WhatsApp service provider is infobip, the following page is displayed.

      The MO message URL and report message sending URL generated on the Integration instructions page need to be notified to Infobip offline.

    • If the WhatsApp service provider is other, the following page is displayed.

      The MO message URL and report message sending URL generated on the Integration instructions page need to be notified to the WhatsApp service provider offline.

    • If the WhatsApp service provider is cloud-api, the following page is displayed.

      Configure the generated URL and verification code in https://developers.facebook.com/apps/App ID/webhooks.

Parent topic: Configuring Channels