WhatsApp is how many of your clients prefer to communicate — it's familiar, instant, and already on their phone. With Lupa's WhatsApp Business integration, your practice can receive inbound client messages, reply within a 24-hour window, send approved template messages for reminders and campaigns, and track delivery status — all directly from the client chat interface or automated workflows.

💡 In short: Connect your WhatsApp Business account to Lupa, receive client messages automatically, reply from the chat page, and send template messages for reminders and campaigns — with full delivery tracking and a 24-hour messaging window.

Before You Begin

📍 Permissions required: You need Integrations Settings access to connect or disconnect WhatsApp. Sending WhatsApp messages requires the Client Chat permission.

You need a WhatsApp Business Account (WABA) with Meta — this is separate from a personal WhatsApp account
A dedicated phone number for your practice (this number cannot also be used with the regular WhatsApp app)
The phone number must be in international format (e.g. +44 7925 145 092)

Connecting WhatsApp Business

Step 1: Open WhatsApp settings

Go to Settings → Integrations → WhatsApp.

Step 2: Start the connection

Click Connect WhatsApp.
Lupa opens Meta's embedded signup flow in a popup window.
Sign in with your Meta Business account (or create one if needed).
Select your WhatsApp Business Account and phone number.
Grant Lupa permission to send and receive messages on your behalf.

Step 3: Complete the setup

Once you authorise the connection, Lupa automatically:

Registers your phone number with Meta's WhatsApp platform
Subscribes to receive inbound messages and delivery status updates via webhooks
Stores the connection securely for your location The connection appears in your WhatsApp settings with the phone number and business display name.

💡 Each location can have its own WhatsApp connection with a unique phone number. This lets multi-site practices use different numbers for different clinics.

Disconnecting

To disconnect, go to Settings → Integrations → WhatsApp and click Disconnect. This removes the connection from Lupa but does not delete your WhatsApp Business Account with Meta.

The 24-Hour Messaging Window

WhatsApp enforces a 24-hour messaging window to protect users from unsolicited messages. This is a Meta rule, not a Lupa limitation.

Scenario	What you can send
Client messaged you within the last 24 hours	You can reply freely with any text, images, documents, or videos — no restrictions
More than 24 hours since the client's last message	You can only send pre-approved template messages (e.g. appointment reminders, follow-ups). Free-form text is blocked.
Client has never messaged you	You can only send pre-approved template messages to initiate the conversation

When composing a WhatsApp message in client chat, Lupa shows you the remaining time in the messaging window. If the window has expired, the composer switches to the template picker automatically.

⚠️ The window resets every time the client messages you. Each new inbound message from the client opens a fresh 24-hour window for free-form replies.

WhatsApp Message Templates

Templates are pre-approved message formats that you can send at any time — even outside the 24-hour window. They're created in Meta's WhatsApp Manager and synced to Lupa.

How Templates Work

Create templates in Meta's WhatsApp Business Manager (not in Lupa) with your desired message text, placeholders, and category.
Meta reviews and approves the template (this can take minutes to hours).
Lupa syncs approved templates automatically. Templates that use features Lupa cannot yet send — such as carousel cards or certain button types — are hidden from the picker rather than shown and failing silently.

Template Categories

Category	Use case
Utility	Appointment reminders, booking confirmations, order updates — messages the client expects to receive
Marketing	Promotions, announcements, re-engagement campaigns — requires client opt-in
Authentication	Verification codes and login confirmations

Template Placeholders

Templates support variable placeholders that Lupa fills in automatically:

Client fields: client_first_name, client_last_name, client_full_name, client_email, client_phone
Store fields: store_name, store_phone, store_email, store_address_full When sending a template, Lupa auto-fills known placeholders from the client and store records. If any placeholder can't be auto-filled, you'll be prompted to enter it manually before sending.

Sending a Template Message

Open a client conversation in Chat.
If the 24-hour window has expired, the composer shows the template picker automatically.
Search for or browse available templates. Only templates that Lupa can fully send appear in the list — templates requiring features not yet supported are hidden automatically.
Select a template — Lupa fills in the placeholders.
If the template has a media header (image, video, or document), a Header media section appears. Choose the file you want to send with the message. You'll see a preview once the file is uploaded.
If the template has a button whose link changes per recipient, a Button links section appears with an input for each variable link. Fill these in before sending.
Review and click Send. The Send button stays inactive while a file is uploading or a required media file hasn't been chosen yet.

When you later open a sent WhatsApp campaign message from the client communications list, Lupa shows the resolved message text — exactly what the client received — rather than the raw template. If the template has since been removed from your WhatsApp Business account, Lupa displays a note that the template is no longer available.

Receiving Inbound WhatsApp Messages

When a client sends a WhatsApp message to your practice number:

Lupa automatically creates or opens a conversation for that client (matched by phone number).
The message appears in the client chat sidebar with a WhatsApp icon.
All staff who are chat points of contact for the location are notified.
Media attachments (images, videos, documents, audio) are downloaded and displayed inline.
A 24-hour messaging window opens for your team to reply freely. If the client's phone number matches an existing client record, the conversation is linked to that client. If the number is unknown, Lupa still creates a conversation so you can respond — you can link it to a client record later.

Communication Availability

Not every client can be reached on every channel. Lupa determines which communication channels are available for each client:

Channel	Available when
WhatsApp	Your location has an active WhatsApp connection and the client has a phone number on their record
App message	The client has the Lupa mobile app installed and set up
Email	The client has a valid email address on their record
SMS	SMS is enabled for the location and the client has a valid phone number

The communication dropdown on client records and appointment views only shows channels that are actually available for that client — so your team never tries to send a message through a channel that won't work.

Send WhatsApp and Send message are separate options in the dropdown. Send WhatsApp opens the client's WhatsApp thread in chat. Send message is for clients who have the Lupa mobile app — it is not related to WhatsApp.

WhatsApp in Campaigns

WhatsApp templates can be used in marketing campaigns to reach clients at scale:

Create a campaign in Lupa and select WhatsApp as the channel.
On the Content step, search for and select an approved template. Only templates that Lupa can fully send appear in the list. A live preview on the right shows exactly how the message will look, with placeholders filled in from your store details and a sample client name.
If the template has a media header, a Header image section appears below the template picker. Choose the image to send with every message in the campaign — the same file goes to all recipients. You won't be able to move to the next step until you've chosen one.
Define your audience.
Lupa queues the messages and sends them in the background, filling in placeholders for each recipient.

Campaign messages respect client communication preferences and consent settings.

Unsupported placeholders

Some placeholders — for example, pet-specific fields — cannot be filled automatically when sending to a campaign audience. If you select a template that contains placeholders Lupa cannot fill for campaigns, you'll see an Unsupported placeholders for campaigns warning listing the affected placeholders. You won't be able to move to the next step until you choose a different template that uses only supported placeholders.

Templates with dynamic button links

Some templates have a button whose link changes per recipient. Campaigns cannot supply those per-recipient values — only a staff member in a chat conversation can fill them in at send time. If you select such a template, you'll see a Template uses a dynamic button link warning. Choose a different template with a fixed link to continue.

Delivery Status Tracking

Every WhatsApp message sent through Lupa is tracked with real-time delivery status:

Status	What it means
Pending (clock icon)	Message sent to WhatsApp servers, awaiting confirmation
Sending	Message is currently being sent — this clears automatically within a few moments
Sent (single tick)	WhatsApp servers accepted the message
Delivered (double tick)	Message delivered to the client's phone
Read (blue double tick)	Client opened and read the message
Failed (red alert)	Message could not be delivered — hover for details

Status updates flow in real time from Meta's webhook, so you see changes as they happen in the chat interface.

Tips for WhatsApp Communication

✅ Best practices from practices that run Lupa:

Respond quickly when a client messages you — the 24-hour window starts ticking from their last message, and you lose free-form messaging when it expires
Create utility templates for your most common outreach (appointment reminders, vaccination due) so you can always reach clients even outside the messaging window
Use WhatsApp for time-sensitive messages like same-day appointment reminders — clients check WhatsApp more frequently than email
Keep template messages short and clear — WhatsApp is a casual medium, so overly formal language feels out of place
Set up chat points of contact so inbound WhatsApp messages are seen promptly by the right staff
Monitor failed deliveries — common causes are invalid numbers, clients blocking your business number, or network issues

Troubleshooting

Problem	Solution
Clicking Send WhatsApp does nothing or shows an error	If you see "Could not open the chat. Please try again.", Lupa was unable to open the conversation. Wait a moment and try again. If the problem persists, check that your WhatsApp connection is still active in Settings → Integrations → WhatsApp.
I can't connect WhatsApp	You need Integrations Settings access and a Meta Business account with a WhatsApp Business Account. Make sure you're signing in with the correct Meta account during the embedded signup flow.
I can't send a free-form message	The 24-hour messaging window has expired. Send a pre-approved template message instead, or wait for the client to message you to reopen the window.
No templates appear in the picker	Templates are created in Meta's WhatsApp Business Manager, not in Lupa. Create and submit templates there; once approved by Meta, they'll sync to Lupa automatically. Note that templates using features Lupa cannot yet send (such as carousel layouts) are hidden from the picker.
A template I can see in Meta isn't appearing in Lupa	Lupa hides templates it cannot reliably send — for example, those using carousel cards or certain button types. If a template you expect to see is missing, check whether it uses any of those features. Templates with media headers (image, video, or document) do appear, but require you to supply the media file when sending.
Messages are stuck on "Pending"	This usually indicates a temporary issue with Meta's WhatsApp API. Wait a few minutes and check again. If messages remain pending for more than an hour, contact support.
Inbound messages aren't appearing	Check that your WhatsApp connection is active in Settings → Integrations → WhatsApp. If the connection shows as disconnected, reconnect it. Also verify that the client is messaging the correct phone number.
Media attachments aren't loading	Media from WhatsApp is downloaded asynchronously. If an attachment shows as loading, wait a moment and refresh. Large files (videos, documents) may take longer to process.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use my personal WhatsApp number?

No. WhatsApp Business requires a dedicated phone number that is not registered with the regular WhatsApp app. You'll need a separate number for your practice.

How do I create WhatsApp templates?

Templates are created in Meta's WhatsApp Business Manager (business.facebook.com), not in Lupa. Once you create and submit a template, Meta reviews it. Approved templates automatically sync to Lupa and appear in the template picker — templates using features Lupa cannot yet send are hidden rather than listed and failing.

Can different locations have different WhatsApp numbers?

Yes. Each location can connect its own WhatsApp Business phone number. This is useful for multi-site practices where clients should contact their local clinic.

What happens if a client messages a number that isn't linked to a client record?

Lupa still receives the message and creates a conversation. The phone number is matched against existing client records. If no match is found, the conversation is created without a linked client — you can manually link it later.

Is there a cost for WhatsApp messages?

Meta charges per conversation (not per message) based on the conversation category and country. Utility conversations (appointment reminders) typically cost less than marketing conversations. Check Meta's pricing page for current rates.

Can I send images and documents via WhatsApp?

Yes. You can attach images, videos, documents, and audio files to WhatsApp messages during the 24-hour window. Note that WhatsApp limits attachments to one file per message — if you attach multiple files, Lupa sends them as separate messages automatically.

WhatsApp Business integration and communication availability