## Documentation Index

Access the complete documentation index at:
https://www.zoho.com/en-fr/books/help/llms.txt

Use this file to discover all available documentation pages before proceeding.

# Integrate Zoho Books with WhatsApp

Using WhatsApp for communication offers an easy way to send messages to your customers and vendors with a personalized touch. By integrating Zoho Books with WhatsApp, you can send notifications for invoices, sales orders, payment receipts, customer statements, quotes, retainer invoices, credit notes, and sales receipts to your customers, and vendor statements to your vendors.

Once you enable WhatsApp in Zoho Books, you need to purchase credits to send notifications to your customers and vendors. Learn more about [WhatsApp Instant Messaging (IM) Credits](/en-fr/books/help/integrations/whatsapp/integrate-with-whatsapp.html#WhatsApp-Credits).

**Prerequisites:**

*   Once you set up this integration, Zoho will become your Business Service Provider (BSP). Ensure your WhatsApp Business account is not associated with other BSPs.  
    
*   The phone number you want to use to set up this integration must be valid and owned by you. If it is associated with any other BSPs, WhatsApp Personal or WhatsApp Business accounts, you may lose your existing chats.  
    
*   You should have a verified Facebook Business Manager account.

## Connect to WhatsApp

To send WhatsApp notifications to your customers and vendors, you must connect Zoho Books to WhatsApp first. Here’s how:

*   Go to _Settings_ and then _Integrations & Marketplace._
    
*   Navigate to _WhatsApp_ and click **Connect** near _WhatsApp Business_.
    
    ![Connect WhatsApp](/books/help/images/integrations/whatsapp/whatsapp-connect.png)
    
    In case you have an existing WhatsApp Business account, the _Set up_ _WhatsApp Business_ pop-up will appear.
    
*   Click **Use the existing WhatsApp Business account registered with Zoho** and select the account from the dropdown to continue using the existing WhatsApp account that is integrated with other Zoho apps. (or)
    
*   Click **Connect a new WhatsApp Business account with Zoho** to connect a new WhatsApp Business account.
    
    ![Set up WhatsApp Business](/books/help/images/integrations/whatsapp/setup-whatsapp-business.png)
*   Click **Continue**.
    
*   Read and agree to the terms in the _Connect WhatsApp with Zoho Books_ pop-up.
    
*   Click **Connect WhatsApp** and you will be redirected to the _Facebook Login_ page.   
    
    ![WhatsApp Prerequisites](/books/help/images/integrations/whatsapp/whatsapp-prerequisites.png)
*   Enter the registered _Email Address or Phone Number and Password_ and click **Log in**.
    
    ![Facebook Login](/books/help/images/integrations/whatsapp/facebook-login.png)

**Insight:** If you don’t have a Facebook account, create one by clicking **Create New Account**.

*   Verify your account and click **Continue as ‘Your Account Name’** on the next page. If you want to log in with another account, click **Log in to another account**.
    
    ![Continue Logging In](/books/help/images/integrations/whatsapp/continue-as-zylker-business.png)
*   Read through all the _WhatsApp Business Terms of Service_ and the _Meta Terms of Service_ and click **Get Started**.
    
    ![WhatsApp Get Started](/books/help/images/integrations/whatsapp/whatsapp-get-started.png)
*   Fill in your _Business Details_ and click **Next**.
    
    ![WhatsApp Business Information](/books/help/images/integrations/whatsapp/whatsapp-business-info.png)
*   Select a **WhatsApp Business account** and **WhatsApp Business Profile** on the following page.
    

**Insight:** If you don’t have one, select **Create a WhatsApp Business account** and **Create a new WhatsApp Business Profile** from the dropdown.

*   Click **Next** and click **Finish** on the page that follows.
    
    ![Select WhatsApp Business Account](/books/help/images/integrations/whatsapp/whatsapp-business-info-2.png) ![WhatsApp - Get Started](/books/help/images/integrations/whatsapp/whatsapp-finish.png)

Your Zoho Books organization will be connected with WhatsApp.

*   Click **Continue** in the _Connected to WhatsApp_ pop-up.
    
    ![Connected to WhatsApp](/books/help/images/integrations/whatsapp/connected-to-whatsapp.png)
*   Check the Default WhatsApp Number from which the WhatsApp messages will be sent to your customers and click **Continue**.
    
    ![Create WhatsApp Channel](/books/help/images/integrations/whatsapp/create-whatsapp-channel.png)

## Manage Multiple WhatsApp Communication Channels

In Zoho Books, you can configure multiple WhatsApp communication channels to manage your business conversations effectively. You can assign different WhatsApp Business phone numbers for customer and vendor communications, as well as for different message categories under each communication channel. This helps you easily organize and track conversations in your WhatsApp Business account.

To configure multiple WhatsApp channels:

*   Go to **Settings**.
*   Select **WhatsApp** under _Integrations & Marketplace_.
*   In the next page, under _Default WhatsApp Business Number_, click **Configure Channels**.
*   In the _Configure the Default WhatsApp Number_ pop-up, under _Customer Communication_, fill in the following fields:
    *   **Apply the Same Number Across Categories:** Choose **Yes** to use the same phone number to send utility and marketing notifications to your customers. Choose **No** to use different phone numbers to send the notifications.
    *   Select the required phone numbers for the **Utility** and **Marketing** categories.
    *   Click **Save**.

**Pro Tip:**

If you send both utility and marketing notifications from the same phone number, customers might mark it as spam if they receive too many marketing notifications. This can block your utility notifications too. To avoid this, use separate numbers to send utility and marketing notifications. This way, your customers will keep receiving utility notifications hassle-free.

*   Under _Vendor Communication_, select the phone number you want to use to send utility notifications to your vendors.
*   Click **Save**.
*   Only the numbers verified by WhatsApp Business will be listed in the pop-up. However, if there are additional WhatsApp Business phone numbers that you want to use in Zoho Books, you must verify them. Here’s how:
    *   Click **Verify Phone Numbers**.
    *   In the following pop-up, select the number you want to verify.
    *   Click **Send OTP**. You can also choose to get the OTP via call.
    *   Enter the OTP you received and click **Verify**.
    *   Once the number is verified, click **Back** and select the verified phone number.
    *   Click **Save**.

The WhatsApp communication channel will be set up and the WhatsApp notifications that you send to your customers and vendors will be sent from these phone numbers.

You can either buy credits in the next step or also do it once you have created templates for WhatsApp notifications.

* * *

## Configure Templates

To send notifications through WhatsApp, create a template in Zoho Books and get it approved by the WhatsApp Business team.

### Create Templates

To create a template:

*   Go to **Settings**.
*   Select **WhatsApp** under _Integrations & Marketplace_.
*   In the _Message Templates_ section, select the respective module (for example, **Customers**) for which you want to create a template.
*   In the next page, click **\+ New Template** in the top right corner.
*   In the _Create WhatsApp Template_ page, fill in the following details:
    *   Enter the **Template Name**, and select the required **Template Category**. The _Template Category_ could either be **Utility** or **Marketing**. Learn more about [Template Categorization](https://developers.facebook.com/docs/whatsapp/updates-to-pricing/new-template-guidelines/#template-categorization).
    *   Enter the content to be included in the _Header_ section, or select **Attachment Message** as the _Message Type_, and select the required **Attachment Type**. The available attachment types are **Dynamic** and **Static**.
        *   If you’ve selected the **Dynamic** attachment type, the transaction related document will be automatically sent to the contact persons.
        *   If you’ve selected the **Static** attachment type, upload the required Attachment you wish to include in the message template. Note that you can create static message templates only for the **Customers** module.
    *   Click the dropdown next to _Language_ to select the preferred language in which you can send messages to your contact persons.
    *   Edit the content under the _Message Content_ field if required. You can insert placeholders by clicking the dropdown next to **Insert Placeholders**.
    *   Enter the content to be included in the _Footer_ section.
    *   In the _Call-to-Action Buttons_ section, enter the **Button Text**, select the required **Type** (phone number or URL), and enter the **Value** of the CTA. Click **\+ New Button** to include additional CTAs in your template. You can create upto two CTAs for a message template.
    *   Click **Save**.

The template will be created and sent for approval to Meta. Once Meta approves your template, you can use it to send notifications to your contact persons.

**Note:** Here are some points to keep in mind while you create a WhatsApp message template:

*   You can include a header if required for the **Text Only Message** type, or include attachments for the **Attachment Message** type.
*   You can either use static or dynamic attachments in your message template.
*   You can only use one placeholder in the Header field.
*   You cannot use any placeholders in the Footer field.
*   The footer should have only one line of text and should not contain any emojis.
*   When you add CTAs to the message template, you can include one URL, one phone number, or both.

### Template Approval

Once you create a template, it will be sent for approval. It can take up to 24 hours for the WhatsApp team to approve it. The status of the approval will be displayed on the list page.

![Template Approval](/books/help/images/integrations/whatsapp/template-approval.png)

A template can have the following statuses: 

Status

Description

Approved

The WhatsApp Business team approved the template and it can be sent to customers.

Rejected

The WhatsApp Business team rejected the template. Edit and resumbit the template for approval. [Learn why templates get rejected](https://developers.facebook.com/docs/whatsapp/message-templates/guidelines/#common-rejection-reasons).

Pending Approval

The template has been sent to the WhatsApp Business team and is awaiting approval. It could take upto 24 hours for the status to be updated.

Deletion in Progress

The WhatsApp Business team is evaluating your request to delete a template.

Deletion Failed

The template was not deleted due to network issues. Initiate the delete process once again.

Deleted

The WhatsApp Business team has deleted the template. This action cannot be undone.

### Other Actions

#### Clone Template

If you want to create a template similar to an existing template, you can clone it. Here’s how:

*   Go to _Settings_, navigate to _Integrations & Marketplace,_ and click **WhatsApp**.
    
*   Select the module under _Message Templates_.
    
*   Click the **More** icon next to the template you want to clone and select **Clone**.
    
    ![Clone Template](/books/help/images/integrations/whatsapp/clone-invoice-template.png)
*   Edit the necessary details in the following _Clone WhatsApp Template_ pop-up, and click **Save**.
    
    ![Clone Template](/books/help/images/integrations/whatsapp/clone-invoice-template2.png)

The new cloned template will be sent for approval to the WhatsApp Business team and can be used once approved.

#### Set Template as Default

If you want a template as your default choice, you can set that template as default. To do so:

*   Go to _Settings_, navigate to _Integrations & Marketplace,_ and click **WhatsApp**.
    
*   Select the module under _Message Templates_.
    
*   Click the **More** icon next to the preferred template and select **Set As Default**.
    
    ![Set Default Template](/books/help/images/integrations/whatsapp/set-as-default.png)

The default template will be auto-populated in the _Template Name_ field when you try to send WhatsApp notifications.

#### Delete Template

You can delete a WhatsApp template if you do not require it.

**Warning:** Deleting a template is permanent and cannot be undone. However, you can create a new template again and send it to the WhatsApp Business team for approval.

To delete a template:

*   Go to _Settings_, navigate to _Integrations & Marketplace,_ and click **WhatsApp**.
*   Select the module under _Message Templates_.
*   Click the **More** icon next to the template that you want to delete.
*   Click **Delete** from the dropdown to proceed.

A request will be sent to the WhatsApp Business team to delete the template, which will subsequently be deleted.

![Delete Template](/books/help/images/integrations/whatsapp/delete-template.png)

* * *

## Enable WhatsApp

### Enable WhatsApp for Sales Transactions

Once you set up templates, enable the modules for which you’d like to send WhatsApp notifications. To do this: 

*   Go to _Settings_, navigate to _Integrations & Marketplace,_ and click **WhatsApp**.
    
*   Slide the toggle button next to the respective modules.
    
    ![Enable Template](/books/help/images/integrations/whatsapp/enable-whatsapp-template.png)

You’ll be able to send notifications through WhatsApp for the modules that you’ve enabled.

### Enable WhatsApp for Customers and Contact Persons

To send notifications to your customers through WhatsApp, you’ll have to enable WhatsApp for them. Here’s how:

*   Go to _Sales_ on the left sidebar and select **Customers**.
    
*   Select the customer for whom you want to enable WhatsApp messaging.
    
    **To enable it for the primary contact:**
    
    Click **Edit** in the _Overview_ section.
    
    ![Enable Primary Contact ](/books/help/images/integrations/whatsapp/enable-primary-contact.png)
    
    (or)  
    **To enable it for the contact person:**
    
    Scroll down and click the **Gear icon** next to the contact person and select **Edit**.
    
    ![Enable Contact Person ](/books/help/images/integrations/whatsapp/enable-contact-person.png)
*   Ensure that the customer’s phone number is right and begins with a proper country code.
    
*   Mark the option **WhatsApp** under _Communication Channels_.
    
    ![Enable WhatsApp Communication Channel](/books/help/images/integrations/whatsapp/enable-whatsapp-communication-channel.png)
*   Click **Save**, and WhatsApp will be enabled for the primary contact or contact person.
    

### Enable WhatsApp for Customers in Bulk

You can enable WhatsApp messaging for contacts in bulk in two ways. You can do it for: 

*   All primary contacts and contact persons
*   Specific primary contacts and contact persons

**To enable it for all the primary contacts and contact persons:**

*   Go to _Settings_, navigate to _Integrations & Marketplace,_ and click **WhatsApp**.
    
*   Click **Update Communication Preference** on the right, next to the gear icon.
    
    ![Update Communication Preference](/books/help/images/integrations/whatsapp/update-communication-pref1.png)
*   In the pop-up that follows, click:
    
    *   **Only Primary Contacts** if you want to send WhatsApp notifications only to the primary contacts.
    *   **All Contacts and Contact Persons** if you want to send WhatsApp notifications to all contact persons, including the primary contact.
    
    ![Update Communication Preference](/books/help/images/integrations/whatsapp/update-communication-pref2.png)
*   Click **Save**.
    

**To enable it for specific primary contacts and contact persons:**

*   Navigate to **Customers** under _Sales_.
    
*   Select the customers you want to send notifications via WhatsApp and click **Configure Communication Preferences** at the top.
    
    ![Configure Communication Preferences](/books/help/images/integrations/whatsapp/configure-communication-preferences.png)
*   Configure the default recipients for the WhatsApp channel type in the pop-up that follows.
    
    ![Configure Communication Preferences Popup](/books/help/images/integrations/whatsapp/configure-communication-preferences-pop-up.png)
*   Click **Save**.
    

The WhatsApp notification will now be sent to the selected contacts.

* * *

## Enable WhatsApp for Vendors

To send vendor statements through WhatsApp, you’ll have to enable WhatsApp for your vendors. Here’s how:

**Prerequisite:**

Ensure that you’ve provided your vendor’s phone number with a ‘+’ followed by the country code to enable WhatsApp for them.

*   Go to _Purchases_ on the left sidebar and select **Vendors**.
    
*   Select the vendor to enable WhatsApp, and in the _Details_ page, click **Edit** in the top right corner.
    
    *   To create a new vendor and enable WhatsApp for them, click **\+ New** in the top right corner of the _List_ page and enter the required details.
*   In the next page, check **WhatsApp** next to _Communication Channels_.
    
    ![Enable WhatsApp for Vendors](/books/help/images/integrations/whatsapp/enable-vendor.png)
*   Click **Save**.
    

WhatsApp will be enabled for the respective vendor.

You can also enable WhatsApp for vendors in bulk. To do this:

*   Go to _Purchases_ on the left sidebar and select **Vendors**.
    
*   Select the vendors for whom you want to enable WhatsApp.
    
*   Click the _More_ icon at the top of the _List_ page and select **Configure Communication Preferences** from the dropdown.
    
    ![Enable WhatsApp for Vendors in Bulk](/books/help/images/integrations/whatsapp/enable-vendor-bulk.png)
*   In the _Configure Communication Preferences_ pop-up, choose if you want to enable WhatsApp only for the vendors as well as their contact persons.
    
*   Click **Save**.
    
    ![Configure Communication Preferences Pop-up](/books/help/images/integrations/whatsapp/enable-bulk-popup.png)

WhatsApp will be enabled for the selected vendors, based on chosen preferences.

## Enable WhatsApp for Vendor’s Contact Persons

Once you’ve enabled WhatsApp for your vendors, you can also enable WhatsApp for their contact persons.

**Prerequisite:**

Ensure that you’ve provided phone numbers for the contact persons with a ‘+’ followed by the country code to enable WhatsApp for them.

To enable WhatsApp for a vendor’s contact person:

*   Go to _Purchases_ on the left sidebar and select **Vendors**.
    
*   Select the vendor for whose contact persons you want to enable WhatsApp.
    
*   In the vendor’s _Details_ page, under _Contact Persons_, click the _Gear_ icon next to the required contact person, and select **Edit** from the dropdown.
    
    *   To add a new contact person and enable WhatsApp for them, click the **Add** icon next to _Contact Persons_.
    
    ![Enable WhatsApp for Vendor's Contact Persons](/books/help/images/integrations/whatsapp/enable-vendor-cp.png)
*   In the following pop-up, check **WhatsApp** next to _Communication Channels_.
    
*   Click **Save**.
    
    ![Enable Pop-up](/books/help/images/integrations/whatsapp/enable-cp-popup.png)

WhatsApp will be enabled for the vendor’s contact persons.

## Manage WhatsApp Credits

### WhatsApp Instant Messaging (IM) Credits

Once you enable WhatsApp in your Zoho Books organization and create templates, you’ll have to purchase IM (Instant Messaging) credits to send notifications through your WhatsApp Business account. [Learn more about how credits work.](/books/help/integrations/how-credits-work.html)

### Buy IM Credits

To buy WhatsApp IM credits in Zoho Books:

*   Go to **Settings**.
*   Select **WhatsApp** under _Integrations and Marketplace_.
*   Click **Buy IM Credits** at the top of the WhatsApp configuration page.
*   In the _Buy IM (Instant Messaging) Credits_ pop-up, enter the number of IM credits you want to purchase. The price for one IM credit will be displayed next to the field.
*   Click **Calculate Payment**. The total amount (including tax) will be displayed.
*   Click **Make Payment**.

You’ll be redirected to the payment gateway, where you can make payment for the IM credits you want to purchase. Once done, the credits will be added to your organization. You can also buy credits from the [Zoho Store](https://store.zoho.com/html/store/home.html).

**Note:** The amount used to purchase IM credits for WhatsApp may vary, depending on the currency you use for the purchase.

### IM Credits Usage Report

In Zoho Books, you can view and keep track of your IM (Instant Messaging) credits usage directly from the **Reports** module. This helps you monitor and manage your IM credits efficiently.

To view the IM Credits Usage report:

*   Go to **Reports** on the left sidebar.
*   Select **IM Credits Usage** under _Activity_.

You can view the details of the IM credits you had used for your WhatsApp Business account.

### WhatsApp Notifications Report

In Zoho Books, you can view and monitor the WhatsApp notifications you send to your customers and vendors, along with their statuses.

To view the WhatsApp Notifications report:

*   Go to **Reports** on the left sidebar.
*   Select **WhatsApp Notifications** under _Activity_.

You can view the list of WhatsApp notifications sent to your customers and vendors. To filter this report based on customer and vendor communications:

*   Go to **Reports** on the left sidebar.
    
*   Select **WhatsApp Notifications** under _Activity_.
    
*   In the _WhatsApp Notification_s page, click the _Contact Type_ dropdown at the top of the page, and select if you want to filter the report with **Customers**, **Vendors**, or both.
    
    ![Contact Type](/books/help/images/integrations/whatsapp/contact-type.png)
*   Click **Run Report**.
    

The report will be displayed, based on chosen preferences.

To customize this report:

*   In the _WhatsApp Notifications_ page, select the **Date Range** for which you want to generate the customized report.
*   Click **\+ More Filters** at the top of the page.
*   In the dropdown that appears, apply the required filters.
*   Click **Run Report**.

The custom report will be generated, based on chosen preferences. Subsequently, you can view the original report again. You can also schedule, export, or share the custom report.

* * *

## Send Notifications through WhatsApp

### Send Invoice Notifications

*   Go to _Sales_ and select **Invoices.** 
    
*   Click **\+ New** at the top-right corner and enter the necessary details.
    
*   Select the contact persons to whom you want to share the invoice details from the _Share invoice with_ dropdown and click **Save and Send**.
    
    ![Share Invoice with drop-down](/books/help/images/integrations/whatsapp/share-invoice-with.png)
*   In the screen that follows, verify the _Message Template_ and _Contacts_, and click **Send**.
    
    ![Send WhatsApp Message Invoice Template](/books/help/images/integrations/whatsapp/send-whatsapp-invoice.png)

The invoice notification will be sent to the respective contacts.  

To send a WhatsApp notification for existing invoices:

*   Go to _Sales_ and navigate to **Invoices**.   
    
*   Select the invoice for which you want to share the invoice details.
    
*   Select **WhatsApp Message** from the _Send_ dropdown.
    
    ![Send Customer Notifications](/books/help/images/integrations/whatsapp/send-existing-invoice.png)
*   The contact person and the message template will be auto-populated in the following _Send WhatsApp Message_ pop-up.
    
*   Click **Send.**
    

The invoice details will be sent to the respective contact person via WhatsApp. Similarly, you can send notifications for Sales Orders, Estimates, Retainer Invoices, and Sales Receipts.

### Send Reminders on WhatsApp

To send reminders on WhatsApp, you should create a template for Payment Reminders. To do this:

*   Go to **Settings**, navigate to _Integrations & Marketplace,_ and click **WhatsApp**.
    
*   [Create a template](https://www.zoho.com/sa/books/help/integrations/whatsapp-integration.html#Create-Templates) for this module.
    
*   Once the template is approved from Meta’s end, slide the toggle button next to _WhatsApp Templates for Payment Reminders_ to enable it.
    
    ![Payment Reminders](/books/help/images/integrations/whatsapp/payment_reminders.png)

Now you will be able to use this template and send payment reminders on WhatsApp.

To send payment reminders on WhatsApp:

*   Go to _Invoices_ on the left sidebar.
    
*   Select the invoice for which you want to send the Payment Reminder notification.
    
*   Click **Reminders** and select **Send WhatsApp Message** from the dropdown.
    
    ![Reminders - Send Dropdown](/books/help/images/integrations/whatsapp/reminders_send_dropdown.png)
*   Select the _Message Template_ in the pop-up that follows and click **Send**.
    
    ![Send Payment Reminders](/books/help/images/integrations/whatsapp/send_payment_reminders.png)

The payment reminder notification will be sent to the customer via WhatsApp.

To send payment reminders in bulk:

*   Select the overdue invoices.
    
*   Click **Reminders** and select **Send WhatsApp Message**.
    
    ![Bulk Payment Reminders](/books/help/images/integrations/whatsapp/bulk-payment-reminders.png)
*   Select the _Message Template_ in the pop-up that follows and click **Send.**
    

The payment reminder notifications for the selected overdue invoices will be initiated, and you will be notified once they are sent to the customers.

You can also send automated payment reminder notifications through WhatsApp. Here’s how:

*   Go to **Settings**, navigate to _Reminders & Notifications,_ and select **Reminders**.
    
*   In the _Automated Reminders_ section, slide the toggle under _the Reminders Based on Due Date_ section for the reminders that you want to send to your customers.
    
    ![Automated Reminders Due Date](/books/help/images/integrations/whatsapp/reminders_due_date.png)
*   In the next pop-up, switch to the _WhatsApp_ tab.
    
    ![Automated Reminders](/books/help/images/integrations/whatsapp/whatsapp_automated_reminders.png)
*   Slide the _Enable WhatsApp notification for this reminder_ toggle.
    
*   Select the **Message Template** for the notification.
    
    ![Automated Reminders](/books/help/images/integrations/whatsapp/whatsapp_automated_reminders_2.png)
*   Click **Save**.
    

The automated reminders will be sent to the selected customers through WhatsApp.

**Note:** The Automatic Reminders will be sent to the customers only if WhatsApp Communication Channel is enabled at the customer and transaction level.

### Send Payment Receipts

*    Go to _Sales_ and select **Payments Received**.
    
*    Click **New** at the top-right corner and enter all the necessary details.
    
    ![Record Payment](/books/help/images/integrations/whatsapp/record-payment.png)
*   Select the contact person to whom you want to share the payment receipt details from the _Share payment receipt with_ dropdown.
    
    ![Record Payment](/books/help/images/integrations/whatsapp/record-payment2.png)
*   Click **Save**, and the WhatsApp notification with the payment receipt details of the payment amount and the invoice number will be sent to the respective contact person.
    

To share existing payment receipts via WhatsApp:

*   Go to _Sales_ and navigate to **Payments Received**.
    
*   Select the payment for which you want to share the payment receipt.
    
*   Click the dropdown next to **Send** and select **WhatsApp Message.** 
    
    ![Send Existing Payment Receipt](/books/help/images/integrations/whatsapp/send-existing-payment-receipt.png)
*   The contact person and the message template will be auto-populated.
    
    ![Send WhatsApp Message - Payment Receipt](/books/help/images/integrations/whatsapp/send-payment-receipt.png)
*   Click **Send**, and the WhatsApp notification with the payment receipt details will be sent to the respective contact person. 
    

### Send Customer Notifications

You can send marketing notifications to your customers regarding promotions, offers or any other informational updates along with the customer statement using this feature.

*   Go to _Sales_ and navigate to **Customers**.
    
*   Select the customer to whom you want to send the WhatsApp notification.
    
*   Click **Send** dropdown in the _Receivables_ section, and select **WhatsApp Message**.
    
    ![Send Customer Notifications](/books/help/images/integrations/whatsapp/send-whatsapp-customer-notifications.png)
*   The contact person and the message template will be auto-populated in the following _Send WhatsApp Message_ pop-up.
    
*   Click **Send**, and the WhatsApp notification will be sent to the respective contact person.
    

To send only the customer statement:

*   Select a customer and switch to the _Statement_ tab.
    
*   Click **Share via** and select **WhatsApp** from the dropdown.
    
    ![Send Customer Notifications](/books/help/images/integrations/whatsapp/send-whatsapp-customer-notifications2.png)
*   The contact person and the message template will be auto-populated in the following _Send WhatsApp Message_ pop-up. You can also add other contact persons or replace the templates if required.
    
*   Click **Send**.
    

The customer statement will be sent to the respective contact person.

### Sending Bulk WhatsApp Notifications

Zoho Books allows you to send WhatsApp notifications to multiple customers at a time.

**Note:** The bulk WhatsApp notifications will only be sent to the contacts selected in the particular transaction level.

To send bulk WhatsApp notifications:

*   Go to _Invoices_ on the left sidebar.
    
*   In the list page, select the invoices you want to send through WhatsApp.
    
*   Click **Send** and select **WhatsApp Message** from the dropdown.
    
    ![Send Bulk Notifications](/books/help/images/integrations/whatsapp/send_bulk_notifications.png)
*   In the next page, choose a _Message Template_ for the notification.
    
*   Click **Send**.
    
    ![Send Bulk Notification](/books/help/images/integrations/whatsapp/send_wa_notification.png)

The bulk WhatsApp messages for the selected invoices will be initiated, and you will be notified once they are sent to the customers. Similarly, you can send bulk notifications for Sales Orders, Estimates, Retainer Invoices, and Sales Receipts.

WhatsApp bulk notifications will not be sent if:

*   The transactions are in the draft status.
*   The WhatsApp communication channel is not enabled at the customer level and the transaction level.

### Send Vendor Notifications

**Prerequisite:**

Before you send WhatsApp notifications to your vendors, ensure that you’ve [created templates](/en-fr/books/help/integrations/whatsapp/integrate-with-whatsapp.html#Create-Templates) for them.

Once you’ve created WhatsApp templates for vendors and they are approved by Meta, you can send WhatsApp notifications to your vendors and their contact persons. Here’s how:

*   Go to _Purchases_ on the left sidebar and select **Vendors**.
    
*   Select the vendor to send WhatsApp notifications.
    
*   In the vendor’s _Details_ page, under _Payables_, click the _Send_ dropdown and select **WhatsApp Message**.
    
*   In the _Send WhatsApp Message_ pop-up, fill in the required details and click **Send**.
    
    ![Send Vendor Notification](/books/help/images/integrations/whatsapp/vendor-notification.png)

The WhatsApp notification will be sent to the respective contact persons.

To send vendor statements via WhatsApp notifications:

*   Select a vendor, and in the vendor’s _Details_ page, navigate to the **Statement** tab.
    
*   Click _Share via_ in the top right corner and select **WhatsApp** in the dropdown.
    
    ![Send Vendor Statement](/books/help/images/integrations/whatsapp/vendor-statement.png)
*   In the _Send WhatsApp Message_ pop-up, fill in the required details and click **Send**.
    

The vendor statement will be sent to the respective contact person.

### Send Vendor Notifications in Bulk

You can send WhatsApp notifications to your vendors and their contact persons in bulk. Here’s how:

*   Go to _Purchases_ on the left sidebar and select **Vendors**.
    
*   Select the vendors to send WhatsApp notifications, and click the **WhatsApp** icon at the top of the _List_ page.
    
    ![Send Vendor Notifications in Bulk](/books/help/images/integrations/whatsapp/vendor-notification-bulk.png)
*   In the _Send WhatsApp Message_ pop-up, choose the required **Message Template** and click **Send**.
    
    ![Vendor Notification Bulk Pop-up](/books/help/images/integrations/whatsapp/vendor-bulk-popup.png)

WhatsApp notifications will be sent in bulk for the selected vendors and their contact persons.

## View Sent WhatsApp Notifications

You can view the sent WhatsApp notifications at three different levels. Here’s how:

### At Transaction Level

*   Click the respective transaction in the Invoices or any other module.
    
*   In the details page, click **Comments & History** at the top-right corner.
    
    ![View Transaction Level](/books/help/images/integrations/whatsapp/view-transaction-level1.png)
*   Click **Show Details** given below the particular notification for which you want to view the customer’s name, phone number, and the status of the WhatsApp message.
    
    ![View Transaction Level](/books/help/images/integrations/whatsapp/view-transaction-level2.png)
*   Click the customer name in the details table, and you will be redirected to the details page with their WhatsApp chat screen displayed.
    
    ![View Transaction Level](/books/help/images/integrations/whatsapp/view-transaction-level3.png)

The particular notification message will be highlighted, and you can continue chatting with the customer if required.

### At Customer and Vendor Levels

*   Click the customer or vendor whose WhatsApp notification messages you want to view.
    
*   Navigate to the _Mails & Messages_ tab.
    
*   Click the dropdown next to _System Mails_ and select **WhatsApp Messages.**
    
    ![View Customer Level](/books/help/images/integrations/whatsapp/view-customer-level1.png)

You can view all the WhatsApp notifications and their statuses sent to this customer.

![View Customer Level](/books/help/images/integrations/whatsapp/view-customer-level2.png)

### At Organization Level

*   Navigate to **Reports** on the left sidebar.
    
*   Scroll down to _Activity_ and click **WhatsApp Notifications**.
    
    ![View organization Level](/books/help/images/integrations/whatsapp/view-org-level1.png)

You can also click **View Report** on the WhatsApp configuration page and view all the WhatsApp notifications sent from your organization.

![View organization Level](/books/help/images/integrations/whatsapp/view-org-level2.png)

## Get Notified for Incoming WhatsApp Messages

You can get notified in Zoho Books when your customer sends a message on WhatsApp. Here’s how you can enable notifications:

*   Go to **Notifications** (Bell icon) at the top-right of Zoho Books.
    
*   Click the **Gear** icon in the _Notifications_ section.
    
    ![Incoming Notifications](/books/help/images/integrations/whatsapp/incoming-notifications1.png)
*   Slide the toggle to enable WhatsApp notifications.
    
    ![Enable Incoming Notifications](/books/help/images/integrations/whatsapp/incoming-notifications2.png)

You will now receive notifications in Zoho Books for the incoming WhatsApp messages.

You can view them in the **Notifications** section at the top of Zoho Books.

![Incoming Notifications](/books/help/images/integrations/whatsapp/incoming-notifications3.png)

## Manage User Permissions

If you want the other users in your organization to manage customer and vendor communications, you’ll have to configure necessary permissions for them. Here’s how:

*   Go to **Settings**.
    
*   Select **Roles** under _Users & Roles_.
    
*   Click **New Role** in the top right corner to create a new role, or click **Edit** to update the existing one to provide permissions.
    
*   Under _Contacts_, click _More Permissions_ next to _Customers_ and _Vendors_, and select **Communication** from the dropdown.
    
    ![Customer Permissions](/books/help/images/integrations/whatsapp/customer-permission.png) ![Vendor Permissions](/books/help/images/integrations/whatsapp/vendor-permission.png)
*   Click **Save**.
    

Once this role is assigned to a user, they will be able to access the WhatsApp chats based on the permissions provided.

**Note:**

With these permissions, the users can chat with customers and vendors using the WhatsApp Business common chat window.

* * *

## Chat With Customers and Vendors

To chat with a customer or a vendor via WhatsApp in Zoho Books:

*   Go to _Sales_ and navigate to **Customers**. Or, go to _Purchases_ on the left sidebar and select **Vendors**.
    
*   Click the customer or vendor you want to chat with.
    
*   Click **WhatsApp** at the top right in the _Overview_ section.
    
    ![WhatsApp Chat Icon](/books/help/images/integrations/whatsapp/whatsapp-chat-icon.png)
*   Click ‘**+**’ to start a new chat.
    
    ![New Chat](/books/help/images/integrations/whatsapp/new-chat1.png)
*   All the contacts for whom you’ve enabled WhatsApp Notifications will be listed.
    
    ![New Chat](/books/help/images/integrations/whatsapp/new-chat2.png)
*   Select the contact with whom you want to chat.
    
*   Initiate the chat by sending a notification template.
    
    ![Chat Template](/books/help/images/integrations/whatsapp/chat-template.png)
*   Send replies and attachments to follow up as soon as your customer or vendor responds.
    

**Note:**

You can only send predefined notification templates until your customer or vendor responds.

**Insight:**

You can add an attachment by clicking the **+** icon. Note that you can only send one attachment at a time, and the supported file formats are JPG, JPEG, PNG (up to 5MB), and PDF (up to 10MB).

*   Once the conversation with a customer or a vendor is over, click the **More** icon at the top-right corner of the chat screen and select **End Session.**
*   Click **End Session** in the confirmation pop-up that follows.

The session will end. You can click **Chat** to continue if your session has not expired.

![Continue Chat](/books/help/images/integrations/whatsapp/continue-chat.png)

**Note:**

The chat session will expire if there’s no activity for 24 hours\*\* from the last message. Once it has expired, you must reinitiate the conversation by clicking **Initiate Chat** and sending a notification template as usual.

### Take Over Customer and Vendor Chats

The users with the **Customer Communication** and **Vendor Communication** permissions can initiate chat with your customers or vendors. However, only one user can chat with your customer or vendor at a time.

**Insight:**

To enable communication preferences for other users in your organization, go to **Settings**, select **Roles** under _Users & Roles_, and edit the required role.

You can enter the chat if another user is chatting with the customer or vendor, and if they face any queries of your expertise, click **Take Over** at the bottom of the chat screen.

![Take Over](/books/help/images/integrations/whatsapp/take-over.png)

You can now continue to chat with the respective customer or vendor. Other users cannot chat with them until they take over the chat.

**Note:**

The customer or vendor won’t be notified when a user takes over their chat.

* * *

## Common Chat Window

You can chat with a customer or vendor from Zoho Books at the organization level using the common chat window.

Click the **WhatsApp** icon in the top right corner of any page in Zoho Books to open the common chat window. From the _All Chats_ dropdown, select and view **Customer Communication** or **Vendor Communication**.

You can also filter chats by selecting the **Utility** or **Marketing** category to view the notifications sent to your customers under each category. For vendors, the **Utility** notifications are displayed by default.

To add an unknown number in the chat window as a customer or contact person:

*   Open the chat of the unknown number that you want to add to you organization and click **Add**.
    
    ![Add Contact](/books/help/images/integrations/whatsapp/add-contact.png)
*   In the pop-up that appears, select if you want to add the unknown number as a contact person to an existing customer, or create a new customer.
    
    ![Select Customer](/books/help/images/integrations/whatsapp/select-customer.png)
*   Fill in the required details and click **Save**.
    

The unknown number will now be a contact person or customer in your organization.

**Note:** You can only send custom messages to unknown numbers.

* * *

## Other Actions

### Create Workflow Actions

Users can create workflow actions in Zoho Books to automate various tasks. When integrated with WhatsApp, users can create WhatsApp Alerts to notify the customers and vendors.

**Scenario:** Patricia wants to notify her customers via WhatsApp when changes are made to the invoice’s total. To simplify the process, she creates a workflow action to send a WhatsApp alert when the invoice total is modified.

You can create  a workflow action for WhatsApp and associate it with a workflow rule or vice-versa. To do this,

*   Go to _Settings_, navigate to _Automation_, and click **Workflow Actions**.
    
*   Navigate to _WhatsApp Alert_ under _Workflow Actions_ and click **\+ New WhatsApp Alert.** 
    
    ![WhatsApp Alert](/books/help/images/integrations/whatsapp/whatsapp-alert1.png)
*   Enter the necessary details to create a WhatsApp alert and click **Save**.
    
    ![WhatsApp Alert](/books/help/images/integrations/whatsapp/whatsapp-alert2.png)

Once you create an alert, you can [add it to a workflow rule](https://www.zoho.com/books/help/settings/automation.html#new-workflow-rule).

### Mark WhatsApp Inactive

If you want to disable the WhatsApp integration temporarily, you can mark it as inactive. Here’s how:

*   Go to _Settings_, navigate to _Integrations & Marketplace_ and click **WhatsApp**.
    
*   Click **Configure** and select **Mark as Inactive** from the dropdown.
    
    ![Mark as Inactive](/books/help/images/integrations/whatsapp/mark-as-inactive.png)

WhatsApp will be disabled for your organization. You can enable this anytime by clicking **Mark as Active** from the **Configure** dropdown.

### Change Default WhatsApp Number

To change the default WhatsApp number, you must first delete the existing WhatsApp channel. To do this,

*   Go to _Settings_, navigate to _Integrations & Marketplace,_ and click **WhatsApp**.
    
*   Click the **Delete** icon in the _Default WhatsApp Business Number_ section.
    
    ![Delete WhatsApp Number](/books/help/images/integrations/whatsapp/delete-whatsapp-number.png)
*   Click **Delete** in the following confirmation pop-up. The WhatsApp number associated with Zoho Books will be deleted.
    

Once the existing channel is deleted, you can set up a WhatsApp channel with the new phone number.  
To do this,

*   Click **Set Default Number** in the _Default WhatsApp Business Number_ section.
    
*   Select the number you want to set as the default WhatsApp number from the pop-up that follows and click **Continue**.
    
    ![Configure Default WhatsApp Number](/books/help/images/integrations/whatsapp/configure-def-whatsapp-number1.png)
*   If you haven’t verified the WhatsApp Business number, it will not be listed in the pop-up. In that case, click **Verify Numbers.**
    
*   Select the desired number and click **Send OTP** to verify the number. You can also choose to get the OTP via call.
    
    ![Configure Default WhatsApp Number](/books/help/images/integrations/whatsapp/configure-def-whatsapp-number2.png)
*   Enter the OTP and click **Verify**.
    
    ![Configure Default WhatsApp Number](/books/help/images/integrations/whatsapp/configure-def-whatsapp-number3.png)
*   Once verified, click **Back** and select the number from the **Default WhatsApp Number** dropdown.
    

Your default WhatsApp number will be updated.

### Change WhatsApp Business Account

You can also change the WhatsApp Business account if you already have an existing account. Here’s how:

*   Go to _Settings_, navigate to _Integrations & Marketplace_ and click **WhatsApp**.
    
*   Click **Configure** and select **Change Account** from the dropdown.
    
    ![Change Account](/books/help/images/integrations/whatsapp/change-account.png)

**Note:** Once you change your WhatsApp Business account, you will not be able to use your existing WhatsApp channel and templates. Therefore, you will be required to delete the templates before proceeding.

**Warning:** Ensure that you delete the templates from Zoho Books and not from Meta to avoid syncing issues.

*   In the following pop-up, you should delete the existing templates before changing the default account. You can click:
    *   **Schedule Automatic Deletion** to initiate the automatic deletion process. The time duration for deletion depends on the process at Meta’s end.
        
    *   **I’ll Delete Manually** to remove certain templates. Go to each template, click the **More** icon next to it and select **Delete**.
        
        ![Delete Existing Templates](/books/help/images/integrations/whatsapp/delete-existing-template.png)

Once the deletion process is completed, the status of your WhatsApp Business account will be changed to _SETUP PENDING._ You can also check whether the number of templates for each module has been changed to 0 to confirm that the deletion process has been completed.

*   Click **Configure**, and select **Change Account** from the dropdown. The _Change WhatsApp Business Account_ pop-up will appear.
    
    *   Click **Use the existing WhatsApp Business account registered with Zoho** and select the account from the dropdown to continue using the existing account. (or)
    *   Click **Create a new WhatsApp Business account with Zoho** to create a new WhatsApp Business account.
    
    ![Change WhatsApp Business Account](/books/help/images/integrations/whatsapp/change-whatsapp-business-acc.png)
*   Click **Continue**.
    

The WhatsApp Business Account will be changed.

* * *