Messaging channels

The Kustomer Twilio integration allows you to set up SMS support for your support teams. Once SMS is set up, you can create a support number inside of Kustomer or bring your number, support short codes from Twilio, and send and receive text and picture messages directly from the Kustomer web app.When a customer sends an SMS message, Kustomer can create new customers and conversations from those messages. If an existing customer contacts you through SMS, Kustomer will create a conversation on the customer’s timeline.Who can access this feature?User typesAdmins can set up the SMS integration.In this articlePrerequisites for integrating Twilio - SMSInstall Twilio - SMSConnect your Twilio accountDisconnect a Twilio accountPrerequisites for integrating Twilio - SMSBefore starting this integration, you must have a Twilio account and access to your Twilio Account SID and Auth Token. You can find this information by logging into your Twilio console and viewing your Dashboard.Only one Twilio account can be added to a Kustomer organization at a time. Before setting up this integration, you should consolidate your Twilio phone numbers into a single Twilio account.Install Twilio - SMSTo begin offering support via SMS, install the Twilio - SMS app from within the Kustomer App Directory.To install Twilio - SMS:Go to Appsand select Explore Directory.Search for Twilio - SMS in the App Directory, and then select Install.Connect your Twilio accountOnce you install Twilio - SMS, you need to add your Twilio SID number, authentication token, and phone number to start sending and receiving messages.To connect your account:Go to Appsand select Twilio - SMS in the sidebar.Enter your Twilio SID number and your Authentication token in the appropriate boxes.Select Connect. You can now enter your Twilio phone number for SMS.Select Add new phone number.Note: For assistance with using Short Codes, or connecting your Twilio Copilot number, please contact support@kustomer.com and provide your Copilot SID (also referred to as a Messaging Service SID).Enter the phone number and select Add. The number will be added to the Text Messaging window. All connected numbers will show as a list if you previously added a phone number.You are now ready to communicate with your customers using SMS.When communicating with customers via SMS, keep in mind the following:Customer messages that are received within a 24 hour period are threaded into the same conversation. Customer messages received after 24 hours will create a new conversation. Outbound messages from agents will always remain threaded in the conversation they are sent from.Outbound Text/SMS messages have a maximum character limit of 1,600 characters. A single SMS message has a limit of 160 characters, so longer messages will be split across multiple texts. The maximum limit per reply is the equivalent of sending ten 160-character SMS messages at once.Since customers may pay for individual SMS messages, it's a good support practice to be mindful of character usage to avoid making users pay for unnecessarily long messages. If you have extensive information to share with a customer, consider following up with the customer on another channel like email.Disconnect a Twilio accountIf you need to change Twilio accounts or turn off this integration, you can remove your account from the Twilio app settings in Kustomer. This will remove your account SID and Twilio authentication token from Kustomer.To disconnect your account:Go to Appsand select Twilio - SMS in the sidebar.Select Delete.

By integrating your WhatsApp phone number with Kustomer, your customers can initiate a support request through WhatsApp, and continue to get agent replies as WhatsApp messages. Our integration uses the WhatsApp Business API, which is intended for medium to large businesses with large support teams. WhatsApp Business App, the mobile application intended for small businesses, is not compatible with Kustomer.Who can access this feature?User typesAdmins can set up this integration.In this articlePrerequisitesThe WhatsApp integrationInstall WhatsAppConnect a WhatsApp Business accountUnderstand WhatsApp conversationsHow are WhatsApp conversations billed?Conversational assistant featuresDisconnect a WhatsApp Business account from KustomerPrerequisitesPlease make sure you do the following before beginning this integration:Create a Meta Business Suite accountCreate a business manager account in the Meta Business SuiteOptionally, verify your business (recommended). If you don't verify your business, the number of messages you can send in a month is limited.Claim a WhatsApp phone number that meet the requirements as listed here. Suggested options for obtaining a new number are:Purchase a SIM cardPurchase a virtual phone numberUse a landline phone numberNotes:You must be able to receive SMS or phone calls with this phone number for verification.You will add your number to your WhatsApp Business account in the Connect a WhatsApp Business account step below.The WhatsApp integrationWhen a WhatsApp conversation is initiated by a user, Kustomer can create new customers and conversations from those messages. If an existing customer with a WhatsApp account on file messages you, Kustomer will create a conversation on that existing customer’s timeline. With Kustomer's WhatsApp integration, you can:Send a business-initiated conversation, or reply to customers who have not sent you a message in over 24-hours, using message templates.Note: Customers must opt-in to receive business-initiated conversation sent after the 24-hour period is over. Please refer to WhatsApp's documentation for more information.View if your customers saw your message with read receipts.Integrate chatbots with rich components using our conversational assistant to promote customer self-service, boost agent productivity, and speed up response times.You can also use the Create draft for customer endpoint to send:A WhatsApp messageAn interactive WhatsApp message that can include features such as buttons or listsA WhatsApp message templateTo do so, expand the desired WhatsApp section and enter the necessary information into the parameter boxes. Install WhatsAppAdministrators can install the WhatsApp app once they have a WhatsApp Business account.To integrate WhatsApp with Kustomer, install the WhatsApp app from within the Kustomer App Directory.Go to Appsand select Explore Directory.Search for WhatsApp in the App Directory, and then select Install.Connect a WhatsApp Business accountOnce you install WhatsApp, you need to add your existing WhatsApp Business account to Kustomer to send and receive messages. Note: You must have business admin access in Meta Business Suite to set up your account in Kustomer.To connect your account:Go to Appsand select WhatsApp.Select Sign in to Facebook.Follow the instructions to create your Meta and WhatsApp Business account.Then, create your WhatsApp Business profile and verify your WhatsApp Business number.Your WhatsApp Business accounts are now shown on this page. Select an account to see all of the phone numbers and message templates associated with that specific account.Understand WhatsApp conversationsOnce connected, your customers can send you user-initiated messages via WhatsApp. Your agents have 24 hours from when the customer sent the first message to reply to that message. Once the 24-hour period ends, WhatsApp closes the conversation.Note: The 24-hour period starts when the customer sends the message from WhatsApp.If this occurs and the 24-hour period is over, you can send a business-initiated message to them using a message template. You can also use these templates to start a new conversation with a customer. For more information, see WhatsApp message templates.How are WhatsApp conversations billed?WhatsApp charges per conversation initiated by a user or business in a 24-hour period, starting from when a first message is delivered. Rates for WhatsApp conversations vary by country or region. For more information, see Understand WhatsApp billing.Conversational assistant featuresConversational assistants help you optimize your organization's support experience and promote customer self-service, boost agent productivity, and speed up response times. When creating a conversational assistant with the WhatsApp integration, you can:Leverage WhatsApp's button functionality and use the following interactions to gather information from a customer and direct them to the correct resource:Navigation path (buttons)List selectorRequest feedbackObject selectorDefine what the conversational assistant does when a customer replies with text when prompted for a button, ensuring intent detection is always on for WhatsApp conversations and their inquiries aren't missed. For additional tips on using the conversational assistant, see Best practices for WhatsApp and SMS assistants.Disconnect a WhatsApp Business account from KustomerDisconnecting Kustomer's integration from your WhatsApp Business account can only be completed directly through your WhatsApp Business account settings. Since Kustomer pulls information from WhatsApp, our support team cannot perform the disconnection on your behalf. We recommend reaching out to WhatsApp Business Support for assistance in disconnecting Kustomer's access. 

Message templates are used to send business-initiated messages through WhatsApp. Templates are created in WhatsApp Manager and approved for use by WhatsApp. Once approved, templates will appear in Kustomer.Who can access this feature?User typesAgents can use message templates when sending a WhatsApp business-initiated message. Admins can view approved templates in the WhatsApp settings page.In this articlePrerequisitesView your templates in KustomerMap WhatsApp variables to KustomerSend a message templatePrerequisitesTo use message templates to send outbound WhatsApp messages, you must have the following:A WhatsApp Business accountExisting message templates that were approved by WhatsAppYou can create and manage your templates in the WhatsApp Manager page. See this WhatsApp article to learn more.View your templates in KustomerExisting templates are shown in Kustomer automatically after you connect your WhatsApp Business account. You can view or manage authorization for them by going to Apps, selecting WhatsApp, opening the desired account, and then selecting the Message Template tab.By default, you will see all of the templates that were created in the same language as your organization's default Localization setting. You can use the Language drop-down menu to view templates made in any of the languages currently activated for your organization.The following information is shown:Template name is the name of the template. The category the template is in is listed underneath.Language is the language the template was created in.Mapping Status shows whether or not you finished mapping all WhatsApp variables to text in Kustomer.Quality Status shows the quality rating and status for each template. For more information, see this article.Note: New templates created after you connect your WhatsApp Business account will only appear on this page once WhatsApp approves them.Map WhatsApp variables to KustomerYou can use static or dynamic content to substitute placeholder values in templates to personalize your messages.For example, you can map a variable to greet a returning customer by name, or update them on their billing status. If you do not map a variable, agents can choose to map it when sending the template, or send the template without it. Using the first sentence in the example above, if a value isn’t provided, instead of "Thank you for purchasing the Meta Quest Pro" the message will read "Thank you for purchasing".You can add media to your templates, such as image files in the header or a PDF as an attachment. The following media types are supported in the message header:JPGPNGMP4PDF The maximum file size allowed for all media is 5MB.You can also create a personalized link for your buttons to create a more unique experience for your customers.Send a message templateYou can use message templates to initiate conversations with customers, or to reply to customers who have not sent you a message in over 24-hours. Note: Customers must opt-in to receive business-initiated conversation sent after the 24-hour period is over. See WhatsApp Business Messaging Policy and Get Opt-in for WhatsApp for more information.Open or create a WhatsApp conversation in the customer's timeline and select Message Template.A list of all available templates opens in the wizard. Select the template to preview it. Select Next.Review the existing mapped variables, if any. You can change them if necessary, or map any missing variables directly. If the template has an attachment such as, an image or file, you can choose a different file.Select Next to review the message.Select Send. The template appears as a new message in the conversation. If you create a new conversation from the timeline and then send a new business-initiated message, it will create a new conversation.

WhatsApp charges per conversation initiated by a user or business in 24-hour increments, starting from the moment a first message is delivered. This article provides details on the different types of WhatsApp conversations, and how conversations are priced.Who can access this feature?User typesAdmins can access the Billing page.In this articleUpdates to WhatsApp pricingWhatsApp conversation categoriesWhatsApp usage costsUser-initiates conversation costsBusiness-initiated conversation costsHow do I track my organization's usage?Updates to WhatsApp pricing (June 2023)As of June 1, 2023, business-initiated conversations are no longer included in the 1,000 free conversations provided by WhatsApp each calendar month. All business-initiated conversations will be charged. For more information, see their Pricing documentation.WhatsApp conversation categoriesConversations can either be initiated by the user or the business, and are categorized. All conversations are measured in a 24-hour period.User-initiated conversations, or service conversations, are sent by your customer. Your agents have 24 hours from when the customer's first message is delivered to reply to that message. All replies to a customer within that 24 hour window will be associated with the user-initiated conversation. Once the 24-hour period ends, WhatsApp closes the conversation.Your agents can use pre-approved message templates to create a business-initiated conversation with a customer outside of the 24 hour window of a user-initiated conversation. Business-initiated messages can fall under one of 3 categories: Utility, Authentication, and Marketing.For more information on how WhatsApp defines conversation categories, see the WhatsApp article on Conversation-Based Pricing.WhatsApp usage costsWhatsApp provides each WhatsApp Business account 1,000 user-initiated conversations, or service conversations, for free every calendar month.Note: WhatsApp determines and sets the free tier conversations per Business Account. See WhatsApp’s pricing terms for the most up to date information.User-initiated conversation costsKustomer will charge for user-initiated conversations based on the then-current published user-initiated rates located at the WhatsApp article on Conversation-Based Pricing.  Rates for WhatsApp conversations vary by country or region.Business-initiated conversations costsKustomer will charge for business-initiated conversations based on the then-current published business-initiated rates located at the WhatsApp article on Conversation-Based Pricing. Rates for WhatsApp conversations vary by country or region.How do I track my organization's usage?You can track how many conversations you've sent or received via your WhatsApp channel by going to Settings > Billing > Manage Subscription. Expand the Monthly Add-on section and look for the Usage section for your WhatsApp account. Here, you can view your account usage directly in WhatsApp by selecting See Usage. You can also see how many inbound conversations you've received that count towards your additional total.

By using the WhatsApp by Twilio app integration, your customers will be able to initiate a support request through WhatsApp, and continue to get agent replies as WhatsApp messages. When a customer sends a message via WhatsApp, Kustomer can create new customers and conversations from those messages. If an existing customer is contacting you through WhatsApp, Kustomer will create a conversation on the customer’s timeline.Who can access this feature?User typesAdmins can set up this integration.In this articlePrerequisitesInstall the WhatsApp by Twilio appConnect your Twilio accountSend documents over WhatsApp by TwilioTroubleshoot delays between WhatsApp and TwilioPrerequisitesBefore integrating WhatsApp by Twilio with Kustomer, you must:Be approved by WhatsApp for Business API access. For more information, see their Business API page.Have a Twilio account. For more information, see Twilio API for WhatsApp.If you have multiple Twilio numbers, you should consolidate all of your Twilio phone numbers into a single Twilio account. Only one Twilio account can be added to a Kustomer organization at a time.Install the WhatsApp by Twilio appAdministrators can install the WhatsApp channel once your organization is approved for Business API access, and WhatsApp is enabled for your Twilio number. To integrate WhatsApp with Kustomer, install the Twilio - WhatsApp app from within the Kustomer App Directory.Go to Appsand select Explore Directory.Search for Twilio - WhatsApp in the App Directory, and then select Install.Connect your Twilio accountOnce you install WhatsApp by Twilio, you need to add Kustomer API keys to your account to ensure that you can send and receive messages. You must also provide your SID number, authentication token, and phone number.To connect your account:Go to Appsand select Twilio - WhatsApp in the sidebar.Enter your Twilio account SID number and your Authentication token in the appropriate boxes.Select Connect. You can now enter your Twilio WhatsApp phone number.Select Add new phone number.Enter the phone number and select Add. The number will be added to the WhatsApp window. If you previously added a phone number, all connected numbers will show as a list.Note: Adding a phone number automatically configures the https://baseURL/v1/twilio/webhooks/messages  webhook necessary to send and receive messages in Kustomer via that WhatsApp number. If the number was previously used with another CRM, this webhook may not get updated correctly. To resolve this, delete the number from Kustomer and add it again. You can verify that the webhook was added correctly by going to the Phone Numbers > Manage > Active numbers page in your Twilio account.You are now ready to communicate with your customers using WhatsApp by Twilio.When communicating with customers via WhatsApp, keep in mind the following:You have to respond to a new conversation within 24 hours of receiving it. Additional replies will be rejected.Messages that are sent within a 24 hour period are threaded into the same conversation. Messages sent after 24 hours will result in a new conversation being created.Business-initiated conversations are natively supported using the WhatsApp integration. Note: To delete a WhatsApp by Twilio account that has been connected to Kustomer, please contact Kustomer Support.Send documents over WhatsApp by TwilioYou can send files as attachments when responding to a message via WhatsApp by Twilio.Note: If you upload a document file (.PDF, .doc, or .docx) as an attachment, the accompanying message will not be sent along with the file. Please resend the message separately to ensure the customer receives it.Troubleshoot delays between WhatsApp and TwilioIf you're experiencing an issue where WhatsApp messages are coming into Twilio, yet take about 15 minutes to appear in Kustomer, you may have your endpoint configured incorrectly in Twilio. Messages are still coming in because the Twilio app in Kustomer polls Twilio every 15 minutes for messages that aren't in Kustomer. However, this means that messages are coming in via the webhook at all.To resolve this, go to the Endpoint Configuration section in your Twilio account. Then, make sure that your webhook is pointing towards the correct endpoint:If you are located in the Americas, use https://api.kustomerapp.com/v1/twilio/webhooks/messagesIf you are located in Europe, use https://api.prod2.kustomerapp.com/v1/twilio/webhooks/messages

By installing the MessageBird app, your organization will be able to integrate your SMS and WhatsApp channels in Kustomer and engage with customers around the world using a single platform. Who can access this feature?User typesAdmins can set up this integration.In this articlePrerequisitesInstall MessageBirdConnect Your MessageBird accountSend documents over WhatsApp by MessageBirdPrerequisitesTo integrate MessageBird with Kustomer, you must have a MessageBird access key. If you are new to MessageBird and do not have this key, see Creating access keys for information on how to create one.If you already have an access key, you can access it from your MessageBird Developers dashboard.If you plan on using WhatsApp with MessageBird, you must be approved by WhatsApp for Business API access and then connect it to MessageBird. For more information on obtaining WhatsApp Business approval, see their Business API page.Install MessageBirdAdministrators can install the MessageBird app once they have a MessageBird access key.To integrate MessageBird with Kustomer, install the MessageBird app from within the Kustomer App Directory.Go to Appsand select Explore Directory.Search for MessageBird in the App Directory, and then select Install.Connect Your MessageBird accountOnce you install MessageBird, you need to add your MessageBird access key to ensure that you can send and receive SMS and WhatsApp messages. After you connect your access key, your MessageBird channels will be available for you to connect with Kustomer. To connect your account:Go to Appsand select MessageBird in the sidebar.Enter your MessageBird access key in the field provided and select Connect.The SMS and WhatsApp channels connected to your MessageBird are now available from the drop-down menus.Select the channel keys you want to connect to Kustomer.When communicating with customers via WhatsApp, keep in mind the following:You have to respond to a new conversation within 24 hours of receiving it. Additional replies will be rejected.Messages that are sent within a 24 hour period are threaded into the same conversation. Messages sent after 24 hours will result in a new conversation being created. Every time the customer replies, the session window refreshes and it resets for another 24 hours.Business-initiated conversations are natively supported using the WhatsApp integration.To delete a connected channel:Go to Appsand select MessageBird in the sidebar.Select the X next to the channel you want to delete.Note: Deleting a channel is a permanent action. Inbound and outbound messages from this channel will no longer work.Select Yes to confirm the deletion.The channel key will now be available in the drop-down menu, should you want to reconnect it.To delete an access key:Go to Appsand select MessageBird in the sidebar.Delete any SMS or WhatsApp channels that are connected.Note: You must delete all connected channels to remove your access key.Select Delete.You can now add a new access key and connect the new channels to Kustomer.Send documents over WhatsApp by MessageBirdYou can send files as attachments when responding to a message via WhatsApp. Note: If you upload a document file (.PDF, .doc, or .docx) as an attachment, the accompanying message will not be sent along with the file. Please resend the message separately to ensure the customer receives it.

If you already have a WhatsApp Business account phone number registered with another provider, you can migrate that number to Kustomer to get started using the WhatsApp integration.In this articlePrerequisitesMigrate your existing WhatsApp Business account phone numberPrerequisitesBefore you begin, make sure you meet the criteria outlined in this WhatsApp article.Migrate your existing WhatsApp Business account phone numberContact your current WhatsApp provider and disable two-factor authentication (2FA) for each phone number you want to migrate to Kustomer.Create a new WhatsApp Business account inside of Kustomer.Go to Apps, search for WhatsApp in the App Directory, and then select Install.Once installed, select WhatsApp to open the Settings page.Select Sign in to Facebook.Follow the instructions to create your WhatsApp Business account.Note: Do not add a phone number in this step.Contact support@kustomer.com to set up meeting with Kustomer to finish the migration. You will need to provide the country code and phone number(s) you are migrating.