> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.hightouch.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# WhatsApp

> Message your customers when and where it matters most.

## Overview

Deliver critical customer journey communications in real-time to where it matters: your customers' pockets. Combine data from multiple sources to send promotional messages, special offers or order updates to customers who have actively opted into your company's communications via WhatsApp, initiating the first of many customer communication experiences.

## Supported syncing

| Message Type | Description | Supported Sync Modes | API Reference |
| - | - | - | - |
| **Message Templates** | Send a business-initiated message using an approved message template | Insert | [Message template reference docs](https://developers.facebook.com/docs/whatsapp/cloud-api/reference/messages#template-messages) |

## Connect to WhatsApp

Go to the [**Destinations** overview page](https://app.hightouch.com/destinations?from=docs) and click the **Add destination** button. Select **WhatsApp** and click **Continue**. You can then authenticate Hightouch by entering the following fields:

* Your WhatsApp phone number ID
* Facebook business manager ID
* System User token.

The System User's token must be generated with the following scopes:

* `whatsapp_business_management`
* `whatsapp_business_messaging`

Before finalizing the destination creation, you need to agree to [WhatsApp's opt-in policy](https://developers.facebook.com/docs/whatsapp/overview/getting-opt-in).

## Sync configuration

Once you've set up your WhatsApp destination and have a [model](https://docs.hightouch.com/getting-started/concepts.md#models) to pull data from, you can set up your sync configuration to begin syncing data. Go to the [**Syncs** overview page](https://app.hightouch.com/syncs?from=docs) and click the **Add sync** button to begin. Then, select the relevant model and the WhatsApp destination you want to sync to.

### Message templates

WhatsApp message templates are specific message formats that businesses use to send out notifications or customer care messages to people that have opted in to notifications. Business-initiated messages-the types of messages Hightouch enables your team to send-must use a template approved by WhatsApp. If you don't see the template you would like to use in the sync configuration form, check the template's status in your [WhatsApp Template Manager](https://business.facebook.com/wa/manage/message-templates).

### Phone numbers

A column from your model must contain the user phone numbers to send a message to.

### Field mapping

If the selected template contains variables, each variable must be mapped to create a complete message.

## Tips and troubleshooting

To see the exact API requests and responses from each sync run, use the [live debugger](https://docs.hightouch.com/syncs/debugger.md). To get notified by Slack, PagerDuty, SMS, or email when a sync fails, set up [sync alerts](https://docs.hightouch.com/syncs/alerting.md). If you run into an issue this page doesn't cover, [contact support](#pylon-chat).