Connect WhatsApp Business to your unified inbox and streamline communication
The integration of WhatsApp Business into Avantio's Unified Inbox allows you to centralize all conversations with tourists, owners, and suppliers in the VRMS. This way, there's no need to switch between apps, the risk of losing messages is minimized, and the management of operational communication is streamlined.
Thus, all messaging channels used to manage bookings and operations are gathered in a single panel.
Key Definitions
Actor: in the context of the VRMS, an actor is any interlocutor with whom communication is maintained through the system: tourists, owners, or suppliers.
Property Manager (PM): a professional or company specialized in the comprehensive management of properties on behalf of their owners. The PM coordinates bookings, guest services, communication with suppliers, and the daily operations of the accommodations.
How to connect WhatsApp Business with Avantio?
The process is simple but requires meeting some key requirements: having a business profile on Meta, verifying the phone number, and accepting the connection contract. Each step is detailed in this article.
How the integration works
Once the integration is activated, buttons indicating a series of actions to be taken will appear in the Unified Inbox.
Button | Action |
Connect account | This button appears in the Unified Inbox when you haven't connected your account to WhatsApp yet. |
Add phone | This button appears when:
WhatsApp requires the full phone number to be added, with the correct country code.
|
Send template | It is required and mandatory for Meta to send a template to start a conversation with any actor (guest, owner, supplier).
|
Time indicator for sending messages
Sending plain text is conditioned by the 24-hour time window, which starts counting from the last interaction of the recipient with your message (not from the template's sending).
In the interface, this status is shown with a counter indicating the remaining time before the window closes.
WhatsApp Templates
If the "Send template" button appears, you must select it to start the conversation. Doing so will open a side menu with all available templates, and you can choose the appropriate one.
Attention to details
WhatsApp templates are different from system templates and can be created both in Meta and from the Unified Inbox.
The integration with WhatsApp only accepts templates with plain text (without variables, URLs, etc.), and to open a conversation, only marketing and utility types are compatible.
Common Errors
Why can't I send text messages? WhatsApp allows the use of plain text for 24 hours after your guest sends you a message. Outside of these 24 hours, use templates to start the conversation.
Types of templates available in the system
There are four possible statuses for templates in the system:
Accepted → ready to be used directly in the Inbox.
Pending → in the process of approval by Meta.
Incompatible → approved in Meta, but does not work with our integration.
Cancelled → rejected by Meta.
Creating templates from Unified Inbox
Click on "Create template" in the Unified Inbox.
Select the type (marketing or utility).
Assign an internal name and draft the text in plain.
Indicate the language.
Save and wait for Meta's approval.
Formats compatible with the integration
Send: text, emojis, photos, and PDFs.
Receive: text, emojis, photos, PDFs, videos, audios, gifs, stickers, location, and contacts.
Attention to details
Surveys, reactions, replies to previous messages, catalogs, calls, and video calls are not compatible.
Multiple images are not grouped: they are displayed as separate messages.
Panels
The panels of the Unified Inbox organize the display of messages and information related to each actor.
Left Panel
The left panel shows a preview of WhatsApp messages, allowing you to quickly identify the most recent content.
Central panel
The central panel distinguishes between two types of messages:
Supported messages → are displayed correctly in the Unified Inbox.
Unsupported messages → an alert appears with the received type, the WhatsApp channel, and an incompatibility notification. In this case, the PM must contact the actor (customer, owner, or supplier) and ask them to resend the message in a compatible format.
Right panel
The right panel only appears when the actor is associated with a booking:
Actor linked to a booking → shows the corresponding booking information.
Actor not linked (for example, a supplier) → the right panel is not displayed, as in these cases it is associated with tasks and not bookings.
Unknown actor/interlocutor
In some cases, messages received via WhatsApp will not be associated with an actor in the VRMS and will appear only with the phone number.
The PM can resolve this by linking the message to an existing actor or creating a new actor in the system.
To do this, follow these steps:
In the Unified Inbox, select the message from the unknown actor.
In the top right corner, select the vertical three-dot menu.
Choose one of the two options: "Add existing" or "Add new".
Recommendations on phone number
To optimize the integration, we recommend:
Keeping the current number for business purposes.
Creating a new number exclusively for operational use and linking it to the WhatsApp profile in Avantio.
Why use two different numbers? In the Unified Inbox, it's best to centralize only messages that require quick action (ongoing bookings, owner inquiries, or operational questions from suppliers). The business number, being published on the web or social media, often receives general inquiries that are not always related to bookings.
Helpful tip
Share the operational number only with existing actors (customers, owners, and suppliers) and use the business number for external inquiries. This way, you can clearly separate the business and operational areas and avoid losing critical tasks.
Attention to details
Functions like catalogs, surveys, reactions, calls, or video calls are not supported.
Messages that include multiple images will be displayed separately (not grouped as in the mobile app).
Only one phone number can be connected to the integration.
With the WhatsApp Business integration in the Unified Inbox now set up, you can manage conversations more quickly and efficiently. The next step is to create your first templates and start responding to your actors in a swift and professional manner.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I connect multiple WhatsApp numbers to my Avantio account?
Can I connect multiple WhatsApp numbers to my Avantio account?
No. The integration with the Unified Inbox only supports one phone number per account.
What happens if I try to send a plain text message after 24 hours?
What happens if I try to send a plain text message after 24 hours?
WhatsApp only allows sending plain text within 24 hours of the recipient's last interaction. After that period, you must start the conversation with a template approved by Meta.
Can I receive WhatsApp message notifications on multiple devices when using Avantio?
Can I receive WhatsApp message notifications on multiple devices when using Avantio?
Yes. As long as the session is active on each device and you have notifications enabled, you can receive alerts in parallel.
How can I know if a WhatsApp template is ready to use in the Unified Inbox?
How can I know if a WhatsApp template is ready to use in the Unified Inbox?
In the system, each template appears with a status: Accepted, Pending, Incompatible, or Canceled. Only those marked as Accepted are available to send.