Overview
Section titled “Overview”Signals delivers captured leads to a WhatsApp number as messages, so whoever follows up sees a new lead on their phone within a minute or two of it being submitted.
Use it where speed of response matters more than record keeping. A sales team that calls back within five minutes converts far better than one working from a spreadsheet at the end of the day, and this removes the wait entirely.
This is not a conversions API. It does not report anything back to Meta for optimization. If you want a Click to WhatsApp campaign to optimize on outcomes, that is WhatsApp Conversions API instead.
Supported sources
Section titled “Supported sources”Sources supported by WhatsApp
| Category | Supported |
|---|---|
| Lead generation |
Prerequisites
Section titled “Prerequisites”Before connecting WhatsApp you need:
- A WhatsApp number that is active and able to receive messages.
- A Datahash Studio account with the target project selected.
- A lead generation source already connected in the same project. You select an existing source connection during setup, so it has to exist first.
There is no authentication step on this connector. No token, no credentials and no permission grant. The WhatsApp number is the only thing you supply.
Configuration
Section titled “Configuration”Choose the source and the number
Section titled “Choose the source and the number”- In Studio, open Destinations and click the WhatsApp tile.
- Select the source type, then the connection name of the existing lead source whose leads you want delivered.
- Give this connection a name.
- Enter the WhatsApp number that should receive the leads.
Every field the source collects is sent through as part of the message. There is no field mapping and no message template to configure.
Test connection and preview
Section titled “Test connection and preview”Click Test Connection before finishing. A WhatsApp message should arrive at the number within a few minutes. That message is the confirmation; there is no preview table to read.
If nothing arrives, the number is the first thing to check. Then click Finish to complete the setup, and the connection appears in your dashboard.
Manage instance
Section titled “Manage instance”To change the instance, open it from the Manage existing instance table, click the edit option in the menu to the top right, update the fields and click Finish.
Data & identifiers
Section titled “Data & identifiers”The lead is delivered to your own WhatsApp number, so it arrives as submitted rather than hashed. Nothing is sent to an advertising platform through this connector, and no identifiers are normalized or hashed on the way.
That makes this a destination worth thinking about carefully. A lead message contains a real person’s contact details in a chat thread on someone’s phone, outside your CRM and outside its access controls. Once the message is delivered it lives on the recipient’s device.
Best practices
Section titled “Best practices”- Use a number that belongs to a role rather than a person, so the leads do not leave with whoever owns the handset.
- Pair it with a CRM destination rather than using it alone. WhatsApp is for speed of response; the CRM is the record.
- Name the connection after the form and the recipient, since a list of WhatsApp connections is otherwise indistinguishable.
- Review who receives leads when people change roles. There is no credential to revoke, so an old connection keeps delivering until someone edits it.
- Consider what the message exposes before adding a personal number. Lead details in a chat thread are outside your usual data controls.
Troubleshooting & FAQ
Section titled “Troubleshooting & FAQ”The test message does not arrive. Check the number is correct, includes the country code, and is active on WhatsApp. A number that cannot receive messages fails silently.
No source connections to select. No lead generation source is connected in this project yet. Set the source up first, then return to this destination.
Leads stopped arriving. Check the source connection is still active and still receiving submissions. This destination has no credentials to expire, so the cause is almost always upstream.
Leads are going to the wrong person. Open the connection and edit the number. There is nothing to revoke, so editing or removing the connection is the only way to stop delivery.
I need leads sent to several people. Create one connection per number. See Manage instance.