WhatsApp Cloud API- All You Need To Know

Meta Platforms CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced at WhatsApp's messaging session on Thursday that the firm is giving free cloud-based API services in an effort to entice more businesses to use the app.

Facebook-owned Meta has released new commerce and business-focused services on numerous platforms, including the messaging app, which has consistently courted business users.

"Any business or developer can easily access our service, build directly on top of WhatsApp to tailor their experience and speed up their response time to customers by using our secure WhatsApp Cloud API hosted by Meta," Zuckerberg stated at Meta's "Conversations" event.

WhatsApp already offers an API, or application programming interface, that allows businesses to link their systems to the service and engage in customer service chats, generating cash for Meta.

Businesses will not be able to message people on WhatsApp unless they have agreed to be contacted, according to Meta, which bought WhatsApp for $19 billion in a blockbuster 2014 acquisition.

WhatsApp also said on Thursday that it plans to offer optional paid capabilities as part of a new premium service for users of its dedicated business app for small enterprises.

Options to handle chats spanning up to 10 devices and customizable click-to-chat links that organizations may put on their websites are among the elements that are still being implemented.

Key features of Cloud API

Medium and large organizations can use the WhatsApp Business API to engage with their consumers at scale. Businesses can use the API to create systems that join thousands of clients to agents or bots, allowing for both automated and manual conversation. You can also interface the API with a variety of backend systems, including CRM and marketing solutions.

Businesses that want to use the API can host it on-premises or in the cloud. We suggest that the majority of organizations use the Cloud API because it is simple to set up and maintain.

Hosting-  In on-premise API, the respective owner was responsible for hosting the API in his system. But cloud API released that extra burden as it will be hosted by Meta in their own data center with much more availability than that of on-premise one.

Maintenance- Meta performs API system upgrades, and new functionality and security patches are automatically available on the Cloud API. Developers are no longer responsible for setup, maintenance, or scaling. To adapt to longer-term API changes, only minor code modifications will be required.

Message Throughput-  You can Send and receive up to 80 messages per second (including text and media messages) between one business number and several consumer phones. A firm may experience reduced communication throughput if the system is overloaded. Cloud API will handle up to 250 messages per second of simultaneous sending and receiving (including text and media messages) starting in July 2022.

Certificate Management-  While on-premise You manage your Certificate Authority (CA) and Webhook CA certificates. In cloud API, The CA certifications are managed by Meta. Your Webhooks server must support HTTPS and have a valid CA-chained TLS/SSL certificate installed to use a Webhook CA certificate. Self-signed certificates will be rejected.

Scaling- Under Meta's infrastructure, the Cloud API scales and changes intelligently to accommodate your workload while staying within your rate restriction (messaging volume and number of WhatsApp business accounts).

Encryption- Every WhatsApp communication is still protected by Signal protocol encryption, which encrypts messages before they leave the device, thanks to the Cloud API. This implies that messages sent through a WhatsApp business account are safely sent to the business's designated destination.

To protect data in transit and at rest, the Cloud API employs industry-standard encryption mechanisms. The API uses the Graph API to send messages and Webhooks to receive events and both function over HTTPS with TLS encryption.

Why people opt for WhatsApp 

Here are the reasons why people opt for the popular messaging app WhatsApp:

• WhatsApp has become a popular messaging application due to its simplicity and convenience. We can only imagine how engaging on this platform has become a daily habit with over 1.1 million messages posted per second.
• WhatsApp messages have a far greater open rate than other communication mediums like emails. Businesses can use WhatsApp to bypass the competition and communicate directly with their customers.
• Message automation allows firms to reply to client inquiries considerably more quickly. This can result in a higher conversion rate and more client satisfaction.
• Businesses may use WhatsApp to make talks more engaged and enjoyable. Customers may interact and stay connected with ease because of the usage of rich text, emoticons, stickers, and multimedia.

Why you should opt for WhatsApp Cloud API as a businessman 

Immediate replies

Businesses can use the WhatsApp API to automate customer answers. The responses, while not artificially intelligent, can be dynamic and keep customers engaged and motivated. Welcome messages, OOO or away messages, and delayed response messages can all be set up by businesses.

Companies may efficiently connect with their clients around the clock, even during off-hours or public holidays, using tools like WhatsApp auto-reply and WhatsApp notifications. Customers will find WhatsApp to be the most convenient communication medium because of dynamic reply buttons and interactive list messages.

Personalized experiences

Variables are used by WhatsApp to customize messages. It can pull information from your added contacts and insert it into your messages at specific points.

If you save a customer's first name in column 1, for example, the message "Hi 1" will retrieve the customer's first name. Other client details from your existing data can also be utilized in WhatsApp chats.

Apart from that, WhatsApp presently offers interaction in ten languages. Businesses that offer multilingual service can communicate with their clients in their native tongue and earn their trust.

Schedule appointments

The WhatsApp API can be used to integrate your calendar. You may schedule appointments for all leads without having to make phone calls or send emails.

Even if your sales crew is unavailable at a particular moment, you can send automatic notifications to your customers about when they will be accessible again. Businesses may save a lot of time for their staff and consumers by using the WhatsApp API.

Send payment reminders

WhatsApp can effectively help the banking industry or any firm with a subscription model reduce drop-offs. Clients have a tendency to forget about their payments, so you can use messaging to notify them.

Provide post-sale support

The primary purpose of using WhatsApp API is to provide customer care. Businesses can begin providing support across the channel as soon as the order is placed.

WhatsApp can handle everything from delivering shipment and dispatch updates to resolving complex consumer issues. Businesses only need to automate the chatbot with 100 percent accuracy and test it. The client satisfaction rate will instantly rise if your WhatsApp chatbot is outstanding.

Powerful and secure conversations

WhatsApp is the safest platform for consumer interactions since it uses end-to-end encryption. Customers have even begun to trust WhatsApp with payment and banking-related assistance.

Businesses cannot send messages over WhatsApp since it is GDPR compliant. Customers must first grant them permission or initiate a conversation before they may send messages.

Businesses can send extremely powerful messages without uncertainty because of this limitation. This makes the entire discourse highly compelling and easy to understand.

Who can use WhatsApp's Cloud API

Business Size

The process of creating and integrating a WhatsApp chatbot is lengthy and complicated. WhatsApp presently approves medium and big enterprises with ease. This is why the WhatsApp business API is also referred to as "WhatsApp Enterprise."

Approval is quite unlikely for small firms. They can utilize the free WhatsApp Business App to send direct messages and use other features (non-interactive messages).

Industry

WhatsApp has stringent criteria in place for which sectors can utilize the WhatsApp Business API. The API is not available to autonomous software providers, real-money sectors including gaming and gambling, adult content and entertainment, arms, alcohol, and tobacco, as well as supplements and other medical medications.

eCommerce, travel and hospitality, real estate, education, and telecommunications are all examples of other industries. WhatsApp API can give enterprises some industry-specific advantages.

The WhatsApp Cloud API is not as difficult as you would think. It is a basic message automation system that allows you to respond to your customers immediately.

We hope this article has answered all of your questions and that you now have a better grasp of how to use WhatsApp business chatbots. While writing this article, we made sure to cover all of the little aspects of WhatsApp API. If you have any questions, please contact us by any channel of your choosing, and we will be pleased to assist you.

Royex Technologies is one of the leading companies in Dubai for designing cloud servers and maintenance. For all AWS consulting and services, choose Royex. To get started, call for any inquiries at +971566027916 or mail at info@royex.net