Connect your ChatLab chatbot to WhatsApp so customers can message your bot directly through WhatsApp. The connection takes a few minutes: you log in with Facebook, pick or create your WhatsApp Business account, verify your phone number - and ChatLab configures everything else automatically.
ChatLab is an approved Meta Tech Provider, so you do not need to create any Meta app, generate access tokens, or configure webhooks. The old manual setup is gone.
What the Integration Provides
When connected, your ChatLab bot receives and responds to WhatsApp messages automatically, 24/7. Conversations from WhatsApp appear in the Chatlogs tab marked with a green WhatsApp icon, so you can review them alongside widget conversations.
The integration handles text messages using your bot's training, AI model, and compatible enabled actions. Widget-only forms, product-card layouts, voice controls, and incoming media are not supported by this text-message workflow.
Prerequisites
Before starting, make sure you have:
- A Facebook account with full control of your company's Meta business portfolio - the connection wizard may let you create a portfolio if you do not yet have one
- A business phone number that can receive an SMS or a voice call with a verification code
- Prefer a number not already registered with another WhatsApp setup. For an existing number, confirm eligibility and migration with support before making changes; deleting an account can lose data.
- A ChatLab subscription that includes the WhatsApp integration
Connecting WhatsApp
- Log in to ChatLab and select your bot
- Go to the Deploy tab and select WhatsApp Business in the Messaging channels section of the Select Platform panel
- Click Connect with Facebook - a Meta popup opens
- Log in with your Facebook account and follow the guided steps:
- select your business portfolio (or create a new one)
- select an existing WhatsApp Business account or create a new one
- fill in your business profile (name, category, website)
- add your phone number and verify it with the SMS or voice code
- Click Finish and let the popup close by itself
That's it. In the background ChatLab registers your number, subscribes to message notifications and activates the integration. The panel shows Connected with your phone number, and the WhatsApp Business card gets a green dot.
Tip: If you already created a WhatsApp Business account with a verified number earlier, select that existing account and number inside the wizard instead of creating new ones. Numbers added outside the wizard stay in "Pending" state until connected through ChatLab.
Testing the Integration
Send a WhatsApp message from your own phone to the connected business number. Verify that:
- Your bot responds with an appropriate answer
- The conversation appears in the Chatlogs tab with a WhatsApp icon
Important Notes
- 24-hour response window: your bot replies within the standard WhatsApp customer service window, opened whenever a customer messages you. ChatLab does not send marketing or template messages.
- Meta billing: Meta's applicable message charges are billed to your WhatsApp Business account. Service replies in the 24-hour customer service window are free of Meta messaging charges, with no monthly free-conversation cap. ChatLab replies still use your message credits. See Meta's current pricing.
- Business verification: follow any verification or account-quality requirements shown in Meta's setup and account management screens. A successful connection is not a promise of unlimited messaging.
- Phone number: existing app registrations and other providers can affect number eligibility. Confirm the supported migration route before changing an existing account.
Troubleshooting
The popup closed but the panel does not show Connected - retry the connection and let the wizard finish completely; do not close the popup manually.
"This number is already in use" - the number is registered in the WhatsApp or WhatsApp Business app, or in another WhatsApp Business account. Do not delete the account or remove the number blindly. Ask support to confirm the migration steps for that registration, or connect a different eligible number.
I cannot select my business portfolio in the popup - your Facebook account needs full control of the business portfolio. Ask the portfolio admin to grant you access, or create a new portfolio in the wizard.
The bot does not reply - check that the bot is active in ChatLab and that your subscription has message credits remaining.
Disconnecting the Integration
To disable the WhatsApp integration, go to the Deploy tab, select the WhatsApp Business card, and click Disconnect. This stops message processing but preserves your existing conversation history. You can reconnect the same number at any time.
Previously Connected Integrations
If you connected WhatsApp with the older manual setup (access token, phone number ID, webhook), your integration keeps working unchanged - no action is required. If you ever need to reconnect, use the new Connect with Facebook flow described above.