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Sending Your First Message

Once you have connected a WhatsApp account, you are ready to send your first message. This guide walks you through the chat interface and all the ways you can communicate.

Opening the Chat Interface​

  1. Click Messages in the sidebar to open the Messages page.
  2. Select your connected account in the accounts panel on the left.
  3. You will see two panels:
    • Conversation list (left) -- All your existing chats, sorted by most recent.
    • Chat view (right) -- The selected conversation's messages and input area.

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Starting a New Conversation​

If you want to message someone you haven't chatted with yet:

  1. Click the + button at the top of the conversation list.
  2. Enter the phone number of the person you want to message (include the country code, for example 14155551234).
  3. Type your message and send it.

The new conversation will appear in your conversation list.

Sending a Text Message​

  1. Click on a conversation in the list to open it.
  2. Click the text input area at the bottom of the chat.
  3. Type your message.
  4. Press Enter to send, or click the Send button (arrow icon).

To type a multi-line message, press Shift + Enter to add a new line without sending.

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Sending Media (Images, Videos, Documents)​

You can attach files to your messages:

  1. Click the paperclip icon in the input area.
  2. A file picker will open. Choose the file you want to send.
  3. A preview of the attached file appears above the text input, showing the file name and type (image, video, audio, or document).
  4. Optionally type a message to go along with the file.
  5. Press Enter or click Send.

To remove an attachment before sending, click the X next to the file name.

Sending Template Messages (Cloud API Only)​

If your account is connected via Cloud API, you can send pre-approved WhatsApp template messages:

  1. Click the template icon (grid icon) in the input area. This button only appears for Cloud API accounts.
  2. A list of your approved templates appears above the input area.
  3. Click on a template to select it.
  4. Fill in any required template variables in the dialog that opens.
  5. Click Send.

Template messages are useful for reaching out to contacts who haven't messaged you recently, since WhatsApp requires approved templates for initiating conversations via the Business API.

Using Quick Replies​

Quick replies are pre-saved message snippets you can insert with one click, saving you from typing the same responses over and over.

  1. Click the lightning bolt icon in the input area.
  2. A popup shows your saved quick replies. Use the search bar to filter them.
  3. Click on a quick reply to insert its text into the message input.
  4. Edit the text if needed, then send.

To manage your quick replies (add, edit, or delete), click Manage Quick Replies at the bottom of the quick reply popup.

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AI-Powered Features in Chat​

The chat input includes two AI buttons that can help you write better messages:

Suggest Reply​

Click the robot icon to have AI generate a suggested reply based on the conversation history. The suggested text will appear in the input area. You can edit it before sending or discard it.

Improve with AI​

Write a draft message, then click the sparkles icon to have AI improve your text -- fixing grammar, tone, and clarity. The improved version replaces your draft in the input area.

Both features require an AI provider to be configured in Settings > General > AI Provider.

Understanding the Conversation List​

The conversation list shows all your chats for the selected account:

  • Contact name or phone number -- Displays the saved name if available, otherwise the phone number.
  • Last message preview -- A snippet of the most recent message.
  • Time stamp -- When the last message was sent or received.
  • Unread badge -- An orange circle with the number of unread messages.
  • Label dots -- Small colored dots next to the name if the conversation has labels assigned.

You can search conversations by name or phone number using the search bar at the top of the list. There is also a message search button (magnifying glass with checkmark) that lets you search across all message content.

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Viewing Contact Details​

Click on the contact's name or avatar at the top of the chat to open the contact profile. This shows the contact's phone number, name, and profile picture.