Connect WhatsApp to a workspace

Your client’s ElevenLabs agent can answer their customers on WhatsApp: text messages, voice notes and WhatsApp calls. You connect the client’s WhatsApp Business number in ElevenLabs, then link it to the client’s workspace in Voice AI Portal and choose the agent that replies. Every WhatsApp conversation then appears in the client’s portal next to their calls.

Before you begin

• A client whose agents run on ElevenLabs. WhatsApp is available for ElevenLabs clients. See Connect ElevenLabs.
• The client’s WhatsApp Business number, imported in the ElevenLabs dashboard. You do this once per number, by signing in with Meta from ElevenLabs. You need admin access to the client’s Meta business portfolio, and the number must not be in use in the WhatsApp Business app or with another provider. The steps are below.
• The right role. The agency owner switches WhatsApp on for a client. After that, the owner and agency admins can link numbers, choose agents and send messages.
• Chat channels switched on for the client. The owner turns on the chat channels switch in the Chat channels section of Client settings, as shown below, or on the Review step when creating a new ElevenLabs client. See Create a client workspace.

Import the number in ElevenLabs

1. In Voice AI Portal, open the client’s WhatsApp settings (see the next section) and select Open WhatsApp settings in ElevenLabs. Or sign in to the client’s ElevenLabs account and open WhatsApp from the agents area.

2. Choose Import account.

3. Sign in with Meta, then select or create the WhatsApp Business account and pick the number. Allow ElevenLabs to manage it.

4. Return to Voice AI Portal and select Refresh. The number appears under Numbers you can link.

Link the number to the client workspace

1. Open the client’s chat channels

   Go to Clients and select the settings icon (Client settings) on the client’s row, or open the client and go to Client settings. Under Access & integrations, select Chat channels in the section menu.

2. Switch chat channels on

   If it is off, turn on the chat channels switch at the top of the section. Only the agency owner can turn this on or off.

3. Open the WhatsApp tab

   Select WhatsApp. You see Numbers for this client and, below it, Numbers you can link: the WhatsApp numbers in the client’s ElevenLabs account that are not yet linked to a client. A number already answered by one of this client’s agents is marked Uses this client’s agent.

4. Link the number

   Select Link to this client next to the number. It moves to Numbers for this client with a Linked badge. Each number belongs to one client, so every client only sees their own numbers.

5. Choose the answering agent

   In Agent answering this number, choose one of the agents you selected for this client. Until you choose an agent, the number shows No agent (messages are ignored).

6. Set the three switches

   Switch	What it does
   Reply to messages	The agent replies to WhatsApp messages on this number.
   Reply to voice notes with voice notes	When a customer sends a voice note, the agent replies with a voice note in its own voice.
   Show typing indicator and read receipts	Customers see that their message was read and that a reply is on its way.

   Changes save straight away to the number’s settings in ElevenLabs, and you see WhatsApp settings saved.

To test, send a WhatsApp message to the number from your own phone. The agent replies, and the conversation appears in the client’s Conversations.

Who owns the account, and who bills for what

Your client owns their WhatsApp Business account, and Meta bills the business directly for WhatsApp fees. ElevenLabs bills for agent usage.

What your client sees

• Conversations: every WhatsApp conversation sits next to their calls with a WhatsApp label, and they can filter by channel. Chats open as a chat-style transcript with the message count.
• Numbers: a WhatsApp tab next to Phone lists each WhatsApp number with its status, the agent it is Answered by, its conversations and messages for the period, and its latest activity. View conversations opens that number’s chats. Clients see this tab read only; linking numbers and changing settings stays with you.

Statuses on the Numbers page help you spot a number that needs attention: Active, Replies off, No agent assigned, Reconnect needed and Not connected. As the agency, you also see Send template and Manage on each number, or Set up WhatsApp when none is linked yet. Each opens the client’s WhatsApp settings.

Start conversations with template messages and WhatsApp calls

WhatsApp lets a business message a customer first, or more than 24 hours after the customer’s last reply, only with a template approved in Meta’s WhatsApp Manager. Send templates only to customers who have opted in to hear from the business.

Once a number is linked, the WhatsApp tab shows Start a WhatsApp conversation:

• Template message: choose the number in From, enter the Recipient with the country code, for example +44 7700 900123, then the Template name, the Template language (such as en or en_US) and any Template values, one per line in order. Select Send template. When the customer replies, the agent carries on the conversation and it appears in Conversations.
• WhatsApp call: enter the Call permission template instead. WhatsApp asks the customer for permission to call using that template, and the agent calls once permission is granted. Select Start call.

Leave Agent on the number’s answering agent, or choose another of the client’s agents for this conversation. Template messages and WhatsApp calls need a payment method on the WhatsApp Business account in WhatsApp Manager.

To reach a whole lead list, create an outbound campaign and choose WhatsApp message or WhatsApp call as the Channel on the first step. Use lead fields such as {{first_name}} in the template values. Campaigns need outbound calling turned on for the client. See Run an outbound campaign.

Daily sending limit

Each client workspace can send up to 250 template messages and WhatsApp calls a day from the portal, counting single sends and campaign sends together. The form shows how many are used today, for example 12 of 250 sends used today, and the count resets at 00:00 UTC. Replies inside a conversation the customer started do not count towards it.

Give customers a clear way to reach a person

Give customers a clear way to reach a person, by phone, email or the client’s website. Mention it in the agent’s instructions, so the agent can share it whenever a customer asks for someone on the team.

Troubleshooting

Problem	What to do
The number is not under Numbers you can link	Check that it was imported in the same ElevenLabs account as the client’s API key, then select Refresh. If the list says all numbers are already linked to a client, unlink the number from the other client first.
Expired badge, or Reconnect needed on the Numbers page	The WhatsApp connection needs renewing. Reconnect it in ElevenLabs.
Unavailable badge, or Not connected	The number is no longer in the connected ElevenLabs account. Import it again, or select Unlink.
Messages are not answered	Choose an agent in Agent answering this number and check that Reply to messages is on.
“More than 24 hours have passed since this contact last replied”	Start the conversation with an approved template.
“Template not found for this language”	Check the template name and language in WhatsApp Manager. Template names use lowercase letters, numbers and underscores.
The send button is unavailable and the form says the daily limit is reached	The limit resets at 00:00 UTC.

Next steps

• Connect ElevenLabs
• Client portal overview
• Channel page: WhatsApp