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WhatsApp campaigns

A WhatsApp campaign sends an approved WhatsApp template message to every contact on a list, or calls them on WhatsApp, from your client’s own WhatsApp number. When a contact replies, your client’s ElevenLabs agent answers in the same chat, so a reminder can turn into a confirmed booking without anyone on the client’s team picking up. WhatsApp campaigns are for clients whose agents run on ElevenLabs.

How a WhatsApp campaign reaches a contact
  1. You

    Approve a template

    In Meta WhatsApp Manager.

  2. You

    Save it for the client

    With its text, values and the agent.

  3. You

    Add it to a playbook

    WhatsApp message or WhatsApp call.

  4. Voice AI Portal

    Sends to each contact

    Inside calling hours, with the contact's own details.

  5. Voice AI Portal

    Agent handles replies

    Every chat shows in Conversations.

Before you begin

Section titled “Before you begin”
  • WhatsApp connected for the client: WhatsApp & web chat switched on and the client’s WhatsApp number linked. See Connect WhatsApp to a workspace.
  • An approved template in Meta WhatsApp Manager. Businesses can only start a WhatsApp conversation with a template Meta has approved. For WhatsApp calls, use a call permission template, which asks the contact if they are happy to be called.
  • A payment method on the WhatsApp Business account in Meta, so Meta delivers template messages.

Save the template for the client

Section titled “Save the template for the client”

ElevenLabs doesn’t list your Meta templates, so you save each one in the portal once, with the text clients will see in previews.

  1. Open the WhatsApp settings

    In the client’s Client settings, open Chat channels and the WhatsApp tab. Go to WhatsApp templates for campaigns.

  2. Fill in the template

    Field What to enter
    Name clients see A friendly name, for example Appointment confirmation.
    Template name in WhatsApp Manager The exact template name from Meta, for example vap_appointment_confirmed.
    Language code The template’s language in Meta, for example en or en_GB.
    Message text (for previews) Paste the body from WhatsApp Manager, for example Hi {{1}}, your appointment is on {{2}}.
    Values, one per line in order What fills each {{1}}, {{2}}: a contact detail such as {{name}} or {{meeting_date}}, or fixed text.
    WhatsApp number The client’s linked number to send from.
    Agent that answers replies (or Agent that places the call) The ElevenLabs agent for this campaign.

  3. Save

    “Template saved. Clients can now choose it for WhatsApp campaigns.” Save message templates under WhatsApp message campaigns and call permission templates under WhatsApp call campaigns (call permission).

Create the playbook

Section titled “Create the playbook”

In Campaign playbooks, select New playbook and choose the WhatsApp message or WhatsApp call channel, then assign it to the client and choose the saved template. See Campaign playbooks. To call first and message only the people who don’t answer, use the Call, then WhatsApp if no answer channel instead; see Multichannel sequences.

Your client then launches it like any campaign. On the What step, the builder shows the template text filled in with each contact’s details, and Send me a test sends the real template to their own WhatsApp. See Run an outbound campaign.

What does the contact see?

Section titled “What does the contact see?”
  • WhatsApp message: the approved template from your client’s WhatsApp number, with their own details. If they reply, the agent answers in the same chat.
  • WhatsApp call: if they haven’t allowed calls from the number yet, they first get the call permission message; once they agree, the agent can call them on WhatsApp.

Every chat and WhatsApp call appears in the client’s Conversations.

Limits and billing

Section titled “Limits and billing”
Item Detail
Sends per day Up to 250 WhatsApp sends a day per client, across campaigns and manual sends. When the limit is reached, the campaign carries on the next day.
Delivery check After each of the first sends in a run, the portal waits a few seconds for Meta’s answer. If Meta refuses the template, the campaign pauses instead of sending to everyone.
Chats WhatsApp messages use the client’s chats under client billing. WhatsApp calls use minutes, like phone calls.
Opt-outs A contact who replies “STOP” or asks not to be contacted is marked Do not call for every channel. Replies are checked 3 hours after sending and every 30 minutes while the chat stays open. See Opt-outs, consent and AI disclosure.

Troubleshooting

Section titled “Troubleshooting”
Problem What to do
WhatsApp campaign paused with a Meta error about payment Add a payment method to the WhatsApp Business account in Meta, then select Resume.
WhatsApp campaign paused: template not found or not approved Check the template name and language code match WhatsApp Manager exactly, and that Meta approved it. Edit the saved template, then resume.
Paused: chats used up The client has used its chats. The campaign resumes when chats are added or the allowance resets.
“No saved templates of this kind for this client” when assigning the playbook Save the template under WhatsApp templates for campaigns first, in the right section (message or call permission).
A contact was skipped with “Missing …” The template’s values use a detail that contact doesn’t have. Fill it in on the list, or set a value for empty cells when importing.
The agent keeps chatting after a contact says STOP The portal stops further campaign messages, but the agent’s replies come from its prompt. Add a line to the agent’s prompt in ElevenLabs telling it to confirm and end the chat when someone asks to stop.
Section titled “Related”