Architect Channel: Use WhatsApp

  • Updated on Dec 10, 2025
  • Published on Oct 18, 2021
  • 10 minute(s) read
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After you complete the integration process, you can start creating WhatsApp messages in your journeys following the steps below.

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Refer to Get Started with WhatsApp for further details on the integration.

1. Add WhatsApp channel on canvas

  • Click the Add button on the path you want to add the channel on your journey.
  • Click Channel > WhatsApp.
    You can manage multiple phone numbers under the same WhatsApp Business Account (WABA) from a single Inone panel. If the panel account you are using has more than one WhatsApp Business account registered in the WhatsApp settings, you can see and select the account you want to use in that WhatsApp channel element. 

2. Compose message content

The message creation steps vary depending on your selected template (business standard or carousel). Both templates support promotional and conversational marketing use cases.

Select a pre-approved template to send messages to your users, and use template variables as dynamic content on your template if there is any template variable registered.

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You can add document and video files to your Promotional and Conversational WhatsApp messages.

You can select a business standard or carousel template.

2.1. Business standard template

You can select Message with Only Text with template variables as dynamic content.

You can select Message with Image and Text from the templates and upload a custom image or select a dynamic image for your template. You can also add template variables as dynamic content.

Or, you can select Message with Media Header/and Buttons from the templates and upload a custom media. You can also add template variables as dynamic content.

2.2. Carousel template

You can have various use cases with a carousel template.

For example, you can display a series of products with images and direct purchase links to drive sales and reduce cart abandonment. The first card can display a high-resolution image of a product, describing the product as "Our best-selling summer dress is back in stock! Made from breathable linen for all-day comfort. Price: $79.99" with Shop Now and Add to Cart buttons. The second card can display a clear image of a matching accessory, like sandals or a handbag, describing the product as "Pair your new dress with our Classic Leather Sandals. They're stylish and incredibly comfortable. Price: $45.00" with Shop Now and Add to Cart buttons.

You can also promote different travel packages with appealing images, like tropical getaways and European adventures, and call-to-action buttons, like Explore Package and Book Now to explore or book them directly.

Select a carousel template from the dropdown menu of pre-approved message templates.

You can add a message and buttons to your carousel template. 

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The message header cannot be changed in the Architect WhatsApp channel. The header created in the standalone WhatsApp product is inherited. However, you can always replace dynamic content within the Architect.

The message header will stay the same for each carousel card.

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WhatsApp does not support display conditions. That's why users who do not have the respective dynamic content will see the cards empty.

You can select Image or Video for the message while creating the template. The media type selections made on the first card will be applied to all the other cards. If Custom Image is selected for the first card, other cards will have the Custom Image as well.

Assigning fallback values

You can assign fallback values to the variables you selected for your template on both message types (promotional and conversational). After you select a variable, enter the fallback value for your users who do not have a value for the variable.You can assign a fallback file for your Dynamic Image you selected for your template on both message types (promotional and conversational). After you select a Dynamic Image, upload the fallback image for users who do not have a value for the variable.

For conversational messages, you can use the pre-approved template to send messages to your users and use template variables as dynamic content on your template if there is any template variable that is registered.

You can select Messages with Buttons from templates, with template variables as dynamic content. You can also assign fallback values to your template variables.

Or, you can select Messages with Buttons and Images from templates and upload a custom image, or select a dynamic image for your template. You can also add template variables as dynamic content. 

Or, you can select Message with Media Header and Buttons from templates and upload a custom media. You can also add template variables as dynamic content. 

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If WhatsApp removes the template you select, the selection button is disabled, and you cannot select the removed template.

Response messages

Add text or images to your response messages. To personalize your message, you can use default/custom user attributes, event parameters, and coupon codes in your content.

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If your campaign has become 'passive,' reply messages will not be sent when the end user clicks the quick reply buttons.
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You can select External Platform Response as a response to your buttons. Once selected, the external platform you set up will continue the conversation.

Make sure you use an external platform to send your response message in Architect, otherwise, your recipients will not get a response.

For users who do not have a value for the dynamic content, you can add a fallback value as an alternative.

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Read more on dynamic content.

If you want to be inspired or need assistance when creating your response message content, you can always use the Generate Text option.

To use an AI-generated text:

1. Click the Generate Text button to see the side modal.
2. Enter a prompt you want to generate the text about.
3. The language option will be the default selected language of your panel.
4. Select your industry and use case to define the context for the text to be generated.
5. Click the Generate Copy button.

You can add coupon codes to the content by uploading a coupon list beforehand. You can send a new coupon or previously assigned one.

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Read more on coupon lists.

You can also set coupon reminders for your coupon lists. Refer to Coupon Usage Reminder for further details.

Using CTA buttons

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Read about WhatsApp Message Template elements.

In this step, you can also use templates with CTA buttons to increase CTR for your messages. 

Your templates can contain a maximum of 2 CTA buttons. One of them is the “Visit website” and the other one is “Call phone number”.

You cannot edit the phone number on Insider One's InOne panel. If you want to change it, contact the Insider One team. For the “visit website” CTA button, you can use both dynamic URL and custom URL.

3. Configure UTM settings

Define your UTM parameters to track users' actions on your WhatsApp messages. UTM source, medium, and campaign are required fields and are automatically filled. If needed, you can also fill out the UTM term and content fields.

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UTM parameters are tags added to a URL that helps you keep track of the clicked notification via the Google Analytics tracking code on your website. When a user clicks your notification, the URL takes the defined tags as in the example: https://partner.com/partners-page?utm_source=Insider_Whatsapp&utm_medium=Whatsapp&utm_campaign=Welcome_Journey_Whatsapp

If you do not want to use UTM parameters or you already have added them manually to your message, you can uncheck the Enable UTM Parameters box. 

4. Preview the content

For the Promotional Message type, you can see the pre-registered template in the Preview section placed on the right side of the WhatsApp page.

For the Conversational Message type, you can see the pre-registered template, reply messages of the first response, second response, third response, and other responses by changing the selection on the Preview section placed on the right side of the WhatsApp page. For all these responses, you will see the header as exactly the same as the input texts in the buttons.

The First Response Option Preview will display the conversation of the positive response message.

The Second Response Option Preview will display the conversation of the negative response message.

The Third Response Option Preview will display the conversation of the negative response message.

The Reply to Other Response Preview will display the conversation of the other response message.

You can also preview the dynamic content in your messages as a user. Click the Preview as User button to preview your message with real values of the dynamic content. 

You can select one of the two User Selection Methods: User Identifier or Recent User. User Identifier will let you search for a user with Profile ID, Email Address, or Phone Number identifiers. Recent User will list the 10 recently searched users for you to choose from.

Once you select your user, click the Preview as User button to load the channel preview with real values of dynamic content for the user.

You can hover on the identifier to check the user profile and reset the user selection.

5. Enable send time optimization

You can optimize the time to deliver your messages to the end-users. It helps you engage your users more effectively and draw their attention when they are most likely to interact with your messages. 

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You should enable send time optimization based on your use cases. For example, send time optimization might not be a good fit for cart or browse abandonment cases. Read more send time optimization.

If you set Channel Global Frequency Capping before, when you enable Send Time Optimization, Bypass Channel Frequency Capping will be automatically enabled.

6. Bypass Channel Frequency Capping

Insider provides sending WhatsApp messages out from the single WhatsApp campaigns as well as from Architect. Since the risk of getting too many messages is getting higher for the subscribers, it might lead unsubscribing from your brand. With the WhatsApp Frequency Capping, you can limit the number of messages a user can receive in a specified period such as sending a maximum of 5 messages to a user in one day.

Architect enables you to bypass the WhatsApp Channel Frequency Capping if you have configured any.

Journeys are for real-time cases and they require users to receive notifications based on their actions. Therefore, you may want to override the channel frequency capping you set for your WhatsApp.

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If a user reaches the limit of the WhatsApp messages they can receive, they will proceed to the next step without receiving another one when they arrive at the WhatsApp channel in the journey.

7. Test your message

Click the Test Message button at the bottom of the page to test your message, and type in your phone number with the country code to receive the test message.

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You can test only promotional messages. Conversational messages cannot be tested as this type of message requires real users.

The Remember Phone Numbers checkbox allows you to store the phone numbers you enter to test your message.

For promotional messages with dynamic images, you will see a placeholder image. Dynamic content cannot be seen in the test messages with the real data as it is user-based and the test user is not known while sending a test message. However, you can use preview as a user feature to see dynamic content with real data.

8. Set time out

When users receive conversational messages on their WhatsApp, the expected behavior is to click a button or respond to the message. In case they do not interact with the message, you can keep these users on hold for a specified duration and decide the next step if they still do not interact with it:

  • Proceed to the next step: Users will proceed to the next element. If there is no next element, they will complete the journey.
  • Drop from the journey: Users will drop from the journey and be counted as dropped.

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The duration can be a minimum of 30 minutes and a maximum of 2 weeks.

9. Enable URL shortener

To shorten the URLs in your message, check the Enable Short URLs box.

10. Rename Channel Name

Channel Name is generated by default based on journey name and channel type. You can rename it at the top right corner if you want to give it a different name.

11. Save WhatsApp Element

After configuring WhatsApp settings, you can save the page.

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Make sure to click the Save button since there is no autosaving on this page. Autosaving works only on the canvas page.

Live Actions & User Interactions

Live Actions

You can keep your users on the flow until they click or reply to your message. To use a live action, choose the action right after the WhatsApp element.

The default action is On Send. You do not need to set any if you do not want to use this feature.

Once you choose an action, the users will remain in the journey unless they complete this action or you change the journey status to passive.

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In case you have more than one link in your message, the users proceed to the next step if they click any of them.

User Interactions

After the WhatsApp element, you can take another action and branch your flow based on user interactions on the WhatsApp message after a while.

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Read more on Check Interaction.
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Users are not very likely to take any action on messages right after they receive them. For this reason, we strongly recommend you add a Wait element before the Check element.
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