First steps, in the right order
The six things to do on day one so the inbox, the templates and the automations have something to work with.
Updated 29 October 2026
- Connect your WhatsApp number. The official Cloud API through Meta is the long-term setup; a QR link gets you started today with the number you already use.
- On the Cloud API, add a payment method in Meta’s Billing Hub, so replies keep reaching customers after the first 1,000 of the month.
- Import your customers from a CSV, with tags, so broadcasts have an audience.
- Create or import a template and wait for Meta’s approval. You need one to reach a customer outside the 24-hour window and for every broadcast.
- Invite your team. Each agent gets their own login and their name on the messages they send.
- Decide who answers first: build a flow for the questions you can script, and turn on the AI agent for the rest.
- If you run a store, connect Shopify and your courier so confirmations and tracking go out on their own.