Connection Methods — Official API vs QR

Overview

WhatsBoard offers two ways to connect a WhatsApp number to monday.com. Everything else — inbox, templates, automations, AI parsing, analytics — works the same on both. Only the connection itself differs.

What the Official Meta API Means

The WhatsApp Business Platform (also called the Cloud API) is Meta's official, supported way for businesses to message on WhatsApp. Instead of linking through your phone, your number is registered directly with Meta's servers:

• Always on — sending and receiving works even if your phone is off, uninstalled, or offline.
• Verified identity — your business gets an official business profile (name, logo, description, contact details). Established businesses can apply for the green verification tick.
• Built for scale — tiered messaging limits that grow with your quality rating, rather than the ban risk that comes with automating a personal number.
• Platform rules apply — Meta requires user opt-in for business-initiated messages, enforces the 24-hour customer-service window, and bills conversations separately (see Pricing).

Connecting via the Official Meta API

1. In WhatsBoard, go to My Connections and click Add Connection
2. Choose Official WhatsApp API and click Connect with Meta
3. Log in with a Facebook account that has access to your business
4. Create or select your Meta Business portfolio and WhatsApp Business Account
5. Add and verify the phone number you want to use (via SMS or voice-call OTP)
6. Approve the requested permissions — WhatsBoard handles the technical wiring
7. Wait for the status to change to Connected (green indicator)

Connecting via QR Code (Quick Connect)

1. In WhatsBoard, go to My Connections and click Add Connection
2. Choose QR Connect, enter a friendly name, the phone number, and the board to link
3. A QR code appears — open WhatsApp on your phone → Settings → Linked Devices → Link a Device and scan it (or use Link with Phone Number for an 8-digit pairing code)
4. Wait for the status to change to Connected

Your phone must stay powered on and connected to the internet to keep this session alive. See Before you start for stability tips.

The 24-Hour Conversation Window (Official API Only)

This is the single most important rule of the official API. Meta divides every conversation into two states:

Inside the window — free-form replies

When a contact messages you, a 24-hour customer-service window opens (counted from their last message). While it is open you can:

• Send any free-form text or media — manual replies from the inbox and Send Text Message automations both work
• Have a natural back-and-forth, exactly like regular WhatsApp

Each new incoming message restarts the 24-hour clock.

Outside the window — templates only

If the contact hasn't messaged in over 24 hours, free-form messages are blocked by Meta. To re-engage you must send a pre-approved template message (e.g. Hi {{Name}}, your order #{{Order ID}} has shipped!). Once the contact replies, the window re-opens and free-form messaging resumes.

What this means in WhatsBoard:

• Inbox replies to old conversations must use a template (pick one from the Templates button) instead of typing free text
• Automations that message contacts unprompted (status changes, reminders, follow-ups) should use the Send Template Message action on official connections — Send Text Message will fail outside the window
• The typical pattern: automation sends a template → contact replies → window opens → your team or follow-up automations continue freely

Templates on the Official API

Templates on official connections are Meta-approved templates, not just local shortcuts:

• Approval required — each template is submitted to Meta with a category (Utility, Authentication, or Marketing) and is usually reviewed within minutes to a day. Only approved templates can be sent outside the 24-hour window.
• Fixed structure — the approved body text can't be edited freely at send time; only the {{variable}} placeholders are filled in (from your board columns, as usual).
• Categories matter — transactional updates (order status, appointment reminders) belong in Utility; offers and promotions belong in Marketing. Miscategorized templates get rejected — write the content to match its category.
• QR connections are unaffected — templates on QR connections are local shortcuts with no approval step and no sending restrictions.

See the Templates Guide for creating templates and handling rejections.

Tradeoffs at a Glance

Choose the Official API when you want:

• Messaging that never depends on a phone being online
• A verified business identity (profile + green-tick eligibility)
• Higher, policy-based sending limits for notifications and campaigns
• Long-term, team-scale production use with user opt-ins in place

Accept in return: the 24-hour window rule, Meta template approvals, no group chats, no history import, and Meta's per-conversation billing.

Choose QR Connect when you want:

• The fastest possible setup on a number you already use
• Group conversations and past chat history on your board
• Unrestricted free-form replies at any time

Accept in return: the phone must stay online, sessions occasionally need reconnecting, and automating a personal number carries WhatsApp's standard ban risk — follow the best practices for QR connections.

Pricing

• WhatsBoard plans cover the app itself (connections, inbox, automations, AI features) — see the pricing page for current limits.
• Meta bills official-API conversations separately, per its conversation-based pricing, charged to your WhatsApp Business Account. Utility conversations that stay inside an open service window are generally free; business-initiated and marketing conversations are paid. Exact rates vary by country and change over time — check Meta's current WhatsApp pricing for your region.
• QR connections have no Meta conversation charges.

Switching Methods

To move a number from one method to the other:

1. Disconnect the existing connection (chat history already on your boards is preserved)
2. Create a new connection of the other type for the same number
3. Re-link your boards and re-select the connection in any automations or templates

Moving from QR to Official deregisters the number from the phone app (it becomes API-only). Moving from Official to QR requires releasing the number from the WhatsApp Business Account first, then linking it as a companion device again. Neither direction carries over the other side's message history.

For setup problems, see Troubleshooting. For questions, contact us at support@momentumapps.in.