SET UP YOUR ACCOUNT

Connect your number and your store.

The same steps are inside the app, on the Settings page (numbers) and the Integrations page (stores), in English, Tamil and Hindi. Stuck anywhere? Book a short call and we will do it with you.

Prefer to watch? Short video guides, in English and Tamil →

1. Connect your WhatsApp number

About 5 minutes. In the app: Settings, Numbers.

The easy way: Connect with Facebook

Have ready a Facebook login that is an admin of your Meta business, and the phone number with a way to get its SMS or call code.
The number must not be in use on the WhatsApp or WhatsApp Business app. If it is, delete that account from the app first.
Press Connect with Facebook, log in, choose your business (or create one), your WhatsApp business account and your phone number.
Type the code Meta sends you and finish. The Settings page then shows the number as Connected.
Meta also checks your display name, usually within a day. Until then sending can be limited. The quality rating shows next to the number.

Settings, Numbers in Threadline Chat: the Connect with Facebook and Connect manually buttons and the how-to-connect guide — Settings, Numbers. Press Connect with Facebook; the same steps are listed under the buttons.

A connected number in Threadline Chat showing its status, quality rating and last message received — After it works: the number shows as Connected, with its quality rating.

Or connect manually

Open developers.facebook.com, My Apps, your app, then WhatsApp, API Setup. The Phone number ID and the WhatsApp Business Account ID are shown there. Copy them.
Do not use the 24-hour test token. In Meta Business Settings open Users, System users and add a system user with the Admin role.
Press Add assets and give it your app and your WhatsApp account with full control. Then Generate token, tick whatsapp_business_messaging and whatsapp_business_management, and set it to never expire.
In the app press Connect manually, paste the Phone number ID and the token and press Connect. WhatsApp checks them before anything is saved, and the token is stored encrypted and never shown again.

The Connect manually form in Threadline Chat with the Phone number ID and access token boxes, and the where-to-find-these guide above them — The manual form. The guide above the boxes lists where each value comes from.

On your phone

The numbers screen on a phone with the Connect with Facebook button and the how-to guide — Connect with Facebook

The manual connect form on a phone — Connect manually

2. Connect a Shopify store

So orders, payments and shipments reach your chats and campaigns. In the app: Integrations, Online stores, Connect a store.

Where to click in the Shopify admin: Settings, Notifications, Webhooks, Create webhook — The route in four steps. The written steps below say the same.

Step 1: get the signing secret

In your Shopify admin open Settings, then Notifications.
Scroll to the Webhooks part. At the bottom it says your webhooks will be signed with a long code. Copy that code.
In the app pick Shopify, give the store a name, paste the code into Signing secret from the store and press Connect store. The next step appears under the store.

Illustration of the Notifications page in a store admin: the Webhooks part with the code your webhooks are signed with, and the Create webhook button — Illustration of the Notifications page. Open Webhooks and look for the code it says your webhooks are signed with: that is the one to copy. Your admin may look a little different. The Create webhook button is for step 2.

The Connect a store form in Threadline Chat with the Shopify step 1 guide above the name and signing secret boxes — Step 1 inside the Connect a store form. Paste the signing secret in the box shown.

Step 2: tell Shopify where to send orders

Copy the address the app shows under your store.
In Shopify open Settings, Notifications, Webhooks and press Create webhook.
Make one webhook for each of these events: Order creation, Order payment, Order fulfillment. For left-behind cart messages also add Checkout creation and Checkout update.
For each: Format JSON, URL is the address you copied, API version the latest one. Save.
Place one small test order with your own WhatsApp number, then press Check again in the app. "Nothing received yet" turns into a time when it works.

A connected Shopify store in Threadline Chat with the address to copy, the events to add in Shopify and a Check again button — Step 2 as it appears under your store, with the address and a Copy button.

Threadline Chat saying orders are arriving from the store — When orders reach us, Check again says so and the store shows its last order event.

On your phone

Shopify step 1 on a phone, inside the Connect a store form — Step 1

Shopify step 2 on a phone with the address and Copy button — Step 2

3. Connect a WooCommerce store

In the app: Integrations, Online stores, Connect a store.

Where to click in WordPress: WooCommerce, Settings, Advanced, Webhooks, Add webhook — The route in four steps. The written steps below say the same.

Step 1: choose a secret

Make up a long secret text yourself, 20 or more letters and numbers, and keep it in a note. WooCommerce asks for the same text later.
In the app pick WooCommerce, give the store a name, paste the text into Signing secret from the store and press Connect store.

The Connect a store form in Threadline Chat with the WooCommerce step 1 guide — Step 1 for WooCommerce. Paste the secret text you chose in the box shown.

Step 2: tell your store where to send orders

Copy the address the app shows under your store.
In WordPress open WooCommerce, Settings, Advanced, Webhooks and press Add webhook.
Make two webhooks: one with Topic Order created and one with Topic Order updated. Status Active for both.
For each: Delivery URL is the address you copied, Secret is the text you chose, API version WP REST API v3 (or the newest). Save.
Place one small test order with your own WhatsApp number, then press Check again in the app.

A connected WooCommerce store in Threadline Chat with the address to copy, the two webhook topics to add and a Check again button — Step 2 under your WooCommerce store. If Check again says nothing has arrived yet, recheck the address and the two topics.

On your phone

WooCommerce step 2 on a phone with the address and Copy button — Step 2

Follow your progress

On the Dashboard, the Finish setting up box ticks each step by itself: connect a number, receive a message, add contacts, get a template approved, send your first broadcast. Connecting an online store is listed too, but it is optional and never blocks the list.

The Finish setting up box on the Threadline Chat dashboard with steps ticked — The Finish setting up box on the Dashboard.

Another kind of website?

Shopify, WooCommerce and Bagisto connect directly. For any other site, put the WhatsApp chat button on it from Settings, and use the API keys or webhooks tabs for your own links. If you are not sure which fits, ask us.