WhatsApp Business: Full Guide & Cloud API Setup

LiteShop WhatsApp Business (liteshop-whatsapp) connects your store to Meta WhatsApp Cloud API for order notifications, a support bot, catalog shop, payment links, campaigns, and storefront wa.me widgets.

On this page: Overview · Prerequisites · Meta Business · Create app · Add WhatsApp · Permissions & token · Credentials · Webhook · Templates · Install plugin · Settings · Bot & shop · Payments · Features · 24h window · Checklist · Troubleshooting

1. Overview

• Outbound order / shipping / admin alerts (templates + session messages)
• Inbound webhook → support bot (Shop, Cart, Checkout, Orders, Human)
• Mobile WhatsApp shop + Stripe / PayPal / Crypto payment links
• Abandoned cart reminders, marketing campaigns, spin-wheel coupons
• Driver: Meta Cloud API (Graph v23.0). Twilio is a stub — not for production yet.

Plugin page: liteshoper.com/plugins/liteshop-whatsapp

2. Prerequisites

• Meta Business account
• Meta for Developers account
• LiteShoper store on HTTPS (required for webhooks)
• liteshop-whatsapp marketplace license + plugin activated
• Optional for checkout: Stripe, PayPal, and/or Crypto plugins for payment links

3. Apply / set up Meta Business

1. Create or sign in at business.facebook.com
2. Create a developer account at developers.facebook.com
3. Link your Developer account to a Meta Business portfolio (required for WhatsApp Business)

4. Create a Meta app

1. Open developers.facebook.com/apps/create
2. Choose type Business
3. Enter app name, contact email, and link your Business portfolio
4. Create the app and open the dashboard

5. Add the WhatsApp product

1. App dashboard → Add Product
2. Find WhatsApp → Set up
3. Connect or create a WhatsApp Business Account (WABA)
4. Add and verify a phone number (or use Meta’s test number while developing)

Official start: Cloud API Get Started

6. Permissions & access token

Use a temporary token from API Setup for testing. For production, create a System User token in Business Settings (does not expire quickly like temp tokens).

Required permissions

Permission	Purpose
whatsapp_business_messaging	Send/receive messages, templates, interactive UI
whatsapp_business_management	WABA, phone numbers, webhooks
business_management	Link app to Business portfolio (often required)
catalog_management (optional)	Sync products to Meta catalog

Where to copy credentials

LiteShoper field	Where in Meta
Access token	WhatsApp → API Setup (temp) or Business Settings → System Users (production)
Phone Number ID	WhatsApp → API Setup
WABA ID	WhatsApp → API Setup
App secret	App Settings → Basic
Catalog ID	Commerce Manager (optional)
Webhook verify token	You invent this in LiteShoper Settings — paste the same value into Meta

1. Open WhatsApp → API Setup
2. Copy Phone Number ID + WABA ID
3. Generate / copy Access token
4. Copy App Secret from App Settings → Basic (required for webhook HMAC — without it inbound POSTs are rejected)

7. Configure webhook in Meta

1. Meta app → WhatsApp → Configuration
2. Edit Webhook
3. Callback URL: https://YOUR-STORE.com/whatsapp/webhook
4. Verify token: same string as LiteShoper → WhatsApp → Settings → Webhook verify token
5. Click Verify and save
6. Subscribe to field messages (required). Optional: message_template_status_update

Guide: Set up webhooks

8. Message templates

Outside the 24-hour customer service window, you must use Meta-approved templates.

1. Meta → WhatsApp → Message templates (or WhatsApp Manager)
2. Create Utility templates for orders (e.g. order_placed, payment_confirmed)
3. Create Marketing templates for campaigns / abandoned cart if needed
4. Wait until status is ACTIVE
5. Map names in LiteShoper → WhatsApp → Templates

Name: order_placed
Category: Utility
Language: English
Body: Your order {{1}} has been placed. Total: {{2}}. Thank you!

Docs: Message templates

9. Install the plugin on LiteShoper

1. Subscribe / install from the marketplace → liteshop-whatsapp
2. Activate the plugin
3. Open admin menu WhatsApp

10. Enter credentials in LiteShoper

Go to WhatsApp → Settings:

1. Enable WhatsApp; driver = Meta Cloud API
2. Paste Access token, App secret, Phone Number ID, WABA ID
3. Set Display phone (E.164, e.g. +60123456789) for the widget / wa.me
4. Set Webhook verify token (must match Meta)
5. Optional: Catalog ID for product sync
6. Default country code (e.g. 60 for Malaysia)
7. Enable bot / notifications / widget / marketing as needed
8. Save settings → Test connection

11. Bot, shop, conversations

1. Enable inbound support bot in Settings
2. Message your business number → menu: Shop, Cart, Checkout, Orders, Help, Human
3. Shop opens mobile catalog URL with a session token
4. Agents reply from WhatsApp → Conversations

12. Payments

WhatsApp has no native in-chat card capture in this plugin. Checkout sends a payment link (Stripe / PayPal / Crypto).

1. Install and configure Stripe and/or PayPal (and Crypto if used)
2. Set Payment fallback gateway in WhatsApp Settings
3. Test bot checkout → payment CTA → return / paid status

13. Features map

Feature	How it works
Order notifications	order created / paid / shipped / tracking / cancelled
Storefront widget	Floating wa.me button (page filters)
Support bot	Webhook → interactive menu
Mobile shop	/whatsapp/shop?token=…
Abandoned cart	Phone at checkout → reminder after ~1 hour
Campaigns	Batch templates to opted-in users
Spin wheel	Coupon prizes via WhatsApp when phone is known

14. Admin pages

Page	Path
Setup Guide	whatsapp/setup-guide
Settings	whatsapp/settings
Templates	whatsapp/templates
Products	whatsapp/products
Orders	whatsapp/orders
Conversations	whatsapp/conversations
Campaigns	whatsapp/campaigns
Logs	whatsapp/logs

15. URL reference

Path	Purpose
GET/POST /whatsapp/webhook	Meta verify + inbound events (signed)
/whatsapp/shop	Mobile catalog checkout

16. Go-live checklist

1. Business app + WhatsApp product + verified phone
2. Permanent System User token (not only temporary)
3. App Secret saved; webhook verifies green in Meta
4. Subscribed to messages
5. Utility templates approved + mapped in Templates
6. Test connection OK; bot replies
7. Test order notification with customer phone
8. Payment gateway fallback working

17. Troubleshooting

Issue	Fix
Webhook verify fails	Verify token must match exactly; store HTTPS; GET to /whatsapp/webhook allowed
Inbound webhooks rejected	Save App Secret — signature verification is required
Messages not sending	Token scopes, Phone Number ID, Logs; outside 24h needs approved template
Template not found	Name + language must match Meta exactly; status ACTIVE
Payment link broken	Configure Stripe/PayPal/Crypto; set fallback gateway
Catalog sync fails	Catalog ID + catalog_management; public HTTPS product images

Official references:
Cloud API Get Started · Webhooks · Templates · Messages API · LiteShoper WhatsApp