Overview

This article refers to the procedure of enabling receiving and sending messages and some media objects through Sinch's WhatsApp for Business integration and using XCALLY's Openchannels.  The benefits of performing this integration include:

• Distribute WhatsApp messages across XCALLY agents and/or team
• Enable automation on inbound messages
• Enable bots for inbound messages
• Allow multiple simultaneous interactions with the same WhatsApp Business enabled number
• Obtain comprehensive reporting on received interactions

Please check this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZSDa53KQOds for a better perspective on this integration.

Requirements

Please consider these elements are mandatory requirements for this integration to work properly:

• A valid and working Sinch 
• A WhatsApp for Business number enabled on Sinch's Conversation API platform
• A Project ID
• An App ID
• A Key ID
• A Key Secret

Once this group of credentials are handy please open a ticket with LinkedIP's support team and request a hosted Sinch-Conversation API hosted integration for WhatsApp.   LinkedIP's will enable a cloud hosted integration for you.

XCALLY Procedure

When a hosted integration is requested for WhatsApp and Sinch Conversational API our support team will provide you one or several URLs for your integrations.  Now let's guide you through the Openchannel procedure.

1. Create a new Openchannel account

Go to Open Channel menu and then go to Open Channel Accounts:

Then click on the Add button ('') at the right bottom of the screen.

2. Create a new Open Channel account

Please add a name for your integration.  We strongly suggest the name of the integration should be equivalent to the WhatsApp number that is being enabled.  Please use the E164 standard (country code + area code + number).   Next do establish a 5 digit Key to relate this account so your agents can easy identify the account.  Now insert the Reply URL provided by our support team and finally select a List to work with.

Click on Add Open Channel Account.

3. Edit your Open Channel Account.

Now locate your recent created Open Channel account:

3.1. Take note of your Open Channel ID:  Please provide back the number under the ID column associated to your new Open Channel account as our support team will need it to complete the integration.

3.2. Edit your Open Channel account: click on the three dots ("") at the end of the Open Channel account.

3.3. Set a Map Key: Scroll down till you see Map Key option and select Phone as the mapping key.  

3.4. Build your action plan:   Now navigate to Actions tab at the top of the screen and click there.

NOTE: Make sure you add at least an action that delivers messages to one of your team members. The simplest action plan could be either to send the interaction to a specific agent or may also send the interaction to a queue where agents or a Team is standing by.

3.5. Save:  Click on the Save button at the top right of the screen.

3.6. Update our support team: Please update your ticket request with our support team and let them know your Open Channel ID.  In case you are creating integrations for multiple numbers please provide the Open Channel ID for each number.

Conclusion

Once you provide the Open Channel ID to our support team they will finish the integration settings and you will be notified so you can start your tests.

If you need a Sinch Conversation API WhatsApp integration with XCALLY please contact us at support@linkedip.com.