Exotel’s Omnichannel API provides exciting Whatsapp features for businesses. Now, businesses can send and receive unlimited messages from end-users using the newly launched API. API specifications can be accessed here [Link].
Some of the additional benefits of Omnichannel API are:
API can be used to send messages individually as well as in bulk with dynamic content to a set of end users.
API is highly scalable to support your traffic. It is also provisioned to scale further.
API provides an ability to send custom data in a custom parameter and receive the sent custom data in the callback URL.
You can configure upto 3 callback URLs per number to receive message statuses and incoming messages from end users in all the callback URLs.
Following are the list of message features which we currently offer:
1- Send Whatsapp Template Messages - This feature enables businesses to initiate Whatsapp conversations with the end-users. Businesses are only allowed to send message templates approved by Meta. Exotel facilitates creation of message templates for the businesses and helps in the approval process.
Following are the type of message template that can be triggered:
Text Message Template - Enables businesses to send text based message templates.
*Video Message Template - Enables businesses to send video in a message template.
*Image Message Template - Enables businesses to send an image in a message template.
*Document Message Template - Enables businesses to send a document in a message template.
Interactive Message Template - Enables businesses to attach interactive components along with business initiated text/media conversations. Interactive components can be ‘Call-To-Action’ or ‘Quick Reply’ button. ‘Call-To-Action’ allows users to call a phone number and visit a website. ‘Quick Reply’ button allows customers to return a simple text message.
2- Send Free-Form Whatsapp Messages - This feature enables businesses to send free-form whatsapp messages to the end users in a 24 hour conversation window once the conversation gets initiated with the end user.
Following are the type of free-form messages that can be triggered:
Text Messages - Enables businesses to send free-form text messages.
*Audio Messages - Enables businesses to send audio in a free-form message.
*Video Messages - Enables businesses to send video in a free-form message.
*Document Messages - Enables businesses to send a document in a free-form message.
*Image Messages - Enables businesses to send an image in a free-form message.
*Sticker Messages - Enables businesses to send a sticker in a free-form message.
Location Messages - Enables businesses to send free-form location messages.
Contact Messages - Enables businesses to send free-form contact messages.
Interactive Messages - Enables businesses to send free-form interactive messages. Interactive messages can be either in the form of ‘List Messages’ or ‘Reply Buttons’.
Send Messages as a reply to a message - Enable businesses to send free-form any supported message type as a reply to previous message in a conversation by including previous message’s Id in the context object. The recipient will receive the new message along with a contextual bubble that displays the previous message's content.
3- Receive Incoming Messages From End Users - This feature enables businesses to receive messages sent by end users to business’s whatsapp number. End users can send messages to either initiate a conversation with the business or reply in a conversation initiated by the business.
Text Messages - Enable businesses to receive text messages from end-users
Response from quick reply button - Enable businesses to receive notification when user clicks on ‘Quick Reply Button’ in an interactive message template
Answer from list messages - Enable businesses to receive answers from free-form interactive list messages from end-users
Answer to reply button - Enable businesses to receive answers to a free-form interactive reply button from end- users
Audio Messages - Enable businesses to receive audio in a message from end-users
Video Messages - Enable businesses to receive video in a message from end-users
Document Messages - Enable businesses to receive document in a message from end-users
Image Messages - Enable businesses to receive image in a message from end-users
Sticker Messages - Enable businesses to receive sticker in a message from end-users
Location Messages - It will enable businesses to receive location messages.
Contact Messages - It will enable businesses to receive contact messages.
Unknown Messages - It will enable businesses to receive unknown message notification when an end-user will send messages which are in unsupported format
Triggered by click to Whatsapp Ads - It will enable businesses to receive messages sent by end-users via Click to Whatsapp Ads
User Changed number notification - It will enable businesses to receive notification when a user changes phone number on whatsapp
4- Product catalog messages - This feature will enable businesses to send single product/multiple product messages and receive responses from end-users. It also allows businesses to enquire for more information and place orders on Whatsapp.
5- Mark messages as read - This feature will enable businesses to mark messages as ‘Read’ sent by users. Marking a message as Read will also mark earlier messages in conversation as Read. ‘Read’ marking means 2 blue check marks alongside a timestamp.
* Implies media messages. Currently media based template and free-form messages can only be sent via URL. Businesses need to host the media on their server, generate URL and send the respective URL in the message payload.
Following are the list of Whatsapp features which we will start supporting soon on Omnichannel API:
1- Send Whatsapp media template and free-form messages via ID - This feature will enable businesses to send media template and free-form messages via id.
If you have any questions or concerns, please connect with us using the chat widget on your Exotel Dashboard or Whatsapp us on 08088919888.