With WhatsApp notifications, Meta allows businesses to contact their users outside of conversations initiated by the users themselves.
These proactive messages, also known as outbound messages, are based on templates approved by Meta. Here’s how to set them up and send them from Botnation.
What is a proactive message or WhatsApp notification?
A proactive message is a message sent at your company’s initiative, without the user having to contact you first. It can be a transactional (utility) notification or a marketing message.
In both cases, three conditions must be met:
- The user must have given their consent (opt-in) to receive messages from you
- The message must be based on a template approved by Meta
- The recipient must have an active WhatsApp number
GOOD TO KNOW
Opt-in consent can be obtained through your website, a form, a QR code, or an initial conversation on WhatsApp. It must be explicit: the user must understand that they are agreeing to receive messages from your company on WhatsApp.
How do I send a proactive message from Botnation?
From your Botnation interface, there are two possible approaches:
Sending triggered by an external event (webhook)
Ideal for automated transactional notifications: order confirmations, shipping alerts, appointment reminders. Botnation receives a signal from your CRM, e-commerce platform, or business tool via a webhook, and triggers the sending of the template to the relevant contact with personalized variables.
Bulk Sending from Botnation (Campaign)
For marketing messages: Select a contact segment, choose an approved template, fill in the variables, and schedule the send.
TIP
Segment your email campaigns. A targeted, relevant message yields much better results than a generic mass email—and reduces the risk of users blocking your emails, which could lower your Meta quality score.
What is the Meta Quality Score, and why is it important?
Meta continuously evaluates the quality of your mailings by analyzing the block and report rates for your messages. A lower score may result in restrictions on your mailing volume or even the suspension of your number.
To maintain a good score:
- Send messages only to contacts who have explicitly opted in
- Make sure your messages are relevant and personalized
- Stick to your sending schedule—avoid overwhelming your contacts
Summary of the types of messages you can send on WhatsApp:
- Opt-in for collected and documented contacts
- Meta-approved template available on Botnation
- Configured custom variables
- Message triggered by a webhook or campaign from Botnation
