Introduction
A WhatsApp Account record stores the credentials and configuration for one WhatsApp Business phone number. You must create at least one WhatsApp Account before any other part of the iVendNext WhatsApp App can be used to send or receive messages.
Path in the application
[Path to be confirmed: navigate to WhatsApp Account in iVendNext Desk.]
Prerequisites
Before you create a WhatsApp Account, gather the following:
A decision on which API provider you will use: Meta (the official WhatsApp Cloud API) or WASender (a third-party WhatsApp API service).
For a Meta account: an active WhatsApp Business Account on the Meta Business Platform, with a registered phone number, an approved display name, and the following credentials available from your Meta Developer dashboard — Access Token, API URL, API Version, Phone Number ID, App ID, Business Account ID, and a Webhook Verify Token of your choosing.
For a WASender account: an active WASender subscription, the WASender API endpoint URL, and your WASender API Key.
Permissions on the iVendNext site equivalent to System Manager or higher.
How to create
Open a new WhatsApp Account record.
Set Account Type to either Meta or WASender. Fields specific to the unchosen provider will be hidden.
Enter an Account Name to identify this account in lists and dropdowns elsewhere in the system. Account names must be unique.
If Account Type is Meta, complete the Meta Settings section:
Enter the Token (your Meta Access Token).
Enter the URL (typically https://graph.facebook.com).
Enter the Version (e.g. v18.0).
Enter the Webhook Verify Token — any string you choose, which must match the value you configure in your Meta Developer dashboard.
Enter the Phone ID, App ID, and Business ID from your Meta dashboard.
- If Account Type is WASender, complete the WASender Settings section:
Enter the WASender URL.
Enter the WA Sender API Key.
Set Status to Active once credentials are entered. Inactive accounts will not send or receive messages.
Optionally set Is Default Outgoing to designate this account as the system-wide default for outgoing messages. Only one account can hold this designation at a time. Setting it on a new account automatically clears it on any previous default. WASender accounts are marked as default outgoing automatically and the field is read-only.
Optionally set Is Default Incoming to designate this account as the system-wide default for incoming messages from Meta's webhook.
Optionally set Allow Auto Read Receipt to send a read receipt automatically when a message arrives on this account.
Save the record.
Features
Account Type
Selects the underlying API provider. Meta uses the official WhatsApp Cloud API and supports the full feature set — template approval workflow, media headers, interactive buttons and lists, WhatsApp Flows, and granular status webhooks. WASender is a third-party provider with a simpler setup and a narrower feature surface; templates are rendered locally with variable substitution and sent as plain text, and Flows are not supported.
Multi-account support
You can create any number of WhatsApp Account records. Different accounts can serve different brands, regions, or store groups, each tied to its own WhatsApp Business phone number. Templates and notifications can be routed to specific accounts; the default account is used only when no specific account is selected.
Default outgoing and default incoming designation
Each iVendNext site can designate one account as the default outgoing sender and one as the default recipient of incoming webhooks. These designations are enforced at save time: setting a new default automatically clears the flag on any previous default.
Credential encryption
The Meta Access Token is stored using iVendNext's encrypted password field type. It is never displayed in the UI after save and is not exposed in API responses.
Webhook verification
The Webhook Verify Token is used to verify webhook subscriptions from Meta. When Meta sends a verification request, the system matches the token against the values stored on active Meta accounts and returns the verification challenge automatically.
Auto-read receipts
When Allow Auto Read Receipt is enabled, incoming messages on this account trigger an automatic read receipt to the sender, marking the message as read in the customer's WhatsApp client.
Account-scoped routing
Templates created in iVendNext are each linked to a specific WhatsApp Account, and inherit the account's type. When a message is sent using a template, it is routed through the account that template belongs to. Bulk WhatsApp Messages can also be set to use a specific account, overriding the default outgoing setting.
Status control
Setting Status to Inactive disables the account immediately. Inactive accounts are excluded from default-outgoing and default-incoming lookups, are not synced with Meta, and will not send messages even if explicitly selected.
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