WhatsApp: how-to

Step-by-step instructions for every WhatsApp task. For what each option means, see WhatsApp; for problems, see WhatsApp: troubleshooting; for common questions, see WhatsApp: FAQs.

Find your task

If you’re here because…	Go to
You want to start using WhatsApp	Choose how to set up WhatsApp
You want COHO to give you a number	Opt in to a COHO-provided number
You already have a WhatsApp Business number	Connect your own WhatsApp Business number
You’re waiting for your number	Check your setup status
You want to know how much you’ve used	See your usage
You’ve run out of conversation credits	Top up conversation credits
You want to stop using WhatsApp	Disconnect WhatsApp
You changed your mind about disconnecting	Cancel a disconnection
You want to message someone on WhatsApp	Message someone on WhatsApp
You’re on a lead, viewing, maintenance issue, owner or onboarding	Message someone from a WhatsApp tab
Someone has replied on WhatsApp	Find and reply to WhatsApp conversations
A lead prefers WhatsApp	Make WhatsApp a lead’s main channel
A tenant wants texts instead of WhatsApp, or the other way round	Help someone switch between WhatsApp and SMS

Choose how to set up WhatsApp

Do this before you set up WhatsApp, to pick the right option.

Choose Opt in to WhatsApp if…	Choose Connect your WhatsApp if…
You want COHO to provide and look after the number	You want messages to come from a number you already own
You don’t have a Meta business account	You have a Meta business account with a WhatsApp Business account
You want one monthly plan from COHO, with conversation credits or unlimited	You’re happy for Meta to bill WhatsApp message charges to your Meta account, as well as COHO’s monthly add-on

Before you start: you need a payment method saved in Your Account, write permission for Integrations, and Change subscription and packages.

1. Click Menu > Your Account.
2. Scroll down and click WhatsApp (it’s already open if you haven’t set it up).
3. Read the prices shown, then click Opt in to WhatsApp or Connect your WhatsApp.

What happens next: continue with Opt in to a COHO-provided number or Connect your own WhatsApp Business number.

Note

Opt in to WhatsApp only shows while COHO-provided numbers are available. If you only see Connect your WhatsApp, you can still use your own number, or check back later.

Opt in to a COHO-provided number

Do this when you want COHO to give you a new WhatsApp Business number.

Before you start: a payment method saved in Your Account, write permission for Integrations, and Change subscription and packages.

1. In Your Account > WhatsApp, click Opt in to WhatsApp.
2. In Connect WhatsApp, pick a plan. Each shows its monthly price and either “Includes [n] conversation credits” or “Unlimited conversations, subject to fair use”.
3. Tick I agree to the WhatsApp terms and conditions.
4. Click Accept & Connect.

What happens next: COHO bills the plan and starts setting up your number. The window says “Your WhatsApp number is being set up — this can take a few minutes. You’ll be notified once it’s ready.” The WhatsApp section shows the same until it’s done, then “Your COHO WhatsApp number is [number]”. See Check your setup status.

Tip

Credits on a plan expire 12 months after they’re added.

Connect your own WhatsApp Business number

Do this when you want COHO to send and receive WhatsApp messages on a number you already have.

Before you start:

• a payment method saved in Your Account, write permission for Integrations, and Change subscription and packages;
• a Meta (Facebook) business account with a WhatsApp Business account linked to it, and the Facebook login for it;
• a payment method you can add to your Meta account for WhatsApp charges (step 8);
• a phone number to use. A dedicated number is recommended. To keep using the number in the WhatsApp Business app as well, choose Coexistence;
• your browser allowing pop-ups from COHO.

1. In Your Account > WhatsApp, click Connect your WhatsApp.
2. In Connect WhatsApp, read the price and the note about Meta’s charges, and tick I agree to the terms and conditions.
3. Click Continue under Cloud API only (Recommended), or under Coexistence.
4. A Facebook window opens. Log in, and click Continue to accept Meta’s terms.
5. Choose the Business portfolio and WhatsApp Business account to share with COHO.
6. Under Add your WhatsApp phone number, pick your number. If it isn’t listed, enter it in the Phone number fields to add it.
7. Check the permissions COHO asks for, and accept.
8. Wait while Meta sets things up. When it says “Your account is connected to COHO”, click Add payment method and add a payment method to your Meta account for WhatsApp charges. Without one, Meta can refuse to deliver your messages, and COHO’s automatic notifications to your tenants will go by SMS instead.
9. Click Finish.

What happens next: the window closes and the WhatsApp section says “You are connected to WhatsApp with [number]”. You can message on WhatsApp straight away. Nothing from your existing WhatsApp chats is imported. COHO’s automatic notifications to your tenants now come from your number too. Meta may review your business and contact you if there’s an issue.

Caution

If the window closes with an error at the bottom, nothing has been connected. Check the message against WhatsApp: troubleshooting and try again.

Check your setup status

Do this after opting in, to see whether your number is ready.

1. Click Menu > Your Account, and open WhatsApp.
2. Read the message:
   • “Your WhatsApp number is being set up — this can take a few minutes.”: still in progress. Check again in a few minutes.
   • “An error has occurred while setting up your WhatsApp integration, please contact support”: setup failed. Contact COHO support.
   • “Your COHO WhatsApp number is [number]” or “You are connected to WhatsApp with [number]”: ready.

What happens next: once it’s ready, WhatsApp appears as a medium and filter in the Message Centre, and as a tab on leads, viewings, maintenance issues, owners and onboardings. Reload the page if you don’t see them yet.

See your usage

Do this when you want to know how many WhatsApp messages you’ve sent, or how many credits are left.

Before you start: you need view permission for Organisation settings.

1. In Your Account > WhatsApp, look under Usage: the number of messages sent this billing period and, for a COHO-provided number with credits, how many credits you’ve used and your Remaining balance.
2. Click Show more details to see each message.
3. Choose a date range, or type in Search…, and click Filter.
4. Click Export CSV to download the list (up to 12 months at a time).

What happens next: the list shows Sent, Contact, Preview and Usage for each message. “Free” means the message didn’t use a credit, for example a reply within 24 hours of the person’s last message. For what uses a credit and what’s free, see Conversation credits.

Top up conversation credits

Do this when you use a COHO-provided number with a credits plan, and your balance is low or used up.

Before you start: you need a payment method saved and permission to buy credits.

1. In Your Account > WhatsApp, under Usage, click Top-up Credits.
2. Choose an amount and confirm.

What happens next: your balance goes up straight away and you can send again. Top-ups join your plan credits in one balance, and expire 12 months after you buy them. For how credits work, see Conversation credits.

Disconnect WhatsApp

Do this when you want to stop using WhatsApp in COHO.

Before you start: you need write permission for Integrations. If you use a COHO-provided number, it will be given up; if you opt in again later you’ll get a new number.

1. In Your Account > WhatsApp, click Disconnect WhatsApp integration.
2. Read the message and click Disconnect.

What happens next:

• If you’ve paid for the current period, WhatsApp keeps working until it ends. The section says “Your WhatsApp service ends on [date] and will not renew.” Then COHO disconnects it.
• Otherwise it says “Your WhatsApp number is being disconnected — this may take a few moments.”, then that it’s been disconnected.
• WhatsApp lead conversations move back to COHO Messenger, and the WhatsApp medium, filter and tabs disappear.
• With your own number, also disconnect COHO in the WhatsApp Business app under Settings → Account → Business Platform to remove COHO completely.

Cancel a disconnection

Do this when you’ve disconnected but WhatsApp is still running to the end of your paid period, and you want to keep it.

1. In Your Account > WhatsApp, click Cancel opt-out.

What happens next: the end date disappears and your WhatsApp renews as normal.

Message someone on WhatsApp

Do this when you want to start a WhatsApp chat with a tenant, applicant, owner or supplier.

Before you start: your WhatsApp must be set up and active, the person needs a mobile number in COHO, and you need edit permission for Conversations. With a COHO-provided number on a credits plan, you need conversation credits.

1. In the Message Centre, click +. (Or click Message in the dashboard’s quick-add buttons.)
2. Pick the Recipients.
3. Under Medium, choose WhatsApp.
4. Click Next and write your message. There’s no subject or Attach file for WhatsApp.
5. Check the details and send.

What happens next: COHO creates one WhatsApp conversation per person, named after them, and sends your message. Each person gets their own message and only sees their own conversation; on a credits plan, each one uses a credit. If you already have a WhatsApp conversation with that number, your message is added to it instead. Click Open conversation or Open message centre to see it.

Note

If the person hasn’t messaged you in the last 24 hours, they receive your text inside a standard message: “You have received a message from [your organisation].” Keep it under 1,024 characters.

Message someone from a WhatsApp tab

Do this when you’re looking at a lead, viewing, private maintenance issue, property owner or single-tenant onboarding and want to chat with that person on WhatsApp.

Before you start: your WhatsApp must be set up and active, and the person needs a mobile number.

1. Open the record and click the WhatsApp tab (next to History).
2. Type your message and send it.
3. To open the chat in the Message Centre, click the new-window icon.

What happens next: the message goes from your WhatsApp number. If there’s no chat yet, COHO starts one with that number. Replies appear on this tab and in the Message Centre.

Find and reply to WhatsApp conversations

Do this when someone has replied on WhatsApp, or you want to carry on a chat.

1. In the Message Centre, open the Messages filter and choose WhatsApp. WhatsApp conversations have a WhatsApp icon.
2. Click the conversation.
3. Type your reply. To send a file, attach it (JPEG, PNG, WebP, MP4, 3GP, PDF or common office documents). Each file goes as its own WhatsApp message.
4. Send.

Caution

Files can’t carry text. If you type text and attach a file in the same send, only the file goes. Send your text first, then send the file on its own. On a credits plan, each one uses a credit.

What happens next: the reply goes to the person’s WhatsApp. The history shows “WhatsApp message delivered”, and you’ll see when they’ve read it. If the person replied in the last 24 hours, your message goes exactly as written (up to 4,096 characters).

Tip

From a viewing, click View WhatsApp Conversation to go straight to the chat.

Make WhatsApp a lead’s main channel

Do this when an applicant has agreed to talk to you on WhatsApp.

Before you start: your WhatsApp must be active, and the lead needs a mobile number that hasn’t opted out.

1. New lead conversation: when you invite them to a viewing, tick Use WhatsApp as the main communication channel for this lead?
2. Existing lead conversation: edit the lead, and tick (or untick) Use WhatsApp as the main communication channel for this lead?, then save.

What happens next: the lead’s conversation runs on WhatsApp, and their viewing notifications are added to it. Unticking it moves the conversation back to COHO Messenger. See Viewings.

Help someone switch between WhatsApp and SMS

Share these steps when a tenant, applicant, owner or supplier asks to get texts instead of WhatsApp messages from COHO, or WhatsApp instead of texts. Only they can change this.

To stop WhatsApp completely:

1. Reply STOP to any WhatsApp message from COHO or from you; or
2. Log in to COHO, open the user menu (top right) > Settings, and under Subscriptions open WhatsApp Settings. Turn off WhatsApp notifications.

To get only some notifications by SMS:

1. Open Settings > Subscriptions > WhatsApp Settings.
2. Leave WhatsApp notifications on, and turn off each type they want by SMS, such as Viewing invitations or Rent reminders.

To get WhatsApp again after opting out:

1. Open Settings > Subscriptions > WhatsApp Settings.
2. Turn WhatsApp notifications back on.

What happens next: after STOP, they get “You’ve been opted out of COHO WhatsApp notifications. You may still receive SMS.” From then on, notifications come by SMS and nobody can message them on WhatsApp from COHO. Their WhatsApp lead conversations move back to COHO Messenger.

Note

WhatsApp Settings only shows if their COHO profile has a mobile number, and it applies to that number. Someone without a COHO account can opt out with STOP, but needs an account to opt back in.