WhatsApp Business API
Also called: WhatsApp Business Platform, WhatsApp Cloud API
The WhatsApp Business API is Meta's programmatic interface that lets a business send and receive WhatsApp messages at scale through software, with approved message templates, automation, and multiple agents, as opposed to the free WhatsApp Business app designed for a single phone.
WhatsApp Business API in dealership marketing
The API is what makes automated first responses, nurture journeys, and CRM integration possible. The app cannot do these things, and running a dealership's lead follow-up from one salesperson's handset creates an obvious continuity risk.
Business-initiated messages must use templates that Meta has approved, and are priced by category: utility messages such as confirmations and reminders cost less than marketing messages. Replies within the customer-service window after a customer writes in are free-form.
Related terms
- Messaging & Compliance
Message template
A message template is the pre-approved wording of a business message, with placeholders for variable details such as the customer's name or appointment time, that must be registered on DLT for SMS or approved by Meta for WhatsApp before it can be sent.
Read definition - Messaging & Compliance
Opt-in consent
Opt-in consent is a customer's explicit, recorded agreement to receive messages from a business, and it is the basis on which promotional WhatsApp and SMS communication is permitted in India.
Read definition - Leads & Sales
Speed to lead
Speed to lead is the time between a buyer submitting an enquiry and the dealership's first meaningful response, measured in minutes rather than hours because buyers in competitive markets are usually talking to several showrooms at once.
Read definition
Where it applies
AutoSutra services where whatsapp business api comes into play.
Further reading
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