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How to connect WhatsApp to Circl

WhatsAppsetupguideimport

WhatsApp is where your strongest relationships actually play out. Quick check-ins, voice notes, group chats. It's also the channel most CRMs completely ignore.

Circl doesn't. Every WhatsApp message gets synced in real-time and matched to the right contact.

How it works

Circl connects through the WhatsApp Business API using webhooks. Once configured, incoming messages flow straight into Circl and land on the right contact's timeline - alongside their emails, meetings, and LinkedIn messages.

WhatsApp Meta webhook (real-time push) Circl phone matching Contact timeline

What you'll need: A Meta Business Account with WhatsApp Business API access, a System User Access Token from Meta Business Settings, your WhatsApp Business Account ID (WABA), and the App Secret from Meta's App Dashboard.

Setup

1
Enter Meta credentials
2
Configure webhook in Meta
3
Subscribe to messages
4
Test with a message

1. Enter credentials in Circl

Go to Connections in the sidebar. Find WhatsApp. Paste your Access Token, WhatsApp Business Account ID, and App Secret. Hit Save credentials.

2. Configure the webhook

After saving, Circl generates a unique webhook URL and verify token. You'll see both on the connection card.

In Meta Business Manager:

  1. Open your WhatsApp app configuration
  2. Go to Webhooks
  3. Paste Circl's webhook URL and verify token
  4. Subscribe to the messages field

3. Test it

Send a message. It should show up in Circl within seconds. Check the connection card for a "Last message received" timestamp.

Contact matching

WhatsApp messages come with phone numbers, not names. Circl matches them automatically to contacts with that phone number on file.

No match? The message goes to Connections > WhatsApp > Unresolved. From there you can link the number to an existing contact or create a new one. All past messages from that number get reassigned.

What gets synced

  • Incoming messages via webhook (real-time)
  • Sender, timestamp, message type
  • Message content (if enabled in Settings > Import Preferences)
  • Manual sync pulls recent conversation data

Tips

  • Add phone numbers to your contacts in Circl so messages auto-match from day one
  • Check unresolved messages regularly - they're people in your life who aren't in your CRM yet
  • Use the health check on the connection card to verify your webhook is alive