WhatsApp alerts
WhatsApp is the channel customers actually open. It’s also the most expensive and most regulated of Fexl Lite’s notification options — every outbound message has to come from a verified business phone number, must use a pre-approved template, and Meta charges per conversation. This page covers the Business API onboarding, the template-approval flow, and the math you need to plan a notification budget.
Onboarding the phone number
WhatsApp Business Cloud API uses a phone number as the sender. The number can be brand-new or an existing line you migrate over — but once it’s on the API, you can’t use it in the regular WhatsApp app on your phone. Pick a dedicated number for this.
Sign up at Meta Business
Visit business.facebook.com with the same Facebook account you’ll associate with the business. Create a Business Manager account if you don’t have one.
Add WhatsApp
Inside Business Manager → Add WhatsApp Account → walk through the verification flow. You’ll need a working phone number (SMS or voice) to receive the verification code, plus your business documents (tax ID, registration certificate) for the next step.
Get verified
Meta runs a business-verification check (1-7 days, sometimes longer). Until verified, you’re capped at 250 conversations / 24 hours and can’t message new customers — only those who messaged you first.
Generate an access token
Meta Business → System Users → create a system user → assign the WhatsApp Business Account → generate a permanent access token. Copy it. This is what Fexl Lite uses to send messages.
Find the phone number ID
In the WhatsApp settings, the API surfaces a numeric phone number ID (not the phone number itself — a separate identifier). Copy it.
Paste into Settings → Notifications
Fexl Lite needs three values: the phone number ID, the access token, and the WhatsApp Business Account ID (also from Meta Business). Paste them into Settings → Notifications → WhatsApp panel and toggle Enable WhatsApp.
The Test message button sends a hello_world template to a number you specify. If the number is yours and the message lands, you’re live.
Templates — the policy gate
Outbound WhatsApp messages must use templates approved by Meta. Fexl Lite ships three templates pre-approved for retail use:
| Template | When it fires | Variables |
|---|---|---|
low_stock_alert | Stock crosses threshold | product name, qty remaining |
big_sale_alert | Invoice exceeds big-sale threshold | invoice number, total, customer name |
daily_summary | Business-day-end | revenue, invoice count, top product |
A template’s text and structure are fixed; only the variables change per message. You can’t add a template through Fexl Lite — custom templates need to be drafted and submitted via Meta Business directly, then approved (24-72 hours typical). When approved, they show up in Fexl Lite’s template picker on the next sync.
Pricing — the budget math
Meta prices WhatsApp by conversation, not by message. A conversation is a 24-hour window opened by your first message (or the customer’s first). Within that window, you can send unlimited messages — only one charge.
Indicative per-conversation pricing (Meta reviews these quarterly):
| Region | Service / utility | Marketing |
|---|---|---|
| North America | $0.014 | $0.025 |
| Latin America | $0.005 | $0.060 |
| MENA / Gulf | $0.034 | $0.044 |
| India | $0.001 | $0.010 |
| Europe | $0.030 | $0.080 |
Most retail use cases fall under utility (transactional notifications about an existing order or account). Marketing pricing applies to outbound promo blasts.
A 200-customer / day shop sending a daily-summary alert and 30 low-stock alerts spends roughly $5-30 / month depending on region. Cheap. A 200-customer / day shop sending an order-ready ping to every customer spends 30× that. Plan accordingly.
Quota concerns
Two limits to know:
- Tier limits — new numbers start at 250 unique-customer messages / 24h, ramping to 1k / 10k / 100k / unlimited as your volume builds without quality issues. Most retail accounts plateau at the 1k tier and never need more.
- Quality rating — Meta scores your number on customer feedback (block / report rates). Drop below “high” quality and the tier resets. Avoid the rate by only messaging customers who clearly opted in, and respecting unsubscribe.
If a customer replies STOP or blocks you, Fexl Lite respects it — the number is added to a per-tenant block list and skipped on every future send.
Troubleshooting
- Test message fails with
template not approved— the template name in your config doesn’t match an approved template. Check the picker for the exact strings. - Messages send successfully but customer doesn’t get them — customer’s phone uses a non-WhatsApp service, or they’ve blocked your number. Fexl Lite reports the send as successful (Meta accepted it) but delivery to the device may not happen.
- Sudden 500 errors — Meta’s API occasionally drops; the worker retries with exponential backoff. If it persists, check Meta’s status page.
Related
Notifications tab
Where the phone number ID and access token actually live.
Telegram notifications
The free, faster, less-regulated channel — start here.
Customer phone numbers
The phone field on a customer record drives WhatsApp send routing.
All integrations
Hardware and external services that plug into Fexl Lite.