13-Day Heartbeat

Why the WhatsApp Business app must be opened every 13 days and how Dualhook tracks it.

Looking for the high-level overview first? Start with WhatsApp Coexistence and then return here for the implementation details.

Requirement

In coexistence setups, the WhatsApp Business App must be opened at least once every 13 days. If missed, webhook delivery can degrade or stop.

Why Dualhook Cannot Auto-Detect App Opens

Because message-path webhooks are routed directly to your endpoint via Webhook Override, and Dualhook does not retain conversation content, Dualhook cannot infer mobile app usage from message traffic. Heartbeat acknowledgment is intentionally manual.

Heartbeat States

Dualhook computes status from the last acknowledged app-open time:

  • OK — heartbeat is current
  • DUE_SOON — deadline approaching
  • OVERDUE — the 13-day window has lapsed
  • UNKNOWN — no heartbeat has been recorded yet

Reminder Behavior

Dualhook sends reminder emails for due and overdue states. Reminder events are deduplicated — at most once per 24 hours per connection.

Recommended Routine

  1. Assign a primary and backup heartbeat owner.
  2. Open the WhatsApp Business App on a weekly schedule.
  3. Acknowledge heartbeat in Dualhook immediately after opening.
  4. Treat OVERDUE as an operational incident.

Related

  • WhatsApp CoexistenceHow Coexistence mode works: using WhatsApp Business App and Cloud API on the same number.
  • WhatsApp Webhook OverrideHow Dualhook uses WhatsApp Webhook Override to route supported customer-path webhooks directly from Meta to your server.
  • Messaging Health StatusMonitor phone number health: AVAILABLE, LIMITED, BLOCKED states and quality rating.
Browse more docsStart Free Trial