Configure Welcome, Ice Breakers & Commands

Prerequisites

Before configuration:

• Phone number is active on your WABA
• You have admin access to WhatsApp Manager for that number
• Your webhook endpoint is reachable and returning HTTP 200 quickly

Configure in WhatsApp Manager

1. Open WhatsApp Manager in Meta Business Manager.
2. Go to Account Tools → Phone Numbers.
3. Click Settings (gear icon) for the target phone number.
4. Under Automations, open Conversational Components.
5. Enable Welcome Messages.
6. Add/update Ice Breakers (up to 4 items).
7. Add/update Commands (up to 30 items).
8. Save changes.

If Conversational Components are not editable, ask the Business Portfolio/WABA admin to grant the required access.

Test Procedure

After configuration, test in the WhatsApp mobile app:

1. Open chat with your business number.
2. For welcome/ice-breaker tests, clear the existing thread first: open the chat, tap the business profile, select Clear Chat → Clear All Messages.
3. Return to the empty thread.
4. Start a new interaction with the business number.

Expected Test Results

Welcome Message

Expected webhook: messages[].type = "request_welcome" — see Welcome, Ice Breakers & Commands for the full payload shape.

Ice Breaker Tap

Standard inbound text message with messages[].text.body equal to the selected prompt text.

Command Usage

Standard inbound text message with messages[].text.body starting with /.

Troubleshooting

If tests do not behave as expected:

1. Confirm the webhook verify token and inbound webhook POST payload validation are correct.
2. Confirm callback URL is reachable over HTTPS and returns HTTP 200.
3. Confirm no old chat thread remains when testing welcome messages and ice breakers.
4. Confirm command/ice-breaker limits are respected (length and count).
5. Re-open Conversational Components in WhatsApp Manager and verify the saved values.