Connect WhatsApp
Link your clinic’s WhatsApp number so patients can message and book, and reminders can go out automatically.
Steps
- From the dashboard, open "Connect WhatsApp".
- Before you start: the number must not already be registered on WhatsApp or WhatsApp Business (remove it first if it is), it needs to be able to receive an SMS or call for verification, and you’ll need a Meta (Facebook) Business account.
- Enter the clinic’s phone number, with country code, and the WhatsApp Business Account ID from Meta Business Manager’s WhatsApp Accounts page.
- Submit to connect the number.
- Once connected, patients can message the number and book themselves, and you can reply to anyone who has messaged in the last 24 hours — this part works immediately.
- Automatic reminders and confirmations use message templates, which Meta has to approve — this typically takes a couple of days. Bookings work in the meantime; only the automated outbound reminders wait on approval.
Done when
The clinic number shows as connected on the dashboard, and a test patient message comes through.
Talking points
- Set expectations up front: if the patient messages first, it works the same day. If Clivera messages the patient first (a reminder), that part waits on Meta’s template approval — usually a couple of days.
- This is the one part of onboarding that isn’t fully self-serve — walk the clinic through the Meta Business Manager step rather than leaving them to find the WABA ID on their own.
Common objections
Why can’t reminders go out immediately?
WhatsApp requires Meta to approve any message template a business sends first — that review typically takes a couple of days. It’s a WhatsApp platform rule, not a Clivera limitation.
Can we use a number that’s already on WhatsApp?
Not as-is — it has to be removed from WhatsApp/WhatsApp Business first, since a number can only be registered in one place at a time.