How to extend WhatsApp conversations

You will learn how to set up and manage the WhatsApp templates your team can use to continue customer conversations past the standard 24-hour limit.

Before you begin

Before you begin, you’ll need to set up WhatsApp in Klaviyo. This involves connecting your WhatsApp Business account to Klaviyo, getting a phone number, and verifying your account.

These instructions are for customers who have already set up the Klaviyo + Gorgias integration.

Set up extending conversations

When a customer sends an inbound WhatsApp message, it opens a 24 hour service window. This window allows your brand to respond without needing the response pre-approved in WhatsApp. Every time the customer responds, this window refreshes and you again have 24 hours to respond.

Once 24 hours have passed, the window is closed, and you’ll need to follow up using a pre-approved template to prompt the customer to extend the conversation.

For your support agent to be able to follow up, you’ll first need to enable a setting in Klaviyo:

1. In Klaviyo, click your organization name in the lower left.
2. Select Settings > WhatsApp.
3. Under Follow up to extend conversation, check the box to Send a follow-up template to customers after 24 hours.
   
4. Select a template from the dropdown that you want to use for this message. Learn about creating WhatsApp templates through Klaviyo.
5. Click Save.

Additional resources

Connect your WhatsApp business account to Klaviyo

Getting started with Gorgias (general guide)