### [Setting Up WhatsApp Alerts](https://wpmailsmtp.com/docs/setting-up-whatsapp-alerts/)

**Published:** July 17, 2025
**Author:** David Ozokoye

**Excerpt:** Learn how to set up and configure WhatsApp alerts integration.

**Content:**

Would you like to receive notifications whenever your site fails to send emails? With our WhatsApp integration, you’ll be able to connect WP Mail SMTP to your WhatsApp account and receive notifications for failed emails on your website.

This tutorial will show you how to configure WhatsApp alerts in WP Mail SMTP.

- [Accessing the Email Alerts Page](#email-alerts-page)
- [Creating a Meta App](#creating-an-app)
- [Configuring WhatsApp Connection](#configure-whatsapp)
- [Adding the Recipient's Phone Number to the Meta App](#add-recipient-phone-number)
- [Generating an Access Token](#generate-access-token)
- [Adding Your Access Token](#add-access-token)
- [Frequently Asked Questions](#aioseo-frequently-asked-questions)

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Before getting started, you’ll first need to make sure WP Mail SMTP is [installed and activated](https://wpmailsmtp.com/docs/how-to-install-the-wp-mail-smtp-plugin/) on your WordPress site and that you’ve [verified your license](https://wpmailsmtp.com/docs/how-to-verify-your-wp-mail-smtp-license/).

## Accessing the Email Alerts Page

To begin setting up email alerts from the WordPress dashboard, go to **WP Mail SMTP » Settings** and click on the **Alerts** tab.

![Where to find Alerts in WP Mail SMTP Settings](https://wpmailsmtp.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/email-alert-settings.png)Once here, scroll down to the WhatsApp section. To use the WhatsApp integration, you’ll need to create a custom app on the Meta developer dashboard. Then, enable WhatsApp connection for the app you created and retrieve the authentication details.

Start by toggling the **WhatsApp Alerts** option to the **ON** position.

![Microsoft Teams Alerts](https://wpmailsmtp.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/enable-whatsapp-alerts-1.png)Additional options will appear after enabling WhatsApp Alerts. You’ll need to retrieve your Access Token, WhatsApp Business ID, and Phone Number ID from Meta developer dashboard. Here’s how to get the required details. You can leave this browser tab open as we’ll return to it later.

## Creating a Meta App

First, log in to your [Meta developer account](https://developers.facebook.com/) or create a new one if you already have one.

Once you’re logged in, go to the **My Apps** page and click the **Create App** button.

![Create app](https://wpmailsmtp.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/create-app.png)After that, enter a name for your app in the **App name** field. Then, enter your email in the **App contact email** field and click **Next**.

![Enter app details](https://wpmailsmtp.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/click-next.png)Select the **Other** option in the **Use cases** section and click **Next** to proceed.

![Select Other use cases](https://wpmailsmtp.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/app-use-case.png)After that, select **Business** as the app type and click **Next**.

![Select business app type](https://wpmailsmtp.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/business-app-type.png)Finally, confirm your app details and click **Create app** to complete the app creation process.

![Confirm details and click Create app](https://wpmailsmtp.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/create-app-complete.png)This will direct you to the app dashboard. From there, scroll to the **Add products to your app** section and click **Set up** under the **WhatsApp** section.

![Setup WhatsApp Business API](https://wpmailsmtp.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/setup-whatsapp.png)WhatsApp Business API requires you to select a business profile to associate your app with. Go ahead and choose a profile from the **Select a business portfolio** dropdown.

![Select business portfolio](https://wpmailsmtp.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/click-continue-business-page.png)If you don’t have a business profile, you’ll be prompted to create one before proceeding. Click **Continue** to proceed.

![](https://wpmailsmtp.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/click-continue.png)Then, fill out the new business portfolio registration form and click **Submit**.

![Enter business portfolio details](https://wpmailsmtp.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/enter-business-details.png)## Configuring WhatsApp Connection

After connecting your business portfolio, scroll to the **My products** section and click **Settings** under WhatsApp.

![WhatsApp API settings](https://wpmailsmtp.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/whatsapp-app-settings.png)You’ll be directed to the WhatsApp API configuration page. To proceed, navigate to **WhatsApp » API Setup**.

![WhatsApp Business API Setup](https://wpmailsmtp.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/whatsapp-api-setup.png)WhatsApp will generate test credentials for your integration. You can use the test credentials to connect WhatsApp to your WordPress site.

First, copy the **WhatsApp Business Account ID** from the Meta developer site.

![Copy WhatsApp Business ID](https://wpmailsmtp.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/business-account-id.png)Then return to your WP Mail SMTP settings page and paste it in the **WhatsApp Business Account ID** field.

![WhatsApp Business ID field in WP Mail SMTP](https://wpmailsmtp.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/whatsapp-business-id.png)After that, return to the Meta developer site and copy the **Phone Number ID**.

![Copy Phone number ID](https://wpmailsmtp.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/copy-phone-number-is.png)Next, return to the WP Mail SMTP settings page and paste the value in the **Phone Number ID** field.

![Phone Number ID field in WP Mail SMTP](https://wpmailsmtp.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/paste-phone-number-id.png)After that, enter the WhatsApp number you’d like to receive the alert at in the **To Phone Number** field.

![Enter To Phone Number](https://wpmailsmtp.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/enter-to-number.png)**Note:** You’ll need to register this number in the Meta app before you can receive WhatsApp alerts.

## Adding the Recipient’s Phone Number to the Meta App

To register the recipient’s phone number, go to **WhatsApp » API Setup** from your Meta app dashboard. Then click the **To** dropdown and select **Manage phone number list**.

![Manage phone number list](https://wpmailsmtp.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/manage-phone-number-list.png)In the overlay that appears, make sure to select the correct country code for the phone number you wish to add.

![Confirm country code](https://wpmailsmtp.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/country-code.png)After that, enter the phone number and click **Next**.

![Enter recipient phone number and click next](https://wpmailsmtp.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/enter-phone-number-next.png)You’ll receive a one-time verification code via WhatsApp. Go ahead and enter the 5-digit code and click **Next** to register the number.

![Verify recipient number](https://wpmailsmtp.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/verify-phone-number.png)## Generating an Access Token

You can quickly generate an access token to test your integration by navigating to **WhatsApp » API Setup** and clicking the **Generate access token** button.

![Generate access token](https://wpmailsmtp.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/generate-access-token.png)In the overlay that appears, go ahead and log in to your Meta account. Then select the WhatsApp Business profile you’d like to associate the access token with. Be sure to restrict it to only the work with the current Meta app you’re creating.

Once the token is generated, click the **Copy** button next to the generated access token to copy its value.

![](https://wpmailsmtp.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/copy-access-token.png)However, this token is temporary and is valid for 24 hours. This can lead to your messages not delivering because the token might be inactive.

To ensure your WhatsApp alerts messages always get delivered, you’ll need to generate a permanent access token. Here’s how to do it.

### Creating a System User

Go to [Meta Business Manager](https://business.facebook.com/latest/settings/system_users) and make sure the business portfolio you used for the WhatsApp API connection is selected. Then navigate to the **Settings » Users » System users** page.

![Meta System user settings page](https://wpmailsmtp.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/system-settings.png)Once here, click the **Add** button to proceed.

![Add system user button](https://wpmailsmtp.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/add-system-user-1.png)In the overlay that appears, enter a name in the **System user name** field. This name should ideally be in lower case, separated with a hyphen. For example, ‘whatsapp-alerts’.

![System user name](https://wpmailsmtp.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/system-user-name.png)Next, set the **System user role** to **Admin**.

![System user role](https://wpmailsmtp.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/system-user-role.png)Finally, click the **Create system user** button to continue.

![Click create system user button](https://wpmailsmtp.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/create-system-user-button.png)After creating the system user, you’ll need to assign the user access to your Meta app. To do that, click the **3-dot** icon and select **Assign assets**.

![Assign assets](https://wpmailsmtp.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/assign-assests.png)In the overlay that appears, check the box next to your Meta app.

![Select Meta app](https://wpmailsmtp.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/apps-my-app.png)Then, toggle on the **Manage app** option under **Full control**.

![Grant system user full control](https://wpmailsmtp.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/manage-app-full-control.png)After that, click the **Assign assets** button to proceed.

![Assign assets button](https://wpmailsmtp.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/assign-assests-button.png)Once you’re done assigning the user role, click the **Generate token** button to create an access token.

![Create a new access token button](https://wpmailsmtp.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/generate-token-button.png)In the overlay that appears, click the **Select app** dropdown and choose your Meta app. Then click **Next** to proceed.

![Select meta app](https://wpmailsmtp.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/select-app.png)After that, choose **Never** in the **Token expiration** section and click **Next** to continue.

![](https://wpmailsmtp.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/token-expiration.png)In the **Assign permissions** section, type ‘whatsapp’ in the search bar and enable the **`whatsapp_business_messaging`** and **`whatsapp_business_management`** options.

![Enable WhatsApp Business API options](https://wpmailsmtp.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/enablw-whatsapp-access-token.png)Finally, click the **Generate token** button to create your access token.

![Click the Generate token button](https://wpmailsmtp.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/generate-access-token-button.png)Click the **Copy** icon to copy the token.

![Copy access token](https://wpmailsmtp.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/copy-access-token-super-user.png)## Adding Your Access Token

After that, return to your WP Mail SMTP settings page and paste the value you just copied into the **Access Token** field.

![Paste access token](https://wpmailsmtp.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/paste-access-token.png)Once you’ve finished setting up your WhatsApp Alerts integrations, either save your settings or [continue to add other integrations](https://wpmailsmtp.com/docs/setting-up-email-alerts/). To save your settings, scroll down and click the **Save Settings** button.

![Save your alerts settings](https://wpmailsmtp.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/save-settings-button.png "Save Your Alerts Settings")After saving your settings, WP Mail SMTP will automatically generate a template for your site. At first, you might see **Pending** next to the **WhatsApp Message Template Status** section. Indicating your template is under review by the Meta team.

![Pending template status](https://wpmailsmtp.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/whatsapp-message-template-status.png)You can click the **Recheck Status** link to reconfirm the template status.

![Recheck template status](https://wpmailsmtp.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/recheck-status.png)The pending status occurs because Meta reviews new templates created on their platform. It should take a couple of minutes. It might be longer depending on your account status.

If the template is approved, you’ll see an **Approved** status next to it.

![WhatsApp Template approved](https://wpmailsmtp.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/approved-whatsapp-msg-template.png)You can add multiple WhatsApp Alerts integrations on your site. To do so, click the **Add Another Connection** button.

![Add another Connection button](https://wpmailsmtp.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/add-another-connection-button-1.png)After that, you’ll need to go through the process to set up a [new Meta app](#creating-an-app) and generate an access token for your app.

**Note:** Each WhatsApp integration you create needs to have its own WhatsApp Business API credentials. So you’ll need to create a separate Meta app for each connection you’d like to add.

Once everything is set up correctly, you should receive a WhatsApp message whenever your site fails to send an email.

![WhatsApp alert example](https://wpmailsmtp.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/whatsapp-alerts-mobile.png)## Frequently Asked Questions

Below, we’ve answered some of the top questions we see regarding configuring WhatsApp alerts in WP Mail SMTP.

#### Why are my WhatsApp alert messages not delivering?

This can occur due to a variety of reasons. To troubleshoot and resolve this issue, first verify that your access token is valid and hasn’t expired. Using the temporary access token generated from the WhatsApp Business API configuration page can also lead to messages not delivering. We recommend [creating a system user](#system-user) and generating an access token for the user.

Also, check that the number you added in the To Phone Number field in WP Mail SMTP is formatted properly with the correct country code. Make sure to also [add it as a recipient](#add-recipient-phone-number) to the WhatsApp Business API.

#### How do I fix WhatsApp template not approved issue?

After connecting WP Mail SMTP to WhatsApp, our plugin automatically generates an alert template on your business manager profile. You can access this template from the [Meta Business Manager](https://business.facebook.com/wa/manage/message-templates/) dashboard. You’ll see the **`wp_mail_smtp_alert`** template. An Active status means your template is working properly.

![WP Mail SMTP WhatsApp template](https://wpmailsmtp.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/wp-mail-smtp-alert-template.png)If the status is showing **PENDING**, you’ll need to wait a little for Meta to approve the template. If the status is **REJECTED**, it means Meta automatically disapproved the template. When this happens, we recommend resubmitting the template for approval or contacting Meta’s support team for manual review.

That’s it! You’ve now learned how to configure WhatsApp alerts in WP Mail SMTP.

Next, would you like to configure multiple connections? See our tutorial to learn [how to configure additional connections in WP Mail SMTP](https://wpmailsmtp.com/docs/configuring-additional-connections/ "Configuring Additional Connections").

**Categories:** Functionality

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