Integrating with WhatsApp

A chat syncs when the other person's number belongs to exactly one contact. Lumenbase first looks for the exact number. If there is none, it compares the last 9 digits, which catches numbers saved without a country code. A number saved on two contacts matches neither.

Lumenbase re-reads your contacts about once a minute. Add a contact with the right number and new messages from that person start to sync.

WhatsApp sends a recent slice of your history to a newly linked device. Lumenbase imports what it receives for chats with your contacts. It never asks for your full history, so older messages stay on your phone.

While the import runs, the Conversation sync section on the WhatsApp card shows Importing chat history with a message count and, once WhatsApp reports its progress, an estimate of the time left. The phone sends history in parts, so keep WhatsApp open on it until the card shows Chat history imported. If it shows Waiting for your phone, open WhatsApp on the phone. If it shows History import interrupted, part of the history may be missing. Relinking the number imports recent history again.

Messages from unknown numbers are kept in a review list: about the newest 200 messages from each of your 300 most recent chats. Each member who links a number has their own list. They do not reach the inbox or any timeline. Search the list by name, message or number. A number can be typed with spaces or dashes, with the country code or with a leading 0.

1. On the WhatsApp card, the Needs linking section counts senders who did not match. It only shows when there is at least one.
2. Match to contacts links a sender whose WhatsApp name is the full name of exactly one contact, ignoring case and extra spaces, and saves the number on that contact. It skips contacts that already have a number Lumenbase can match on. It also runs once by itself the first time you open the card after your first sync.
3. For the rest, open CommunicationInboxWhatsApp, select the history icon (Full WhatsApp message history), and use Add. Choose Create contact or Add to existing contact.

• Each message becomes an activity on the contact. The WhatsApp tab on the timeline appears once there is one.
• The chat also shows in the Conversations widget on the contact, and in Communication under Inbox, WhatsApp.
• A new message from a contact starts the WhatsApp message received trigger in Automations. Messages from the history import never do.
• A new inbound message from the last 48 hours counts as a reply for Lumo, the same way an email reply does.

Images, videos, audio, voice notes, documents and stickers up to 25 MB are saved with the message. A larger file is not saved. The message keeps its caption, or a short note such as [image] when there is none. Locations and contact cards show as a note, not a file.

A chat you read on your phone shows as read in Lumenbase. A thread you mark read in Lumenbase is marked read on your phone too, but only when that chat got a message since Lumenbase last reconnected to WhatsApp, which it does every few hours. Otherwise the chat stays unread on your phone until you open it there.

Reply from the thread in Communication, or from a contact's page with ⋯MessageWhatsApp. A reply can carry one file of up to 16 MB. Replies go into a queue and leave from your number one at a time, a few seconds apart.

Limits per linked number, to protect it from a WhatsApp ban:

• At most 20 messages an hour and 100 a day. Over the limit, messages wait in the queue and go out later.
• At most 10 files an hour and 40 a day.
• The same text or file can reach at most 5 people in an hour, and the same file at most 10 people in a day. Past that, the message fails with Not sent and the reason.

In the Communication sidebar, the switches under Channels, Show in status bar, only hide the WhatsApp status light. They do not hide WhatsApp threads. To see only WhatsApp threads, open CommunicationInboxWhatsApp.

Default privacy on the WhatsApp card decides who else can read your WhatsApp conversations. It starts as Private. It applies to every WhatsApp conversation you have not set one by one, new and old.

• Private: only you.
• Shared with some: you and the people, teams or roles you add. Admins are not included.
• Fully Shared: everyone who can open this feature.

The same setting sits under SettingsPersonalPrivacy. Change one conversation from Communication.

1. If no code appears within a couple of minutes, the card says the WhatsApp sync service did not respond. Select Get pairing code again.
2. Check that the number is in full international format, with the country code.
3. If the card says it could not generate a pairing code, check the number and select Get pairing code again.
4. If it still fails, contact support. The sync service may be down.

1. Open WhatsApp on your phone before you select Get pairing code.
2. Select Get pairing code again. Each request starts a fresh link.
3. Type the code within about 2 minutes.

1. Check that the card says WhatsApp linked and that the Conversation sync switch is on.
2. Check that the person is a contact and that their number is right. A number saved on two contacts matches neither.
3. Look in Needs linking on the card, or in the message history in Communication.
4. Group chats never sync.

1. Keep your phone online and charged.
2. Check that the device is still under Linked Devices in WhatsApp on your phone.
3. If the light says the number needs a fresh link, open the WhatsApp card. If it still shows Disconnect, select it. Then enter your number and select Get pairing code.

1. Read the reason under the message.
2. Blocked: the same text or file went to too many people. Write a personal message instead.
3. Invalid recipient number: fix the contact’s phone number.
4. Select the bin icon to clear the failed message from the thread.

The card says WhatsApp is part of higher plans. Your workspace plan does not include WhatsApp. The Complete plan does. Select View plans, or ask an admin to open SettingsWorkspaceBilling.