Register phone numbers for WhatsApp

For a customer to receive WhatsApp messages, they must have a valid phone number and be registered as a WhatsApp platform subscriber in Pushwoosh.

Additionally, WhatsApp requires businesses to obtain opt-in consent from customers before messaging them. For guidelines on obtaining consent, refer to WhatsApp Opt-In Best Practices.

There are three main methods to register phone numbers as WhatsApp subscribers:

• Using Pushwoosh SDK. Learn more

• Using Pushwoosh API. Learn more

• Importing WhatsApp contacts from a CSV file

To import WhatsApp contacts, upload a CSV file containing the contact list. The imported numbers will be registered as WhatsApp subscribers, enabling personalized messaging and audience segmentation.

• The first row must contain column headers describing the data in each column.
• Each subsequent row represents a single contact, with values corresponding to the headers.
• Values must be separated by commas.
• Save the file in UTF-8 encoding to ensure proper character display.
• The maximum allowable file size is 100 MB.

• Phone Number – Must be in E.164 format, including the + sign and country code.
• User ID – A unique identifier for the user (e.g., name or email).

Adding optional columns allows for more advanced segmentation and personalization in your WhatsApp campaigns.

• Name – First name or full name of the user.
• Location – Specifies the user’s city, state, or country. Useful for sending location-based promotions (e.g., Get 20% off at our Los Angeles store today!).
• Birthday – Enables sending birthday messages with special discounts (e.g., Happy Birthday, Sarah! Here’s a 10% discount just for you!). Can trigger automated birthday campaigns.
• Language – Stores the user’s language preference (e.g., English, Spanish, French). Helps send messages in the recipient’s language for better engagement.
• Customer Type – Identifies whether the user is a new customer, VIP, or inactive. Enables targeted messaging (e.g., Exclusive VIP offer just for you!).
• Custom Tags – Any additional data relevant to your campaign (e.g., user preferences, purchase history). These can be mapped to system tags and used for segmentation in Pushwoosh.

Here’s an example of a properly formatted CSV file:

Phone Number,User ID,Name,Location
+1XXXXXXXXXX,john.doe@email.com,John Doe,New York
+1XXXXXXXXXX,jane.smith@email.com,Jane Smith,Los Angeles

1. Go to Campaigns > WhatsApp messages > Upload contacts.

Alternatively, go to Audience > Import CSV > Import WhatsApp contacts > Upload CSV.

2. Select your CSV file from your computer.

3. Map columns:

• WhatsApp Contact Column in CSV: Choose the column containing phone numbers formatted as whatsapp:+.
• User ID Column in CSV: Select the column with unique user identifiers (e.g., email or name).

4. Add additional data (optional)

   If you want to include extra details for segmentation:

• Select a Column Name from your CSV.
• Assign it a Tag to link it with user data in the system.
• Click + Add Column to include more attributes. 4. Click Start Import to begin processing the file.

Once the CSV import is complete, the contacts will appear as a new segment in the Segments list and will also be available in User explorer.

You can then use this data to create segmented and personalized WhatsApp campaigns.