Responses

Responses to WhatsApp messages are gathered through a webhook that connects to Meta's API.

The webhook can gather the following information:

  • Sent

  • Delivered

  • Read

  • Failed

  • Reacted (including the emoji used in the reaction)

  • Replied (including the reply that was sent)

The diagram below shows how Apteco gathers responses from Meta’s WhatsApp.

  1. Apteco’s Delivery Agent on the FastStats Application Server, sends the campaign data (Mobile Number, personalised variables) to Meta for use with the clients registered mobile number.

  2. Meta sends the personalised message to the recipients WhatsApp account and any responses (emoji’s or reactions) back to Meta.

  3. Meta forwards all the responses to Apteco’s Webhook as they happen.

  4. Apteco forward the responses connected to the clients registered mobile number to the clients Webhook on their Web Server.

  5. The clients response gatherer then receives the responses and populates them into the SQL Server Database.

During the processing on Apteco’s Webhook the responses data is held in memory on Apteco’s secured Web Server, but is not actively looked at. Apteco also sign confidentiality agreements with their partners not to use or disclose any clients data.

It is possible to not use Apteco’s Webhook, however to do this the client or partner must get their own Meta API App whitelisted and verified. This can be a difficult and lengthy process.

You must create your own webhook so that the webhook administered by Apteco can gather the responses into your Apteco system. Please contact your system administrator or partner to set up the webhook link.

When selecting the app to use on the Meta platform, make sure to use the Apteco app. If you want to use your own app then you must go through the full validation process with Meta.

Note: The system administrator on the App Server should schedule the Response Gatherer to run at regular intervals.

For information on how to set up your WhatsApp webhooks, see Setting up WhatsApp webhooks for responses.

Webhook delivery failure

When using a webhook to gather responses from Meta for WhatsApp, if the webhook fails then Meta will continue to try to connect for 7 days.

This means that responses will not be lost, provided the issue with the Webhook is resolved within 7 days.

Note: Retries will be sent to all apps that have subscribed to webhooks (and their appropriate fields) for the WhatsApp Business Account. This can result in duplicate webhook notifications.

For more information, see Webhook delivery failure.