• User-Initiated Calls: Used for support escalations or purchase inquiries.
• Business-Initiated Calls: Useful for callbacks, follow-ups, urgent communication.
Benefits: Shorter lead cycles, direct calls (with permission), higher pick-up rates.
| Feature | User-Initiated Calls (Inbound) | Business-Initiated Calls (Outbound) |
| Definition | The customer clicks the call button on your business's WhatsApp chat screen to start the conversation. | The business places the call to the customer's WhatsApp number. |
| Primary Use | Customer support, inquiry escalation, technical assistance, direct questions. | Scheduled callbacks, appointment confirmations, urgent communication, high-value sales follow-ups. |
| Consent Requirement | Not explicitly required. The customer's action of initiating the chat or call serves as implicit consent. | Mandatory. The business must obtain explicit, opt-in permission from the user during an active chat session before placing the call. |
| Prerequisites | The business must simply have calling enabled on their WhatsApp Business Account (WABA). | The business must have calling enabled and an established customer relationship/recent message to request consent. |
| API Role | Primarily handled by the WhatsApp client; the API integration acts as the call recipient. | The API integration actively triggers the outbound call via the dedicated /v1/calls endpoint. |
| Geographic Restriction | Generally available in all regions where the WABA is active. | Restricted in certain regions (e.g., USA, Canada, Turkey). |
Key Takeaway on Benefits:
- Business-Initiated: Enables faster, direct engagement for urgent/scheduled topics, often leading to shorter lead cycles and higher pick-up rates than traditional calls.
- User-Initiated: Provides a seamless, low-friction channel for customers to escalate support or sales inquiries using a platform they trust.
Key Details for Developers:
- Webhook Field: WhatsApp voice call enable/disable API should be called once for your application. This will subscribe to your app for WhatsApp call events.
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Permission Type: The webhook payload will contain an update regarding the user's call permission, indicating one of the following states:
- Accepted (Permanent/Temporary): The user has granted the business permission to call them. You can now initiate a business-initiated call.
- Declined: The user has rejected the call permission request. You cannot call them.
- Revoked: The user has manually revoked a previously granted permission, or the permission was automatically revoked by the system (e.g., after 4 consecutive unanswered business-initiated calls).
Actionable Insight: This webhook is the critical signal your system needs to update the user's profile in your database (e.g., your CRM or customer support system) to reflect their current call eligibility status.
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