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The WhatsApp channel lets members and prospects interact with your AI assistant by sending a WhatsApp message to your space’s number. The AI processes the message and replies in the same WhatsApp conversation — with all the same capabilities as the chat widget. Setting up the WhatsApp channel requires a Twilio account and a WhatsApp Business Account through Meta. This guide walks through the full process from account creation to sending a test message.
The WhatsApp channel requires a paid Twilio account. Twilio charges per message sent and received. See Twilio’s WhatsApp pricing for current rates. The cost is typically low for conversational AI use cases.

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Before you start

You need:
  • Administrator access to your Nexudus account.
  • A credit card for the Twilio account (free trial accounts are too limited for production use).
  • A phone number that is not already registered with WhatsApp. This can be a new number purchased through Twilio or an existing number you own.
  • Administrator access to a Meta Business Portfolio (or the ability to create one).
Make sure the AI assistant is already enabled for your space. The WhatsApp channel is an extension of the existing AI assistant — it will not work unless the base AI assistant is active.

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Overview

The setup involves four main stages:
Four-stage setup overview: 1. Create Twilio account, 2. Register WhatsApp sender, 3. Configure webhook, 4. Connect to Nexudus
  1. Create a Twilio account and upgrade to a paid plan.
  2. Register a WhatsApp sender — connect a phone number to a WhatsApp Business Account through Twilio.
  3. Configure the webhook — point Twilio to Nexudus so inbound messages reach the AI assistant.
  4. Connect to Nexudus — enter your Twilio credentials and phone number in Nexudus settings.
Each stage is covered in detail below.

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Stage 1 — Create and upgrade your Twilio account

1

Sign up for Twilio

Go to twilio.com/try-twilio and create an account.The sign-up process asks you to:
  • Verify your email address.
  • Verify your personal phone number.
  • Answer a few questions about your project (select Messaging as your use case).
2

Upgrade to a paid account

A free trial account can only message pre-verified numbers and has a single phone number limit — this is not suitable for a production AI assistant.To upgrade, in the Twilio Console, click Upgrade at the top of the page, or go to Admin > Account billing and click Upgrade account.You will need to:
  • Add a payment method (credit card).
  • Load a starting balance (the minimum depends on your region).
Do not skip the upgrade step. WhatsApp sender registration requires a paid Twilio account, and trial accounts cannot receive messages from unverified numbers.
3

Note your account credentials

In the Twilio Console, go to Account > API keys & tokens. You need two values:
  • Account SID — your account identifier
  • Auth Token — your account secret
Keep these values safe. You will enter them in Nexudus later.

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Stage 2 — Register a WhatsApp sender

A WhatsApp sender is a phone number connected to a WhatsApp Business Account (WABA) through Twilio. This is the number your members will message on WhatsApp.

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Choose a phone number

You have two options:
OptionBest forDetails
Buy a number through TwilioMost operatorsTwilio provides the number. No need to port an existing number. Go to Phone Numbers > Manage > Buy a number in the Twilio Console.
Use your own numberOperators with an existing business numberYou can register a number you already own, as long as it is not already registered with WhatsApp. The number must be able to receive an SMS or voice call for verification.
If the phone number you want to use is currently registered with the regular WhatsApp or WhatsApp Business app, you must delete that WhatsApp account first. A number can only be registered with one WhatsApp platform at a time.

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Register the sender via self sign-up

1

Open WhatsApp senders

In the Twilio Console, go to Messaging > Senders > WhatsApp Senders, or navigate directly to console.twilio.com/us1/develop/sms/senders/whatsapp-senders.Click Create new sender.
2

Select your phone number

Under Select a phone number to register, choose a Twilio phone number or enter your own non-Twilio number.Click Continue.
3

Link to your WhatsApp Business Account

Click Continue with Facebook. A pop-up window opens for Meta’s self sign-up flow.
Complete all the following steps in the same browser. Do not share the pop-up URL. Keep both the Twilio Console and the Meta pop-up windows open throughout the process.
4

Log in to Facebook

In the pop-up, log in to your Facebook account (or click Continue as [your name] if already logged in).Review and accept the permissions that allow Twilio to manage your WhatsApp Business Account.Click Get started.
5

Select or create a Meta Business Portfolio

If your company already has a Meta Business Portfolio, select it from the dropdown. If not, create a new one.
If your company already has a Meta Business Portfolio (for example, from Facebook advertising), select the existing one. You will need administrator access with full permissions. If you cannot get access, you can create a new portfolio during this step.
Click Next.
6

Create or select a WhatsApp Business Account

  • If this is your first WhatsApp sender on Twilio, create a new WABA (WhatsApp Business Account).
  • If you are adding another sender to an existing Twilio account, select the same WABA you used previously. Twilio requires all senders in one account to use the same WABA.
Select Create a new WhatsApp Business profile.Click Next.
7

Set up your WhatsApp Business profile

Fill in the following:
FieldRequiredDescription
Display nameYesThe name members see when they receive messages. Must comply with Meta’s display name guidelines. Use your space’s name (e.g. “The Hub Coworking”).
CategoryYesYour business category (e.g. “Office Space”, “Business Service”).
DescriptionRecommendedA short description of your space shown in your WhatsApp profile.
WebsiteRecommendedYour space’s website URL.
Click Next.
8

Verify the phone number

Meta needs to verify that you own the phone number. The process depends on the number type:For a Twilio phone number (SMS-capable):
  1. Copy the phone number from the Twilio Console window.
  2. In the Meta pop-up, select Add a new phone number and paste it.
  3. Select Text message as the verification method and click Next.
  4. The verification code appears in the Twilio Console — copy it.
  5. Paste the code in the Meta pop-up and click Next.
For a non-Twilio phone number:
  1. Enter the phone number in the Meta pop-up.
  2. Choose Text message or Phone call as the verification method.
  3. Receive the code on your device and enter it in the pop-up.
9

Review and confirm

The Meta pop-up shows a summary of Twilio’s access to your WABA. Review it and click Confirm.The pop-up closes and Twilio begins the registration process. This takes a few minutes. Once complete, the Twilio Console shows your new WhatsApp sender.

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Complete Meta business verification

If you created a new Meta Business Portfolio during the sign-up, or if your existing portfolio has not been verified, you must complete Meta business verification before you can use the WhatsApp channel in production.
Business verification is free (it is not the same as Meta’s paid “Meta Verified” subscription) and is required to:
  • Remove the 250-message daily limit on business-initiated messages.
  • Add more than two WhatsApp senders.
  • Request an Official Business Account (green checkmark).
To verify:
  1. Go to Meta’s Security Centre.
  2. Follow the steps in How to verify your business on Meta.
Meta’s processing time varies by region and can take several days to a few weeks. Start this process early.

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Stage 3 — Configure the webhook

The webhook tells Twilio where to send inbound WhatsApp messages. You need to point it at the Nexudus API so that incoming messages reach the AI assistant.
1

Open your WhatsApp sender settings

In the Twilio Console, go to Messaging > Senders > WhatsApp Senders. Click Edit Sender on the sender you just registered.
2

Set the inbound message webhook URL

In the Sender configuration section, find the A message comes in field. Enter the Nexudus WhatsApp webhook URL:
https://spaces.nexudus.com/api/integrations/twilio/whatsapp
Set the HTTP method to POST.
Twilio sender settings showing the webhook URL configured to point to the Nexudus WhatsApp endpoint
3

Save the configuration

Click Save to apply the webhook configuration.
The webhook URL must be entered exactly as shown. If the URL is incorrect, inbound WhatsApp messages will not reach Nexudus and the AI assistant will not respond.

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Stage 4 — Connect to Nexudus

Now connect your Twilio account and WhatsApp number to Nexudus.
1

Open your AI settings

In the Nexudus administration panel, go to Settings and find the AI assistant section.
2

Enter your Twilio credentials

Enter the following values from your Twilio Console:
FieldWhere to find it
Twilio Account SIDTwilio Console > Account > API keys & tokens
Twilio Auth TokenTwilio Console > Account > API keys & tokens
Nexudus AI settings showing the Twilio Account SID and Auth Token fields
3

Enable AI WhatsApp

Toggle the AI WhatsApp setting to on.
4

Enter your WhatsApp phone number

Enter the phone number you registered as a WhatsApp sender, in international format with the country code (for example, +14155238886 or +442071234567).
5

Save your settings

Click Save. The WhatsApp channel is now active for your space.

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Step 5 — Test the WhatsApp channel

1

Send a test message

From your personal WhatsApp, send a message to the phone number you just configured. Try a simple question like:
What meeting rooms do you have?
2

Wait for the AI reply

Within a minute, you should receive a reply from the AI assistant in your WhatsApp conversation.
WhatsApp conversation showing a test message and the AI assistant's reply
3

Check the AI Conversations list

In the Nexudus administration panel, go to Operations > AI Conversations. You should see a new conversation with your test message. The Channel column will show WhatsApp.
AI Conversations list showing a test WhatsApp conversation with the WhatsApp channel badge
If you do not receive a reply, check the following:
  • The webhook URL in Twilio is correct (https://spaces.nexudus.com/api/integrations/twilio/whatsapp).
  • The phone number in Nexudus settings matches the number registered in Twilio (including the country code).
  • AI WhatsApp is enabled in Nexudus.
  • Your Twilio account is upgraded (not on a free trial).

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Share the WhatsApp number with your members

Once the channel is working, let your members know how to reach the AI assistant on WhatsApp:
  • Add a WhatsApp link to your website. Use the format https://wa.me/{number} (without the +). For example: https://wa.me/14155238886. This opens a WhatsApp conversation directly when tapped on a mobile device.
  • Display the number on signage in your space, alongside a QR code that links to the WhatsApp conversation.
  • Include it in your welcome email and member handbook.
  • Add a “Message us on WhatsApp” button to your website. See WhatsApp’s brand guidelines for official button assets.
You can generate a WhatsApp QR code from wa.me by creating a link with a pre-filled message — for example, https://wa.me/14155238886?text=Hi%2C%20I%20have%20a%20question. When a member scans the code, WhatsApp opens with the message pre-filled and ready to send.

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Multiple locations

If you operate multiple locations and want each to have its own WhatsApp number:
  1. Each location needs its own phone number registered as a WhatsApp sender in Twilio. All senders must be under the same WhatsApp Business Account (WABA).
  2. In each location’s Nexudus settings, enter that location’s specific WhatsApp number.
  3. Set the same webhook URL for all senders — Nexudus routes messages to the correct location based on which phone number received the message.

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Costs

The WhatsApp channel incurs charges from Twilio based on WhatsApp’s conversation-based pricing model:
Cost typeDescription
Phone numberMonthly fee for the Twilio phone number (varies by country, typically $1–2/month)
Conversation chargesWhatsApp charges per 24-hour conversation window, not per message. Rates vary by country and conversation type (user-initiated vs business-initiated). See Twilio’s WhatsApp pricing.
For a typical coworking space, expect costs in the range of a few dollars per month for moderate usage. Nexudus does not add any additional charges for the WhatsApp channel.

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Troubleshooting

  • Verify the webhook URL in your Twilio sender settings matches https://spaces.nexudus.com/api/integrations/twilio/whatsapp exactly.
  • Check the Twilio Error Logs for webhook delivery failures.
  • Make sure your Twilio account is active and has a positive balance.
  • Confirm that AI WhatsApp is enabled in your Nexudus business settings.
  • Confirm that the phone number in Nexudus matches the sender’s number in Twilio (including the country code and + prefix).
  • Check that the Twilio Auth Token in Nexudus is correct and has not been rotated since setup.
Meta reviews the display name you set during registration. If rejected, your sender is limited to 250 business-initiated messages per day. Update your display name to comply with Meta’s guidelines — it must clearly represent your business and not be generic or misleading.
A phone number can only be registered with one WhatsApp platform at a time. If the number is registered with the personal WhatsApp or WhatsApp Business app, you must delete the WhatsApp account from that number first. If it is registered with another WhatsApp Business Platform provider, you need to migrate it — see Twilio’s migration guide.
The AI processes text messages only. If a member sends an image, video, document, or voice message, the AI acknowledges the attachment but informs the sender that only text messages are supported at this time.
Yes. Switch off AI WhatsApp in your Nexudus business settings. You may also want to remove or reconfigure the webhook in Twilio to stop messages from being forwarded.

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Quick reference

ItemValue
Twilio sign-uptwilio.com/try-twilio
WhatsApp senders pageconsole.twilio.com/us1/develop/sms/senders/whatsapp-senders
Nexudus webhook URLhttps://spaces.nexudus.com/api/integrations/twilio/whatsapp
Meta business verificationbusiness.facebook.com/settings/security
Meta display name guidelinesfacebook.com/business/help/757569725593362
Twilio WhatsApp pricingtwilio.com/en-us/whatsapp/pricing
WhatsApp link formathttps://wa.me/{number without +}