WhatsApp is the primary buyer channel across LATAM, EMEA, and APAC. Teams selling globally need WhatsApp Business API inside the CRM, with template approvals, 24-hour session logic, media attachments, and compliant outreach. Strkr ships WhatsApp Business natively with the Business API integration, template management, session-aware sending, and auto-logging on the contact record.
WhatsApp Business API is simple in concept and complicated in reality. Template approvals take days, 24-hour session rules dictate when a template is required versus free-form, media attachment rules differ from SMS, and the WhatsApp opt-in capture is a policy requirement from Meta. The cards below are the common pains teams hit when adding WhatsApp to a CRM.
Meta's WhatsApp Business API requires a verified business account, approved display name, business verification, and phone number provisioning. The approval path takes 2 to 4 weeks for a typical business. Strkr handles the setup in-app with the Meta integration, submits the business verification, provisions the number, and shepherds the approval through to live status.
WhatsApp Business API requires every outbound message outside the 24-hour session window to use a Meta-approved message template. The template approval takes 24 to 72 hours. Teams building templates in a bolt-on tool often guess at the approval criteria and get rejected repeatedly. Strkr includes a template review assistant that checks category, parameters, and content against Meta policy before submission.
WhatsApp Business API allows free-form messages only inside a 24-hour session window started by the recipient. Outside the window, only approved templates ship. Reps using a bolt-on WhatsApp tool often attempt free-form outside the window and the message silently fails. Strkr's message composer blocks the send with an explicit template-required state and offers the template picker.
WhatsApp Business API supports images, videos, documents, audio, and location, each with specific size and format limits. Reps using a generic texting tool for WhatsApp often attempt attachments that silently fail. Strkr enforces the WhatsApp-specific attachment rules in the composer and surfaces a clear error when the attachment is outside limits.
Meta policy requires explicit opt-in before sending WhatsApp Business messages. The opt-in must be clearly documented and the business must be able to produce the opt-in record on request. Strkr tracks WhatsApp opt-in per contact with source, timestamp, and the exact language used, which satisfies the Meta policy audit requirement.
Many bolt-on WhatsApp tools present a shared team inbox with threads but do not attach the threads to the CRM contact record. When the AE transfers to CSM, the WhatsApp context is lost. Strkr threads WhatsApp conversations to the contact record directly, so handoff carries full context without manual re-tagging.
WhatsApp inside a CRM is useful only if the primitives match the Meta Business API contract: template approvals, 24-hour session logic, media attachment rules, opt-in capture, and threaded conversations on the contact record. The cards below are the capabilities Strkr ships for WhatsApp.
Strkr handles WhatsApp Business API provisioning through the admin console: business verification submission, display name approval, phone number provisioning, and go-live confirmation. The admin provides the business documents; Strkr shepherds the approval through Meta. Typical setup completes in 2 to 4 weeks depending on Meta queue times.
Strkr's template manager builds message templates with category selection (utility, marketing, authentication), parameter slots, and preview rendering. The template review assistant checks against Meta policy before submission and flags common rejection reasons. Approved templates appear in the composer with parameter autofill from contact fields.
Strkr's WhatsApp composer tracks the 24-hour session window per contact. Inside the window, reps compose free-form messages. Outside the window, the composer blocks free-form with an explicit template-required state and offers the approved template picker. The rule enforcement prevents the silent-fail pattern.
The composer supports WhatsApp-approved attachments: images (JPG, PNG) up to 5 MB, videos up to 16 MB, documents (PDF, Word, Excel) up to 100 MB, audio clips, and location sharing. The composer validates attachment type and size before send and surfaces clear errors when the attachment is outside limits.
Strkr tracks WhatsApp opt-in per contact with source (web form, in-app checkbox, verbal confirmation logged by rep, imported with signed-off source), timestamp, and the exact consent language shown to the contact. The record satisfies Meta policy audit requirements. Contacts without opt-in cannot receive WhatsApp sends from Strkr.
WhatsApp conversations thread on the contact record alongside email, SMS, voice, and task activity. The AE sees the full exchange in one chronological view. Handoff between AE and CSM carries the WhatsApp context automatically. The thread persists across reps for continuity.
WhatsApp Business inside a CRM shows up in a handful of specific patterns across regions: appointment reminders in LATAM, order status in APAC, candidate outreach in EMEA, support in global service. The cards below are the common use cases Strkr customers run on day one.
B2B sales teams selling in Mexico, Brazil, Colombia, Argentina, and Chile use WhatsApp as the primary outbound channel because email response rates are low. A common pattern: initial template outreach, free-form conversation on reply, inline template follow-up outside the session window. The reply rates substantially exceed email in these markets.
E-commerce and B2B teams in India, Indonesia, Philippines, and Vietnam use WhatsApp for order status templates. The template fires on specific events: order shipped, delivery scheduled, document received. The utility-category templates ship outside the session window without opt-in gating for transactional messages per Meta policy.
Service businesses across Spain, Portugal, Italy, Germany, and the UK use WhatsApp for appointment reminders with reply-YES confirmation handshake. The reply updates the appointment status on the record automatically. The pattern shows strong no-show reduction in markets where WhatsApp read rates substantially exceed email open rates.
Recruiting agencies with LATAM, EMEA, or APAC candidate pools use WhatsApp for initial outreach with approved templates. The reply rate on WhatsApp candidate outreach outperforms email meaningfully in these regions. The Strkr integration with ATS via HTTP action threads the WhatsApp conversation onto the candidate record.
Service teams receive inbound WhatsApp from customers to a provisioned business number. Inbound messages route to a Strkr service queue with round-robin or territory-based assignment. The AE replies free-form inside the session window, uses templates outside, and the conversation threads on the account record.
Finance teams send WhatsApp templates for payment due, invoice sent, renewal upcoming, and payment received. The utility-category templates ship as transactional messages. The pattern reduces payment-delay friction in markets where WhatsApp is the dominant communication channel.
WhatsApp Business API pricing has specific per-conversation economics driven by Meta. Strkr publishes the structure openly so RevOps can forecast the invoice. The cards below cover the pricing elements.
The base Strkr WhatsApp platform fee is 19 dollars per month per tenant, which covers the Business API infrastructure, template management, session logic enforcement, opt-in tracking, and composer integration. The base fee is independent of per-seat Strkr pricing and is published openly on the pricing page.
WhatsApp charges per conversation (a 24-hour window) with fees that vary by category (utility, marketing, authentication, service) and by recipient country. Strkr passes through the Meta fee with a disclosed markup per market. The pricing page shows the per-conversation cost for every major market so finance can forecast cleanly.
Strkr does not charge per-template submission or approval. Teams submit as many templates as needed for free, with the template review assistant checking against Meta policy to minimize rejections. Approved templates store in the template library and reuse across campaigns.
Media attachments (images, videos, documents, audio) within the WhatsApp Business API size limits are included in the per-conversation pricing. Strkr does not add a per-attachment surcharge. The file storage for sent and received media runs under the standard Strkr file layer.
Strkr AI drafting for WhatsApp templates and free-form replies is included in the plan with no per-draft credit meter below the plan cap. The AI drafts template bodies with parameter placeholders, suggests category selection, and drafts reply content inside the session window. The feature stays on the usability side of the ledger.
Strkr WhatsApp runs under the same compliance envelope as the rest of Strkr: HIPAA with Business Associate Agreement available, SOC 2 Type II in progress through 2026-Q4, GDPR and CCPA compliant. The compliance envelope matters most for healthcare, financial-services, and EMEA teams under GDPR scope.
The common alternative is Salesforce, HubSpot, Pipedrive, or Zoho for the CRM plus a dedicated WhatsApp Business tool (Respond.io, Trengo, Wati, Interakt, Twilio direct). Here is the head-to-head against the two-tool pattern.
| Feature | Strkr | CRM plus separate WhatsApp tool |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing basis | Base 19 per month plus per-conversation at Meta pass-through plus disclosed markup | CRM per seat plus WhatsApp tool per seat plus per-message markup |
| Template approval | In-app with policy review assistant | Varies, often manual with high rejection rate |
| 24-hour session logic | Composer enforces template-required state outside session | Varies, often fails silently outside session |
| Opt-in capture | Native per contact with source, timestamp, language | Varies, often not tracked to Meta policy standard |
| Threaded on contact record | Native in Strkr contact timeline | Usually separate inbox, requires sync for context |
| Media attachments | Native with WhatsApp-specific limit enforcement | Varies, often attachment errors on silent failure |
| AI drafting | Included, no per-draft credit meter | Credit metered on most AI-enabled WhatsApp tools |
| Compliance posture | HIPAA with BAA, SOC 2 Type II in progress through 2026-Q4 | Varies, GDPR coverage inconsistent |
The common thread across customers running CRM with WhatsApp on Strkr: fewer tools, cleaner opt-in trail, and the AE sees the full exchange on the contact timeline. The playbooks below are drawn from recent deployments across regions.
A 26-seat B2B services firm selling in Mexico and Colombia uses WhatsApp as the primary outbound channel because email reply rates run under 2 percent. The team runs approved template outreach, free-form conversation on reply, and templates for follow-up outside the session window. Reply rates on WhatsApp outperform email meaningfully. The AE sees the full exchange on the contact record.
A 14-seat APAC e-commerce team runs order status templates on 3 events: order shipped, delivery scheduled, delivery completed. The utility templates ship outside the session window without opt-in gating per Meta policy for transactional messages. Support ticket volume dropped on "where is my order" questions because the proactive updates handled the common case.
A 32-seat service firm in Spain and Portugal uses WhatsApp appointment reminders with reply-YES confirmation handshake. No-show rates dropped substantially in the first 60 days. The pattern works because WhatsApp read rates substantially exceed email in these markets. The reply updates appointment status on the record automatically.
An 18-seat recruiting agency with candidates across LATAM, EMEA, and APAC consolidated candidate outreach from a dedicated WhatsApp tool into Strkr. The ATS integration via HTTP action threads WhatsApp conversations onto candidate records. The team retired the prior tool at roughly 480 dollars per month plus per-conversation fees.
A 45-seat global SaaS service team receives inbound WhatsApp to regional business numbers. Inbound messages route to region-specific service queues with round-robin assignment. The AE replies free-form inside the session window and uses approved templates outside. The conversation threads on the account record for context across the team.
Start a 14-day trial with the full Strkr stack: CRM, Strkr WhatsApp with Business API integration, template management, session-aware composer, opt-in tracking, pipeline, projects, docs, flows, cross-object reporting, mobile with offline queue.
The WhatsApp Business API setup takes 2 to 4 weeks end to end, depending on Meta queue times. Strkr handles the setup through the admin console: business verification submission, display name approval, phone number provisioning, and template submission. The admin provides the business documents (incorporation, verification, display name request); Strkr shepherds the approval through Meta. Teams can start building templates and configuring flows during the approval window so the launch is ready on go-live.
Meta requires every proactive WhatsApp message outside the 24-hour session window to use an approved template. Templates fall into categories: utility (transactional messages like order status), marketing (promotional messages), authentication (OTPs and verification codes), and service (post-sale service messages). Strkr's template manager builds templates with parameter slots, submits for Meta approval, and surfaces policy-review feedback. The template review assistant checks common rejection reasons before submission to minimize approval cycle time.
Strkr WhatsApp base platform fee is 19 dollars per month per tenant. Per-conversation pricing passes through the Meta conversation fee with a disclosed markup per market. The pricing page shows the per-conversation cost for every major market. Template submission is included at no per-template fee. Media attachments within WhatsApp size limits are included in the per-conversation pricing. The AI drafting is included with no per-draft credit meter below the plan cap.
Strkr's WhatsApp composer tracks the 24-hour session window per contact. Inside the window, reps compose free-form messages. Outside the window, the composer blocks free-form with an explicit template-required state and offers the approved template picker. The composer surfaces the session timer in the thread view so the rep knows how long the window has left. The rule enforcement prevents the silent-fail pattern that bolt-on tools often exhibit.
Yes. Strkr tracks WhatsApp opt-in per contact with source, timestamp, and the exact consent language shown to the contact. Opt-in sources include web form checkboxes, in-app opt-in flows, verbal confirmation logged by the rep, and imported records with signed-off source. The record satisfies Meta policy audit requirements. Contacts without a documented opt-in cannot receive WhatsApp sends from Strkr. The admin can configure per-tenant opt-in requirements for stricter compliance scope.
Yes. Inbound WhatsApp messages to a provisioned business number route to a Strkr service queue with round-robin or territory-based assignment. The AE replies free-form inside the session window and uses approved templates outside. The conversation threads on the account record for context across the team. Handoff between reps carries the full exchange automatically. The pattern suits global service teams with multi-region coverage.
No sales call, no migration consultant, no four-month implementation. Enter your card, get 14 days of the full Pro tier, cancel any time before day 14 with zero charge. Spin up a workspace, import your CSV, and have something useful before lunch.
