How to Connect WhatsApp to Slack

In this guide, we'll show you how to connect WhatsApp to Slack so that your team can send and receive WhatsApp messages right inside of Slack, without switching apps or using shared phones for WhatsApp business messages. This connection turns Slack into a shared inbox for WhatsApp, so your entire team can reply to customers together in real time.

Your team already uses Slack every day to chat internally, manage projects, and collaborate. By bringing WhatsApp into the same workspace, you can respond to customer messages just like you would reply to a teammate—quickly and without losing context. Support teams can handle customer inquiries right in their existing Slack channels, and sales teams can reply to leads faster while keeping everyone aligned. Everything stays organized, and customers get faster, more consistent responses.

When someone messages your WhatsApp Business number, the message instantly appears in your selected Slack channel. Anyone on your team can reply from Slack, and the customer receives the message on WhatsApp immediately. It’s simple, fast, and helps your team manage customer conversations more efficiently.

Why Connect WhatsApp to Slack

Many customers prefer WhatsApp when contacting businesses, but managing those messages from individual phones can be chaotic and time-consuming. By connecting WhatsApp to Slack, you keep every conversation in one place where your team already works. You can collaborate, review message history, and ensure customers always receive a quick, informed reply.

Once connected, WhatsApp becomes another communication channel in Slack. Each new customer message starts a thread in your chosen Slack channel. Your team can reply directly in that thread, tag teammates, and manage all WhatsApp conversations without leaving Slack.

When the customer starts a chat to your WhatsApp Business phone number like in the example above, your conversation is sent directly into Slack and you can reply right within the Slack Channel to the person.

Using the AI Chatbot with WhatsApp and Teams

You can also connect your Social Intents AI Chatbot to WhatsApp to automatically respond to customer messages before they ever reach your team. The chatbot can answer common questions, collect visitor details, and handle basic requests around the clock. When the AI detects that a message requires human attention, it automatically escalates the chat to your connected Slack channel.

Your team can then jump in and continue the conversation seamlessly from Slack. This setup gives you the best of both worlds: fast, automated responses from AI when your team is busy, and live, personal support in Slack when customers need it.

What You’ll Need

• A Social Intents account or free trial
• Permission to install and authorize apps in your Slack workspace
• A Meta WhatsApp Business Account with a verified phone number

Step 1: Log In to Social Intents

Go to https://www.socialintents.com and log in to your Social Intents account. If you're new to Social Intents, you can sign up for a free 14-day trial to test out the WhatsApp integration. 

From your dashboard, click on the Integrations link.  Here's you'll see the list of integrations you can set up like Messenger, SMS, and WhatsApp.

Step 2: Connect Your WhatsApp Account

From the integrations tab, click on the Connect WhatsApp button. Sign in to your Meta Business Account and authorize Social Intents to send and receive messages on your behalf.

Select your Business portfolio (or create one if you haven'd done that yet on the Meta side).

When you connect, choose the WhatsApp Business phone number you want to use and approve the requested permissions. Once you finish, Social Intents redirects you back to the dashboard and shows WhatsApp as Connected.

If you've pre-verified a phone number for WhatsApp, you can choose the Use a new or existing WhatsApp Number, then select your verified number in the Phone number drop-down list.  Once you select the number, click Confirm.  

Once the confirmation is complete, you'll be directed back to your Social Intents account and you'll see your phone number lists under the WhatsApp section.

Step 3: Connect to Slack

Now, go back to the Integrations tab and select Slack. Click Connect to Slack and sign in with your Slack workspace credentials.

Select the channel where you want WhatsApp messages to appear. Once authorized, Social Intents will automatically post new WhatsApp messages in that channel right in Slack.

Step 4: Test Your Connection from WhatsApp to Slack

Send a quick WhatsApp message to your connected WhatsApp business phone number. Within seconds, you’ll see the message appear in your selected Slack channel. Click into the dedicate channel for this conversation then reply from Slack, and your response instantly goes back to the customer on WhatsApp.

If messages are appearing both ways, your integration is live and ready to use.

How It Works

Each WhatsApp conversation shows up in Slack as a new chat in the inbound Slack Channel that you've configured. The customer’s name or phone number appears as the thread title. 

For each new inbound WhatsApp conversation in Slack, click on the hash tag with a link to a dedicated temporary Slack channel for that conversation.  We archive the conversation channels in Slack after 12 hours to reduce clutter, but you can always search on previous conversations or access chat histories in our Dashboard for reporting purposes.  

Respond to the customer right within Slack.  Make sure to respond within 24 hours to keep the conversations going as Meta does limit the time duration for outbound messages to WhatsApp users.  This is easy with the WhatsApp to Slack Integration as you'll be notified immediately of new WhatsApp chats.

Troubleshooting

Messages aren’t showing up in Slack:

Check that your Slack integration is connected and that you selected the correct channel in Social Intents.

Replies aren’t sending back to WhatsApp:
Reconnect your WhatsApp Business Account if the authorization expired. You can do this in your WhatsApp integration settings.

Agents don’t see incoming chats:
Make sure each agent is a member of the Slack channel linked to WhatsApp. Only channel members can view and reply to messages.

Need separate WhatsApp inboxes:
Create multiple inboxes in Social Intents and connect each one to a different WhatsApp number or Slack channel.

Best Practices

• Turn on Slack desktop or mobile notifications so you never miss a new WhatsApp message.
• Use tags or notes in your Social Intents inbox to organize conversations.
• Keep threads focused by replying within the same Slack thread for each customer.
• Add other channels like website chat, Messenger, or SMS so your team can manage every message from one place.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a WhatsApp Business API account?
Yes. This integration uses Meta’s official WhatsApp Business API. You’ll need a verified WhatsApp Business Account.

Can I connect more than one WhatsApp number?
Yes. You can connect multiple WhatsApp numbers and route each one to different Slack channels or departments.

Is this integration secure?
Yes. All communication is encrypted using HTTPS and relies on Meta’s official API for full data security.

Summary

Connecting WhatsApp to Slack through Social Intents lets your team manage every customer message directly from Slack. You can reply faster, collaborate more easily, and deliver a better customer experience, all without switching between devices or apps.