You can migrate your WhatsApp numbers from one WhatsApp Business Account (WABA) to another. This article describes how to migrate your WhatsApp numbers if you're moving to Zendesk from a previous Business Solution Provider (BSP).
The migration process described in this article is also helpful if you connected your WhatsApp numbers before Zendesk introduced the WhatsApp self-service flow in Admin Center and you'd like more visibility into your WhatsApp numbers. The process grants you ownership over your WABA, including access to the insights tool, message templates and number quality rating.
Migrating your numbers carries over the number’s display name, quality rating, messaging limit, official business account status, and any high-quality message templates that had previously been approved. However, the conversation history isn't carried over.
This article covers the following topics:
How to migrate WhatsApp numbers
Complete the steps in the following process in the order listed to avoid incorrectly migrating or moving a working number to a WABA without a line of credit. This may temporarily prevent you from responding to your customers.
To migrate WhatsApp numbers
- Make a request with your original Business Solution Provider to deactivate the two-factor authentication PIN for the number you want to migrate.
You won't be able to fully migrate a number without this step.
If you're already a Zendesk customer, you can open a ticket with Zendesk customer support for Sunshine Conversations and ask them to do this for you.
- Follow the WhatsApp self-service flow in Admin Center to create a WhatsApp Business Account connected to Zendesk, but do not specify the number you want to migrate yet.
You should only specify the number after Zendesk has shared its line of credit with the account (see step 3). Adding the number before may temporarily prevent you from responding to your customers.
Ensure you use the same Meta business manager ID during this flow that you did when you originally set up your WhatsApp number. If there’s a mismatch, you'll receive an error and won’t be able to complete the migration process.
- Contact Zendesk customer support to request that Zendesk share its line of credit with your new WhatsApp Business Account.
After confirming that the line of credit has been shared, you can safely add the number you want to migrate to the WABA you created in step 2.
- Return Admin Center and go through the WhatsApp self-service flow again for the WABA you created in step 2 and add the number.
If you're an existing Zendesk customer, you must disconnect your number before you can complete this flow to gain access to your WABA. You cannot have the same number connected twice within the same system or you'll have a short period of downtime.
- If migrating from a previous BSP, disconnect the number from the previous system after confirming that the number is connected in Zendesk
Troubleshooting WhatsApp number migration
Why is a user profile duplicated in the WhatsApp channel?
It is a known issue that when a ticket is created via WhatsApp, a new (duplicate) user profile will be created due to spaces being added by the WhatsApp number formatting. For example, the number already associated with a user profile may be, +77123456789. However, WhatsApp will duplicate this number as, +7 712 345 6789.
To avoid any future duplications, best practice is to keep the WhatsApp number formatting when removing the duplicate number.