Customer messaging, explained.
Every term you meet while choosing and running a customer messaging platform, in a sentence each.
Whose rules these are
Most of this vocabulary is Meta's, not any vendor's. The rules it describes apply wherever you run WhatsApp.
WhatsApp platform
Meta's own vocabulary, and the rules that come with it.
- WhatsApp Business APIWhatsApp Business Platform, WhatsApp Cloud API
- WhatsApp Business AccountWABA
- Business Solution ProviderBSP, WhatsApp Business Solution Provider
- Embedded SignupWhatsApp Embedded Signup
- Phone number IDWhatsApp phone number ID
- Conversation window24-hour window, customer service window
- Session messagefree-form message, service message
- Message templateWhatsApp template, template message
- Template categorymarketing template, utility template
- Template rejectiontemplate disapproved, template paused
- Quality ratingWhatsApp quality rating, template quality
- Messaging limitsmessaging tier, WhatsApp tier
- Business verificationMeta business verification
- Official Business Accountgreen tick, green check
- WhatsApp coexistencecoexistence mode
- WhatsApp FlowWhatsApp Flows
Channels and messaging
How messages actually move between a business and a customer.
Consent and compliance
The rules that decide whether a message is allowed to send.
Campaigns and marketing
Sending to more than one person at a time, responsibly.
- Broadcastbulk message, campaign send
- Segmentaudience, contact segment
- Drip sequencesequence, automated journey
- Lifecycle stagecustomer stage, funnel stage
- Click-to-WhatsApp adsCTWA, click to message ads
- Attributionconversation attribution, source tracking
- UTM parametersUTM tags, campaign parameters
- Custom audiencematched audience
- Conversions APIserver-side conversion tracking
- Monthly active contacts (MAC)MAC, monthly active contact
- Conversation-based pricingconversation pricing
- Per-message pricingPMP, per message rates
AI and automation
What the software writes, and what it is allowed to do with it.
- Groundingretrieval augmented generation, RAG
- Knowledge basehelp centre content, AI training content
- HallucinationAI hallucination, confabulation
- Human handoffescalation, agent handover
- Approval gatehuman in the loop, review before send
- Keyword ruleauto-reply rule, trigger word
- Workflow automationflow builder, automation workflow
- APIapplication programming interface, public API
- Integrationconnector, app integration
Support metrics
The numbers teams are measured on, and what they actually mean.
Commerce
Selling inside a conversation, and the logistics behind it.
Data and security
Where your data lives and who can reach it.