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Automate WhatsApp Templates with Zapier
Automate WhatsApp Templates with Zapier

How to use the Octopods Templates API to send automated notifications to your contacts through Zapier

Mohamed Elbadwihi avatar
Written by Mohamed Elbadwihi
Updated over 4 years ago

This article assumes that you are familiar with how Zapier works. If you are not, I highly recommend that you read our Introduction, and go through the Zapier Basics.

You must also have a good understanding of WhatsApp Templates, and our Templates API. For that, please refer to our WhatsApp Messsage Templates Help section.

Please be aware that you must obtain user opt-in before sending templates to your users, or you risk getting banned by WhatsApp.
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Ready? Let's begin! πŸ˜€

Creating the Zap

1. First, we'll create a new Zap in Zapier:

2. Select Intercom as your trigger app.

3. Choose Tag Added to User as your Trigger Event. If you wish to trigger your Zap for leads, select Tag Added to Lead instead. Click Continue.

4. Connect your Intercom account and click Continue.

5. Select the tag on which you want to trigger the Zap. In this case, we'll be using order-reminder-july as our tag. Click Continue. (Note: If you don't know how to create a new tag in Intercom, refer to this guide.)

6. Click on 'Do this ...'

7. Select Webhooks by Zapier as your app, and Custom Request as your Action Event. Click Continue.

8. Now, we'll make use of the Octopods Templates API reference, available here.

In Zapier:

  • Select POST as your method.

  • Enter the URL in the following format:

https://app.octopods.io/api/v1/whatsapp/templates/TEMPLATE_ID/messages

You can get the Template ID by viewing your template in the Octopods app like this:

  • Enter the data in the following format:

{
"destination_phone": "############",
"message_variables": ["XXXXX", "YYYYYY"]
}
  • Select No for both Data pass-through and Unflatten.

  • Add the header X-Octopods-Auth, and paste your Octopods Templates API key

  • Add the header Content-Type and enter application/json

Your set up should now look like this:

9. As you can see, we can customize the request to make sure it obtains the user's phone number dynamically. We can also customize the template variables:

10. Test your WebHook request. Be careful not to send a message to one of your customers (unless you want to πŸ˜‰)! Click on Done Editing.

11. Once you're done, turn your Zap on:

Using the Zap

1. In Intercom's Platform area, select a segment of users, of filter out those you wish to send a Message Template to:

2. Tag the users with the trigger tag we selected earlier:

3. That's it! The 13 users above will receive a WhatsApp message template. Octopods will display this on their profile in Intercom, and you can continue your conversation with them as usual when they respond.

Conclusion

This was a simple demonstration of how to make use of the Octopods Templates API to send an automated message to a large number of users by tagging them in Intercom.

There are other, more complex ways you can take advantage of both our API and Zapier's capabilities. If you come up with your own Zaps, please let us know! We'd love to see how you and your team make use of this.

πŸ‘‹πŸ˜€β€οΈ

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