Messaging channels

Channels is where you decide how your clinic's WhatsApp messages go out and connect your number with Meta. Admin only, and it can't be delegated to any other role.

The two channels

• WhatsApp Cloud API (Meta) + AI Agent — your real number connected directly to Meta. This is production mode.
• Simulated mode (testing) — messages never leave the system. It's there to test the AI Agent before connecting your number.

⚠️ In simulated mode the status is painted green too. Green means "the channel is configured", not "you're connected". The reliable indicator is the label at the bottom of the menu: it says either Simulation mode or WhatsApp connected.

And for the same reason: switching a live clinic to simulated mode silently turns off all outgoing WhatsApp — reminders, campaigns, reviews and the bot stop sending with no warning.

Connect your number

1. Go to Administration → Channels.
2. Press 🟢 Connect WhatsApp. Meta's window opens and the system does the rest: it exchanges the permission, subscribes the account and registers the number.
3. Only if all three steps go through is it saved, and the channel switches to Cloud automatically. There's no need to press "Activate channel" afterwards.
4. Check that the status reads WhatsApp Cloud API connected (Meta).
5. Press Send test message and enter a 10-digit mobile number.

Don't have a number? During the process Meta lets you get one for free.

Manual connection (advanced)

Only for when Meta fails or the number was already registered by hand. There you paste the Phone Number ID, the WABA ID, the Access Token, the Verify Token and the App Secret, and copy the Callback URL to paste into Meta.

• Fields showing •••• are already saved: leave them alone. If you submit them as they are, the system ignores them; what's dangerous is deleting them.
• Changing the Verify Token or the App Secret without updating them in Meta as well breaks incoming messages, with no warning on screen at all: the system rejects them silently.

What this screen does NOT do

• It doesn't configure the lab's number. That one is set up by the SystemDental team; it isn't self-service. If you're with the lab, pressing Connect WhatsApp here would overwrite the clinic's number.
• It doesn't turn the AI Agent on or off (that's on its own screen).
• It doesn't switch between the Clinic and Lab workspaces (that's the toggle in the top bar).