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How to Configure and Send WhatsApp Active Messages in Blip Desk

  • Updated
  1. Introduction
  2. Step-by-Step
    1. Configure active message sending through Blip Desk
    2. Verify that the settings were completed successfully
    3. Configure agent permissions for sending active messages
  3. Sending flow in Blip Desk 
  4. Outdated return flow
  5. Rules for Receiving Responses and Queue Behavior
  6. FAQFAQ
  7. Troubleshooting

 

Introduction

Blip Desk allows you to start conversations with customers by sending WhatsApp active messages directly through agents. This feature is available only for individual sending, meaning one phone number at a time. To send messages in bulk, we recommend using the existing tool in the Blip Portal on the Growth page.

Before you begin

To use the active message sending feature in Blip Desk, you must ensure that the following technical requirements described in the original documentation are met:

  • Published Chatbot or Router: You must have a chatbot published in Builder with the WhatsApp channel configured, or a router (which must also have a WhatsApp channel configured) to which the Builder chatbot will point.

  • Pre-approved Message Templates: Active messages are sent using only message templates approved by WhatsApp. You must register and approve these templates before using the feature.

  • Contract Association: When using a router bot, both the service bot and the router bot must be under the same contract. The chatbot must belong to an active contract so that a router can be specified.

  • Edit Permission: To configure the active message limit, the user must have permission to edit the bot's general settings. To configure sending with open tickets, only users with permission to edit basic settings can perform the procedure.

Step-by-Step

1. Configure active message sending through Blip Desk

  1. Go to the Blip Portal and access the Service page for your chatbot.

  2. In the side menu, click General Settings.

  3. On the page that appears, enable active message sending. A modal will open showing the requirements that are still pending to enable the feature.

  4. Click Got it to close the modal.

  1. Just below the feature enablement button, configure the router ID, if applicable:

    • If the bot where human service takes place does not have the WhatsApp channel active and uses the WhatsApp router, you must configure the service bot by specifying the router bot.

    • In the Specify router ID box, enter the router ID in the field on the right.

    • Click Save. After the ID is validated, the indicator changes to blue to signal that the router was configured correctly.

    • Note on locating the router ID: Go to the Home page of your router bot. In the upper-left part of the screen, next to the avatar, you will find this information, preceded by "Id:".

    • If the bot where human service takes place does not use the WhatsApp router, proceed to the next step.

  2. Configure the contact search criteria:

    • Define the type of information to search for (name, phone, and email).

    • Define where the search will be performed (router or chatbot). You can configure more than one option as the default contact search method.

    • Click Save to record the information before proceeding.

  3. Select and enable Message Templates:

    • On the Service page, click the Message Templates section in the side menu.

    • Choose which message templates created and approved in your chatbot will be enabled for sending through Blip Desk.

  4. Configure the Return Flow:

    • In the corresponding section, select the service block created in your chatbot's flow in Builder. The selected return flow is where your customer will be directed after replying to the active message sent.

    • Note for SDK bots: If the bot was developed using the SDK, no return flow will be displayed on the screen, making it impossible to use the feature, since the bot must be published in Builder.

2. Verify that the settings were completed successfully

  1. Go to General Settings on the Service page.

  2. Check the banner displayed below the feature enablement button:

    • If everything is correct, the banner will state: “Active message sending is enabled and ready to use”.

  • If there are inconsistencies, the message will state: “Your chatbot does not meet all the requirements needed to operate, and it can only be enabled once they are met”.

  1. If the error message appears, click Check requirements and make sure to verify the following:

    • WhatsApp channel connected to the chatbot.

    • Human service flow configured.

    • Message template registered for the WhatsApp channel.

    • Message template enabled for Blip Desk.

3. Configure agent permissions for sending active messages

Individual Permissions

  1. On the Service page of the configured chatbot, click the Agents section.

  2. Find the desired agent in the list.

  3. Click the permissions icon next to the agent's name (the icon is on the right side of the screen, between Edit queue and Remove agent).

  4. On the next page, enable the feature by clicking the Active Message Sending button.

Bulk Permissions

  1. On the Service page, in the Agents section, click the checkbox in front of the names of all agents you want to update.

  2. Click the permissions icon visible at the top, above the agent list (between Edit queue and Remove agent).

  3. On the next page, enable the feature by clicking the Active Message Sending button.


 

Sending flow in Blip Desk 

After the necessary settings explained above are completed, active message sending will be available in Blip Desk.

To send a new message, remember that the button will only be displayed if the agent's status is “Online.”

Another way to send an active message is through the side menu, using the “paper airplane” icon, as shown below:

On the screen that opens, the first step is to choose a message recipient. You can choose an existing contact in the chatbot or add a new contact.

1. Selecting an existing contact:

  1. Search for the chatbot where the contact is registered;

  2. Search for the contact using the Name, Phone, Email, or Meta BSUID filters

  1. If searching by Phone:

    • There are two filters available when searching by phone: “Starts with” and “Contains.”

    • Starts with: Use this filter when you want a more precise search. To increase the accuracy of the results, enter the complete number with country code + area code + number. This allows the system to return more accurate contacts. Example: 5511999999999.

    • Contains: Use this filter when you only know part of the number. In this case, enter 3 to 8 digits. The system will search for these digits anywhere in the registered phone number. Because this is a broader search, it may return more contacts in the results list.

  1. If searching by Name:

    • There are two filters available when searching by name: Is equal to and Starts with.

    • Is equal to: Use this filter when you know the contact's full name exactly as it was registered. This is the best option for getting more accurate results.

    • Starts with: Use this filter when you do not know the contact's full name. In this case, the search will be broader and may return more contacts with similar names or names that begin with the entered term. The partial search considers the first 10 characters of each word entered.

  1. If searching by Email:

    • Email searches are exact. To find a specific contact, enter the complete email address exactly as it was registered.

  1. If searching by Meta BSUID:

    • BSUID searches are exact. To find a specific contact, enter the BSUID exactly as it was registered.

 

2. Adding a new contact:

  1. To add a contact, you can select Phone or BSUID:

  • If you select Phone:

    • Select the chatbot where the new contact will be saved;

    • Choose the contact's country code and add the number with the area code, without spaces or special characters. Example: 11912345678.

    • Enter the exact name to be registered for the contact.

    • Finally, click the “Add” button.

Important! When registering a new contact to send active messages, the country code preselection (country flag) is automatically determined according to the Culture (combination of Language and Country) configured in the bot preferences in the Blip Portal. For example, when selecting the culture English - United States, the interface will display the United States flag (+1) by default; when setting it to Portuguese - Brazil, the Brazil flag (+55) will be preselected.

  • If you select BSUID:

    • Select the chatbot where the new contact will be saved;

    • Add the contact's BSUID;

    • Enter the exact name to be registered for the contact.

    • Finally, click the “Add” button.

  1. The next step is to select the message template to be sent. You can search by template name or filter the list by language. You can also display a list of templates added to favorites.

  1. To add a template to the favorites list, select the template from the list. Its preview will appear beside it; then, in the header, click the “Add to favorites” button.

  1. The last step is to edit the message template's variable fields by clicking the respective editable fields in the “Content” section on the left.

After completing the fields, click the "Send" button or the calendar icon to schedule the send, setting the exact date and time. A success confirmation should appear in the lower-left corner of the screen.

Important! When choosing to add a new contact, the following situations may occur:

1. The entered data is not registered in the bot

In this case, the seller or agent can send the active message with or without the contact's name. If they choose to provide the contact's name, this information will be automatically saved in the bot.

2. The entered data belongs to an existing contact, but no name is associated with it

In this case, the seller or agent can add the contact's name in the sending flow, and it will be automatically saved and updated in the bot. It is also possible to send the active message without adding the name.

3. The entered data belongs to an existing contact with an associated name

In this case, it will not be possible to change the contact's name in the sending flow, but the active message can be sent normally.

 

3.0 Sending a CSV file

Using this feature requires attention to some specific rules and formats:

  • The file must have the .csv extension.

  • The maximum allowed limit is 100 contacts per uploaded file.

  • The system automatically rejects contacts exceeding this limit of 100 contacts.

The table formatting must also follow a standard:

  • The file must have exactly 2 columns, in the following required order: the "Number or BSUID" information in the first column and the "Contact name" information in the second column.

Phone numbers must follow these formats:

  • The format expected by the system is the complete international format with country code, area code, and number (example: +55 11 99123-4567).

  • The system also accepts the plain numeric format (example: +55119912345678).

Finally, bulk sending offers some combination flexibility:

  • You can combine sending by CSV file with the Select existing contact option from the contact database and/or Add new contact for contacts that do not yet exist in the database.

How to prepare the CSV file

For the system to process your list correctly, prepare the data as detailed below:

  • Use spreadsheets such as Excel or Google Sheets to prepare and organize your data.
  • Standardize all names and phone numbers in the list.
  • Structure the file with exactly two columns.
    • Enter the Number or BSUID identifier in the first column.
    • Enter the Contact name in the second column.
  • Export the file ensuring it has the .csv extension.

Use the following correct examples for entering phone numbers:

  • +55 11 99123-4567, João Paulo
  • +5511991234567, Maria Silva
  • 5511987654321, Pedro Santos

Use the following correct examples for entering BSUID identifiers:

  • 12345, Customer A
  • 67890, Customer B

Select the contact

Start the process on the platform by defining the source of the contacts:

  1. Access the main menu and click Desk.
  2. Click Active message.
  3. Go to the Select contact (Step 1) section.
  4. Choose the Send list by file option.
  5. Select the chatbot/flow that will be used to send the messages.
  6. Check the prerequisites displayed on the screen before proceeding.

File upload

In the next step, upload your formatted file to the system:

  1. Navigate to the upload area.
  2. Drag and drop your .csv file into the corresponding area, or click the area to select the file directly from your computer.
  3. Wait while the system automatically validates the data in the file.
  4. Click the Validate contacts button to process your list.

Review and confirm

Complete the procedure by reviewing the system results for your list:

  1. After validation, view the list of Accepted contacts in the right column. This list contains contacts that have been validated and are ready to receive messages.
  2. View the list of Rejected contacts. This list contains contacts that had processing issues and errors.
  3. Remove accepted contacts individually by clicking the Remove button, if necessary.
  4. Add individual new contacts by clicking the New button, if necessary.
  5. Upload the file again if you need to correct errors.
  6. Click the Continue button to proceed to Step 2: Choose message template.


 

How to update an outdated return flow

If a notification about an outdated return flow for one or more templates appears at the top of the screen in the Message Templates section (indicating that a return block was removed from Builder), update it using one of the methods below:

Individual Update

  1. Identify the templates that need to be updated using the red icon displayed on the message template.

  2. Click the pencil icon on the right side of the screen.

  3. Choose a new return flow.

Bulk Update

  1. Click the Update option displayed at the top of the screen, next to the notification about the outdated return flow.

  2. In the modal that opens, choose the new return flow to which all outdated message templates will be directed.

  3. Click the Update button to finish.

 

Rules for Receiving Responses and Queue Behavior

  • When the customer responds to the active message, a ticket will be opened and directed to the ongoing service list of the agent who sent it.

  • If the agent responsible for sending the message is offline or invisible, or if direct transfer is not enabled for the chatbot, the generated ticket will wait in the queue exclusively for that specific agent.

  • 24-hour Expiration Window: If the customer does not respond to the notification within 24 hours, direct assignment to the agent who sent the message expires. Therefore, if the customer responds after this period, the bot's general service rules will apply.

FAQ

Can I send an active message for a ticket that is in the queue or assigned to another agent? 

No. The feature for sending with an open ticket only allows sending if the ticket is actively assigned to the agent performing the action.

What if the ticket has expired but remains with the same agent? 

Yes, sending is fully allowed so that the agent can resume the conversation smoothly without creating a new ticket.

Can I "reactivate" expired conversations (with more than 24 hours without a response) directly from the standard Desk conversation screen? 

No. To reactivate expired conversations, the agent must send a new active message through the Desk's Active messages tab.

 

Troubleshooting

Main CSV validation errors and how to resolve them

Below is a list of the most common upload inconsistencies and how to correct them:

Invalid BSUID error

 The phone number or contact identifier is not in a format recognized by the system.

  • Check that the number is complete and includes the country code and area code.

  • Confirm that you are using the international format with the country code, such as +55 11 99123-4567.

  • Remove extra special characters, such as unnecessary parentheses or hyphens.

  • If you use a BSUID, make sure it is a valid identifier for your bot.

  • Correct format example: +55 11 99123-4567, João Paulo.

  • Incorrect format due to missing country code: 11 99123-4567, João Paulo.

  • Incorrect format due to being incomplete: 11-9912-3456, Maria Silva.

Duplicate contact error

The same contact appears more than once in your .csv file or has already been selected in another tab.

  • Look for duplicate rows in your file.

  • Delete all identified duplicates.

Contact in service error

 The contact is currently in an active service in Desk.

  • Wait until the contact's current service is finished.

  • Try sending the message again after the ticket is closed.

Sending limit reached error

Your bot has an active configuration limiting the number of messages per contact within each 24-hour period.

  • Wait until 24 hours have passed since the last message was sent to this contact.

  • Contact an administrator if you need to increase this limit in the system.

Contact limit exceeded error

Your file contains more than 100 contacts. This is the maximum number of contacts allowed per send.

  • Split your list and make multiple sends using several files.

 


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