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When SMEs run on WhatsApp
For many small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) across Southeast Asia, WhatsApp is more than just a chat app - it's the default customer communication channel. But when you're juggling multiple chats on a single mobile device while trying to manage internal workflows, things can slip through the cracks.
We’ve all been there-missing important messages when away from the phone, struggling to delegate or share context, relying on screenshots or manual updates to loop in colleagues. The result? Slow response times, miscommunication, and unhappy customers.
Automation - A game changer for SMES
That’s why we built an automated integration that connects WhatsApp (via Twilio) to Slack using Zapier. With this setup, your customer-facing WhatsApp messages and your internal Slack threads stay in perfect sync. Here’s how it works, and why it could be a game changer for SMEs who rely heavily on WhatsApp.
- Faster response times: Anyone on staff can reply in Slack - your WhatsApp account isn’t tied to a single person’s phone.
- Collaborative replies: Discuss a message internally in Slack before replying.
- Less context-switching: Keeps all your conversations in a single place, without switching back and forth between apps.
- Better record-keeping: Each customer gets a persistent Slack thread with full history.
This means your team can collaborate on responses, assign ownership, and escalate issues - all from Slack, without switching apps
How we automated WhatsApp conversations to and from Slack
Using Twilio’s WhatsApp Business API, Slack, and Zapier, we built a two-way integration with the following features:
1. Forward Incoming WhatsApp Messages to Slack
- When a customer sends a message to your WhatsApp number, it appears in a designated Slack channel.
- Each WhatsApp number is tied to its own thread using a Zapier Tables lookup.
- Media (e.g. images) are downloaded securely via Twilio and uploaded to Slack, preserving context.
- We use a free Cloudinary account to temporarily host and serve images or other attachments and send them back and forth between WhatsApp and Slack.
Ready to get started?
If you're an SME looking to improve your customer communication, this workflow will transform the way your team manages WhatsApp conversations.
What You'll Need
- A verified Twilio account with WhatsApp Business API access
- Zapier (Starter or higher tier)
- Slack workspace with appropriate permissions (this can also work with Microsoft Teams!)
- A free Cloudinary account (optional but recommended for managing attachments)
Need some help? We’d love to set it all up for you, or further customise it to your needs.
work.flowers helps small teams automate like big companies. Let us build the workflows while you focus on your customers.
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