Send a WhatsApp template to every new lead in Google Sheets

Every new lead gets your WhatsApp message by name, without anyone on your team doing a thing. You add a row to a Google Sheet, or your form does it for you, and Wassenger sends the welcome on WhatsApp.

Before you start

• Wassenger connected to Zapier. If not yet, do it first: it takes 5 minutes.
• An approved WhatsApp template, for example: Hi {{1}}, thanks for your interest! When is a good time to talk? Create it in Templates. Meta approves it in up to 24 hours.
• A Google Sheet with two columns: Name and Phone.
  • Format the Phone column as plain text: select the column, then Format > Number > Plain text. Otherwise Google Sheets drops the + of each phone.
  • Write each phone with its country code, like +34600123456.
  • Add a last row with your own name and phone. You will use it to test, so the welcome goes to you and not to a real lead.

1. Start a Zap with Google Sheets

1. In Zapier, click Create, then Zaps.
2. Click Trigger and choose Google Sheets.
3. In Trigger event, choose New Spreadsheet Row.
4. Under Account, click Sign in and sign in with Google.
5. Click Continue.
6. Choose your spreadsheet and the worksheet with your leads, then click Continue.
7. Click Test trigger. Zapier shows your latest rows. Choose the one with your own name and click Continue with selected record.

2. Send the WhatsApp template

1. Click Action and choose Wassenger.
2. In Action event, choose Send Template Message.
3. Under Account, choose your Wassenger account. The first time, click Sign in and paste your API key.
4. Click Continue.
5. Fill in these fields and leave the others as they are:
   • WhatsApp Number: the number that sends the message.
   • Phone Number: click it and choose the Phone column.
   • Template: your template.
   • Body Text Variables: click it and choose the Name column. It replaces {{1}} in your template.
6. Click Continue, then Test step. The WhatsApp reaches your phone.

3. Turn it on

Click Publish. From now on, every new row gets the message. On Zapier's free plan, within 15 minutes.

Questions

My template has more than one variable. Add one value per variable under Body Text Variables, in order: the first replaces {{1}}, the second {{2}}.

The test failed: "template name not found". The template belongs to another WhatsApp number. Choose the number that owns it in WhatsApp Number.

The test failed and mentions the phone number. Check the phone in your sheet: country code first, with the +, no spaces, like +34600123456.

Can I use a form instead of Google Sheets? Yes. Most forms can add each answer to a Google Sheet, and this Zap does the rest.