A plain-English explanation of what this software does.

WALE stands for WhatsApp AI Lead Engine. Think of it as a smart assistant for your WhatsApp business number that never sleeps.

When a customer messages your WhatsApp number, WALE:

• Receives the message automatically

  No need to check your phone. WALE picks up every message the moment it arrives.

• Replies using Artificial Intelligence

  The AI understands the customer's message and replies in a natural, conversational way — just like a real human sales agent.

• Qualifies the lead

  After a few messages, WALE automatically decides whether this customer is a Hot Lead (very interested), Warm, Cold, or if they have been converted or lost.

• Keeps everything in one place

  Every lead, every conversation, and every AI reply is saved in your WALE dashboard so you can review them at any time.

The journey of a customer message from WhatsApp to your dashboard.

How to access your WALE dashboard.

1. 1
   Open your browser

   Use Google Chrome, Firefox, or any modern browser. Type your WALE URL in the address bar and press Enter.

2. 2
   Enter your Email and Password

   Type your login email and password (sent to you by email when your account was created). Click Sign In.

3. 3
   You are now on the Dashboard

   After logging in successfully, you will see your main dashboard with summary numbers and recent activity.

Link your Meta WhatsApp Business number to WALE. Do this first before anything else.

Entering your credentials into WALE

1. 1
   Go to Settings → WhatsApp

   In the WALE sidebar, click WhatsApp under the Settings section.

2. 2
   Fill in the form

   Enter the details you copied from Meta. See the field descriptions below.

3. 3
   Click "Save WhatsApp Config"

   Once saved, the page will show a green "Connected" banner if everything is correct.

Field Descriptions

• Phone Number ID required A long number (e.g. 123456789012345) found on the Meta API Setup page. It identifies your WhatsApp phone number.
• WABA ID optional WhatsApp Business Account ID. Also found on the same Meta page. Used for advanced features.
• Access Token required The permanent token you generated. It starts with EAABxxxx... or sk-.... WALE encrypts this immediately after saving.
• Webhook Verify Token optional A secret word or phrase you choose yourself (e.g. my_secret_wale_2026). You will enter this same value in Meta's webhook settings so Meta can confirm it's really you.
• Webhook URL read-only This is the URL you paste into Meta's webhook section. Click the copy button next to it. Do not change this value — it is generated by WALE automatically.

Configuring the Webhook

Copy the Webhook URL from the WALE WhatsApp settings page, paste it into Meta's Webhook section along with your Verify Token, click Verify and Save, then turn on the messages subscription. The full click-by-click version is in Meta Setup → Part E.

The complete, click-by-click guide to everything you do inside Meta/Facebook to connect your WhatsApp number to WALE. Follow the parts in order.

Before you begin

• Facebook account A personal Facebook account is used only to log in to Meta's developer tools. Your customers never see it.
• 2-Factor Auth Meta requires two-factor authentication on that account before you can create apps or tokens. Turn it on at Facebook → Settings & Privacy → Settings → Accounts Center → Password and security → Two-factor authentication.
• A clean phone number The business number you'll use must not be active on the normal WhatsApp or WhatsApp Business app. If it is, delete that WhatsApp account on the phone first, or use a fresh number.
• ~30 minutes For the test-mode setup. Business verification (Part F) is submitted once and reviewed by Meta separately.

Part A — Create your Meta App

1. 1
   Open the developer site

   Go to developers.facebook.com and log in with your Facebook account. If it's your first time, click Get Started and accept the terms.

2. 2
   Create a new app

   Top-right → My Apps → Create App. If asked "What do you want your app to do?", choose Other → Next.

3. 3
   Choose the "Business" app type

   Select Business → Next.

4. 4
   Fill in the details

   Enter an App name (e.g. "MyCompany WALE"), your contact email, and link your Business portfolio (create one if the dropdown is empty). Click Create app and re-enter your password if prompted.

5. 5
   You're on the App Dashboard

   Your App ID is shown under App settings → Basic. Keep this tab open — you'll be coming back here.

Part B — Add WhatsApp & copy your IDs

1. 1
   Add the WhatsApp product

   On the dashboard, scroll to Add products to your app, find WhatsApp, and click Set up. Link your Business portfolio if asked.

2. 2
   Open WhatsApp → API Setup

   In the left sidebar, expand WhatsApp and click API Setup (sometimes called Quickstart).

3. 3
   Copy your two IDs

   On this page Meta gives you a free test number. Copy:

   • Phone number ID — the long number shown under the "From" number.
   • WhatsApp Business Account ID (WABA ID) — shown near the top of the page.
4. 4
   Add a test recipient

   Under the To field, add your own personal WhatsApp number and confirm the code Meta sends. In test mode you can only message numbers added here.

Part C — Generate a Permanent Access Token

A permanent token belongs to a System User (a non-human "robot" account inside your business) and can be set to never expire. This is the token WALE uses to send messages on your behalf.

1. 1
   Open Business Settings

   Go to business.facebook.com/settings (or click the gear / Business Settings from your app). Make sure the correct business is selected top-left.

2. 2
   Create a System User

   Left menu → Users → System Users → Add. Give it a name like "WALE Integration", set the role to Admin, and click Create.

3. 3
   Assign your assets to it

   Select the new System User → Assign assets. Assign both:

   • Apps → your app → enable Full control / Manage app.
   • WhatsApp accounts → your WABA → enable Full control.

   Click Save changes.

4. 4
   Generate the token

   Still on the System User, click Generate new token. Choose your app, and for Token expiration select Never.

5. 5
   Tick the right permissions

   Check both whatsapp_business_messaging and whatsapp_business_management, then click Generate token.

6. 6
   Copy the token immediately

   It starts with EAA… and is shown only once. Copy it somewhere safe — this is your Permanent Access Token for WALE.

Part D — Add & verify your business number

The free test number is fine for trying things out, but to message real customers you add your own business number.

1. 1
   Open the phone number manager

   Go to WhatsApp → API Setup and click Add phone number (or open WhatsApp Manager → Phone numbers → Add phone number).

2. 2
   Enter your business details

   Fill in your business display name and the phone number, then choose to verify by SMS or voice call.

3. 3
   Enter the verification code

   Type the code Meta sends to finish adding the number.

4. 4
   Copy this number's Phone Number ID

   Each number has its own Phone Number ID. Use your business number's ID in WALE (not the test number's) once you're ready to go live.

Part E — Configure the Webhook

The webhook is how Meta delivers every incoming customer message to WALE. You set this up once.

1. 1
   Get the URL & token from WALE

   In WALE, open Settings → WhatsApp. Type any secret phrase into Webhook Verify Token (e.g. my_secret_wale_2026) and click the copy button next to the Webhook URL.

2. 2
   Open the webhook settings in Meta

   In your app: WhatsApp → Configuration. Next to Webhook, click Edit.

3. 3
   Paste and verify

   Callback URL = the WALE Webhook URL. Verify token = the exact phrase you set in WALE. Click Verify and save.

4. 4
   Subscribe to "messages"

   Still under Configuration → Webhook fields, click Manage and toggle messages ON. This is what makes incoming chats flow into WALE.

Part F — Go Live for production

While your app is in Development mode, you can only message the few numbers you added in Part B. To message any customer, your app must be Live with approved permissions.

1. 1
   Verify your business (start this first — it's slow)

   Business Settings → Security Center → Start verification. Submit your legal business documents (registration / trade licence / utility bill). Meta's review can take a few days to two weeks.

2. 2
   Request Advanced Access to the permissions

   App Dashboard → App Review → Permissions and Features. Request Advanced Access for whatsapp_business_messaging and whatsapp_business_management.

3. 3
   Complete the basic app info

   App settings → Basic: add a Privacy Policy URL, an app icon, a category, and a short description. These are required before going live.

4. 4
   Switch the app to Live

   At the top of the App Dashboard, flip the mode toggle from Development to Live.

Part G — Plug into WALE & test

1. 1
   Enter your credentials

   In WALE: Settings → WhatsApp. Paste your Phone Number ID, WABA ID, Permanent Access Token, and the Verify Token (the same phrase from Part E). Click Save WhatsApp Config.

2. 2
   Check the green banner

   A green "WhatsApp Connected" banner means your credentials and webhook are good.

3. 3
   Send a real test message

   From another phone, send a WhatsApp message to your business number. Within seconds a new lead should appear in Leads → All Leads.

4. 4
   Turn on the AI

   Make sure you've added your OpenAI key and prompt in Configure AI so WALE replies automatically. Without it, leads are still saved but no auto-reply is sent.

Troubleshooting common Meta errors

Tell the AI who it is, how it should talk, and how to qualify your leads.

Go to Settings → AI Config in the sidebar. This page has four sections explained below.

OpenAI API Key

The AI is powered by OpenAI (the makers of ChatGPT). To use it, you need an API key from OpenAI.

1. 1
   Go to OpenAI's website

   Visit platform.openai.com/api-keys and log in (or create a free account).

2. 2
   Create a new Secret Key

   Click + Create new secret key. Give it a name like "WALE". Copy the key — it starts with sk-proj-....

3. 3
   Paste it into WALE

   In the OpenAI API Key field on the AI Config page, paste your key and click Save AI Configuration.

Model & Parameters

• OpenAI Model Choose which AI brain to use. GPT-4o Mini is recommended — it is fast, affordable, and smart enough for most sales conversations. Use GPT-4o if you want the highest quality replies (more expensive).
• Response Language The language the AI will use when replying to customers. Choose the main language your customers speak.
• Temperature Controls how creative the AI is.
  0 = Very precise — always gives safe, predictable answers.
  1 = Balanced — recommended for most businesses.
  2 = Very creative — more varied answers, but may go off-topic.
  The default of 0.7 is a good starting point.
• Max Tokens Limits how long each AI reply can be. 500 tokens is roughly 375 words. Keep this low (300–500) for short, punchy WhatsApp messages. Higher values allow longer, more detailed replies.

System Prompt

The System Prompt is the instruction sheet you give to the AI before it talks to any customer. It tells the AI: Who are you? What do you sell? How should you speak?

You can use variables inside curly braces to automatically insert live data. Click any variable button on the page to insert it:

Fallback & Lead Qualification

• Fallback Message If OpenAI is temporarily unavailable (rare), WALE sends this message to the customer instead. Example: "Thank you for reaching out! Our team will get back to you shortly."
• Qualification Rules Write one rule per line to tell the AI how to classify your leads. The AI reads these rules and decides whether a customer is Hot, Warm, Cold, Converted, or Lost.
  
  Example rules:
  — Mark as HOT if the customer mentions a specific budget
  — Mark as CONVERTED if the customer says they want to proceed
  — Mark as LOST if the customer says "not interested" more than once

Live Test Console

At the bottom of the AI Config page, there is a Test Console. Type a test message (e.g. "Hi, I need help with my business") and click Test. The AI will reply instantly so you can see exactly what your customers will see — without sending any real WhatsApp message.

Your command centre — see everything at a glance.

The Dashboard is the first page you see after logging in. It gives you a quick summary of how your business is performing on WhatsApp.

View, search, and manage every customer who has ever messaged you.

Go to Leads → All Leads in the sidebar. Every person who messages your WhatsApp number is automatically saved here as a lead.

Understanding Lead Status

Each lead has a status badge that tells you where they are in the sales process:

Lead Score

Each lead also has a score from 0 to 100 set by the AI. The higher the score, the more likely this person is to become a customer. A score of 80+ is excellent — prioritise these leads immediately.

What you can do on this page

• Search — Type a name or phone number in the search box to find a specific lead.
• Filter — Filter leads by status (New, Hot, Warm, etc.) to see only the ones you need.
• View Conversation — Click on any lead's name to open their full WhatsApp conversation.
• Update Notes — Add your personal notes about a lead (e.g. "Interested in Plan A, call back on Monday").
• Change Status Manually — If you spoke to them on the phone and closed the deal, you can manually change their status to Converted.

Read every message, send manual replies, and control the AI — all from one screen.

Click Conversations in the sidebar to see a list of all active chats. Click any conversation to open it.

Inside a Conversation

• Message Thread The full WhatsApp conversation is shown in the centre — customer messages on the left, your AI / agent replies on the right. Messages are labelled AI or Agent so you always know who replied.
• AI Auto-Reply button There is a button on the left panel that shows whether AI auto-reply is ON (yellow/orange) or OFF. When ON, the AI replies to every customer message automatically. When OFF, only your manual replies go out.
• Send a Manual Message Type your message in the box at the bottom and press Ctrl + Enter (or click the send button). This sends the message directly from your WhatsApp number.
• Close Chat Once you have resolved a conversation, click Close Chat. The conversation is archived and removed from the active list.
• View Lead Click View Lead to open the full lead profile — status, score, notes, and contact details.
• Start Funnel Enrol this lead into a pre-built sales funnel (a sequence of automated messages). See the Funnels section for more details.

Automated message sequences that guide a lead through your sales process.

A Funnel is an automated WhatsApp conversation — a sequence of steps that runs by itself. Unlike a fixed timed sequence, a funnel is reply-driven: it sends a message, can wait for the lead's answer, branch based on what they say, and update the lead — all without you typing anything.

1 — How a funnel starts (Trigger)

Every funnel has exactly one trigger:

• ManualYou start it yourself from a lead's conversation page using the Start Funnel button. Best for follow-ups you time by hand.
• Keyword in messageStarts automatically when a lead's message contains a word you choose (e.g. price).
• Auto-start for new leadsStarts the moment a new person messages your WhatsApp number for the first time — perfect for a welcome flow.

2 — The four step types

A funnel is built from steps. Each step does one thing:

For "Ask Question" steps, choose how the lead should answer:

• Free textAny text (name, city, requirement…).
• NumberThe lead must reply with a number (budget, quantity…).
• Multiple choiceYou list options; the lead replies with the option number.
• Yes / NoThe lead replies 1 for Yes or 2 for No.
• Save answer asOptionally store the reply under a short name (e.g. budget) so you can reuse it later as {budget}.

3 — Default Next Step

Every step has a Default Next Step — where the funnel goes once this step finishes:

• Auto / End funnelContinue to the next step in the list. If this is the last step, the funnel ends. (This is the usual choice — just order your steps top-to-bottom.)
• A specific stepJump straight to that step instead — to skip ahead, or loop back to an earlier step.

4 — Branching with Conditions

On an Ask Question step you can add Conditions to send leads down different paths based on their answer. Conditions are checked top-to-bottom and the first match wins. Each one has a type, a value to match, and the next step to jump to:

5 — Personalise with variables

Put variables in {curly_braces} in any message and WALE replaces them with live data when sending:

{lead_name}   {lead_phone}   {date}   {time}  — plus any answer you saved, e.g. {budget}.

Two shortcuts to get started fast

Building from scratch is optional. On the Funnels page you'll find:

• Generate with AIDescribe your funnel in plain words (a "Knowledge Base"), optionally upload a flowchart image, and AI drafts the whole funnel — messages, questions, branches and actions. It opens in the builder as a Paused draft for you to review and activate.
• Load SampleOne click drops in a ready-made Lead Qualification funnel you can edit — the fastest way to learn how the builder works.

How to build a funnel manually

1. 1
   Funnels → Create New Funnel

   Give it a clear name and (optional) description.

2. 2
   Pick the Trigger

   Manual, Keyword, or Auto-start for new leads.

3. 3
   Add Step

   Choose the step type and write the message / question. Use {variables} to personalise it.

4. 4
   Configure the step

   For a question: pick the answer type and (optionally) "Save answer as". For an action: choose status / note / tag.

5. 5
   Set the path

   Choose the Default Next Step, and on question steps add Conditions to branch.

6. 6
   Order & finish

   Drag steps to reorder. Toggle Active on and click Save Changes.

Tracking funnel runs (Sessions)

Every time a funnel runs for a lead, WALE creates a Session. Open Funnels → Sessions to see who is currently in a funnel, each run's status (Active, Completed, or Abandoned), and the answers collected along the way.

Set rules that trigger actions automatically — no manual work needed.

Automations are if this, then that rules. You define a trigger (something that happens) and an action (what WALE does in response).

How to create an Automation

1. 1
   Go to Automations in the sidebar

   Click Automations and then New Automation.

2. 2
   Choose a Trigger

   Select what event starts the automation — for example, New Lead, Status Change, or Keyword in message.

3. 3
   Choose an Action

   Select what happens — for example, Send a message, Start a Funnel, or Change lead status.

4. 4
   Save and Activate

   Click Save. The automation will run automatically from now on.

Start a chat with a customer before they message you — or re-engage one after 24 hours.

What is a template?

A template is a message you create and get approved by Meta in advance (in the Meta WhatsApp Manager). It can contain variables like {{1}}, {{2}} that you fill in when sending — for example a name or an order number. Once approved, you can send it to customers anytime, even outside the 24-hour window.

1 — Sync your templates from Meta

WALE reads your approved templates directly from Meta — you never re-type them.

1. 1
   Create the template in Meta

   In Meta WhatsApp Manager → Message Templates, create your template and submit it for approval. Approval usually takes a few minutes to a few hours.

2. 2
   Open Templates in WALE

   Click Templates in the sidebar.

3. 3
   Click "Sync from Meta"

   WALE pulls every approved template into the app, with its variables detected automatically.

2 — Send a template to one customer

There are two ways to reach a single customer:

• From the Leads listClick the Send Template (document) icon next to any lead — perfect for contacting someone who has never messaged you.
• From a conversationOpen the chat and click Send Template in the left panel. When a chat is locked (window closed) you'll also see a "send a template to re-open the chat" link.

On the compose screen, pick a template, fill in any variables, watch the live preview, and click Send Template. The sent message appears in the conversation thread.

3 — Broadcast to many customers

Click Broadcast on the Templates page to send one template to many leads at once.

1. 1
   Pick a template

   Choose any approved template — with or without variables.

2. 2
   Personalise each variable

   For every variable, choose where its value comes from — the Lead name, Phone, Email, Status, Source, or a fixed custom text. WALE fills it in per recipient, so Hi {{1}} becomes each person's real name.

3. 3
   Choose recipients

   Tick individual leads or use Select all (up to 200 per send).

4. 4
   Send Broadcast

   WALE sends each personalised message and reports how many succeeded. Any failures appear in Notifications.

What happens after you send

A template is the door-opener. The moment the customer replies, the 24-hour window opens and everything else takes over automatically — your AI auto-reply, and any new-lead or keyword funnels and automations run as normal, using free-form messages. You don't need to configure anything extra.

Understand how your WhatsApp sales channel is performing over time.

Go to Analytics in the sidebar. Here you can see charts and numbers that show:

Know instantly when a message doesn't reach a customer.

WALE keeps you informed when something needs your attention — most importantly, when a WhatsApp message fails to deliver (for example, when you try to message a customer outside the 24-hour window). You'll see these alerts in two places:

• The bell icon (top bar) A bell sits in the top-right of every page. A red badge shows how many unread alerts you have; click it for the latest few.
• The Notifications page Click Notifications in the sidebar (or "View all notifications" in the bell) for the full history. Filter by Errors, Warnings, Info, or Success, jump to the related lead, or Clear all.

Failed messages are also shown right in the conversation — the message bubble turns red with a ✗ Failed marker and the exact reason underneath (e.g. "more than 24 hours have passed since the customer last replied").

Update your personal details, company name, timezone, and password.

Go to Settings → Profile in the sidebar.

• Full Name Your name as it appears in the admin panel.
• Company Name Your business name. This is used in AI prompts via the {business_name} variable, so make sure it's correct.
• Phone Number Your personal contact number (not the WhatsApp business number — that is configured in WhatsApp settings).
• Timezone Set your local timezone so that dates and times shown in the dashboard are correct for your location.
• Change Password Enter your current password, then your new password (at least 8 characters), and confirm it. Click Save.

See your plan's limits, track your usage, and know what to do when you hit a cap.

If you signed up through a paid plan, your account has monthly allowances. Open My Plan in the sidebar to see your current plan, this cycle's usage, and which features are included.

What's limited

• Leads / cycle The number of new leads you can capture each billing cycle. Unlimited on top plans.
• AI replies / cycle How many automatic AI replies WALE sends each cycle. Unlimited on top plans.
• Features Some abilities (CSV export, advanced analytics, REST API, custom AI prompt) are only on certain plans. Locked items show an "upgrade" note.

What happens when you reach a limit

For the person who owns and runs this WALE installation (the Super Admin).

As the Super Admin you manage the whole business:

• Tenants — create and manage the business accounts that use WALE.
• Plans — define your pricing tiers, limits, and features.
• Sales & Payments — your public pricing page and PayPal checkout.
• Orders — every payment and its status.
• Email / SMTP — the mail server used for system emails.
• Branding — make the whole app your own.

Create and manage the business accounts on your platform. (Super Admin → All Tenants)

Adding a tenant manually

1. 1
   All Tenants → Add Tenant

   Enter their name, email, company, timezone, status, and a starting password.

2. 2
   They get a welcome email

   WALE emails the new tenant their login URL and credentials automatically (requires Email/SMTP to be configured).

Managing existing tenants

• EditUpdate name, email, company, timezone, status, or reset their password (they're emailed the new one).
• Suspend / ReactivateSuspended accounts can't log in. The tenant is emailed when their status changes.
• SubscriptionOn a tenant's page you can assign a plan, extend it (+1 month up to +1 year), or cancel it — this controls their plan limits and access.
• DeleteRemoves the account. (Re-purchasing later with the same email safely restores it.)

Define the subscription tiers shown on your pricing page. (Super Admin → Plans)

Plan fields

• Name & PriceDisplay name and monthly price. A price of 0 makes it a free plan (instant signup, no payment).
• Lead LimitNew leads allowed per cycle. Enter -1 for unlimited.
• AI RepliesAI auto-replies allowed per cycle. Enter -1 for unlimited.
• FeaturesOne per line. Recognised keys gate real abilities: csv_export, advanced_dashboard, api_access, custom_prompt, ai_qualification.
• ActiveOnly active plans appear on the public pricing page.

Your public pricing page and the payment gateway that powers signups. (Super Admin → Sales & Payments)

WALE includes a ready-made, branded pricing page at /pricing — share this link to sell WALE to your customers. It lists your active plans and handles checkout end-to-end.

Configure it

• Sales contentEdit the hero headline, subheadline, call-to-action text, and feature highlights.
• Payment gatewayCurrently PayPal. Enter your Client ID and Secret, choose Sandbox (testing) or Live, and set your currency.

What happens at checkout

1. 1
   Customer picks a plan

   They enter their name and email on the checkout page.

2. 2
   They pay via PayPal

   Free plans skip payment entirely.

3. 3
   Account created automatically

   On success, WALE creates their tenant account, starts the subscription, and emails their login details.

Every checkout and its payment status. (Super Admin → Orders)

The Orders screen shows paid revenue and counts, plus a searchable, filterable list of every order with its status:

Paid Pending Failed Cancelled

• Order detailPlan, amount, gateway, PayPal order id, and a link to the tenant account it created.
• Mark as paidManually set an order's status. Marking an unpaid order Paid creates (or links) the tenant account and emails their login — ideal for offline / bank-transfer payments.

The mail server WALE uses for all system emails. (Super Admin → Email / SMTP)

Configure your SMTP details right in the admin panel — no file editing. These settings power the welcome emails, password resets, and account-status notices.

• Server fieldsHost, Port, Encryption (TLS/SSL), Username, Password, From Email, From Name.
• Send Test EmailVerify your settings instantly — it reports the exact error if something's wrong (wrong password, port/encryption mismatch, etc.).

Make WALE look like your own product. (Super Admin → Branding)

• Brand NameShown in the sidebar, page titles, and system emails.
• Logo & FaviconUpload your logo (replaces the name in the sidebar) and browser favicon.
• Primary ColorThemes the active menu, buttons, and accents across the app.
• Application LanguageSets the language for the whole app — panel, login & pricing pages, emails, and buttons. Pick one and save.
• Login & FooterCustom login heading, subtitle, and footer text.

Changing the app language

Every text you see in WALE can be translated. Out of the box the app ships in English; the Application Language dropdown only lists the languages that have been installed, so English is the only choice until a translation is added.

To add a new language (a one-time setup, done in the files on your server):

1. In the app folder, copy app/Language/en to a new folder named with the language code — e.g. app/Language/es for Spanish, app/Language/fr for French, app/Language/ar for Arabic.
2. Open each .php file inside the new folder and translate the text on the right of =>. Leave the names on the left and any {0} markers exactly as they are.
3. Back in the app, open Super Admin → Branding, choose your new language under Application Language, and click Save.

Answers to the most common questions.