How to Set Up WhatsApp in Pipedrive (QR or Official API) in 10 Minutes

You can have WhatsApp working inside Pipedrive in about ten minutes. This guide walks through the setup of WASync for Pipedrive from the Marketplace install to your first reply from a Deal. It covers both connection types, QR and the official WhatsApp Business API, so you can pick the one that fits.

If you are still deciding between Pipedrive's native WhatsApp beta and a Marketplace app, read the native vs apps comparison first. This post assumes you chose the app.

Before you start

You need three things:

• A Pipedrive account where you can install Marketplace apps (usually an admin).
• The phone with the WhatsApp number you want to connect, if you choose QR.
• For the official API: a Facebook account with access to a Meta Business Portfolio, and a phone number you can verify.

No card is needed for the trial. The whole process below takes about ten minutes, and QR takes less than API.

Step 1. Install WASync from the Pipedrive Marketplace

Open the WASync listing on the Pipedrive Marketplace and click Install.

Pipedrive then shows its standard permissions screen (OAuth), listing what the app can read and write in your account. Review it and approve. You land on a page that says WASync is installed, with a Back to Pipedrive button.

What you should see: a 7-day free trial starts automatically, and WASync is listed among your installed apps.

Step 2. Open the WASync settings and choose your connection type

In Pipedrive, open Tools and apps → Installed apps → WASync → Settings. The page is called WhatsApp Connections, and it has two buttons for adding a number:

WAPP is our name for a QR connection and WABA for the official WhatsApp Business API. If you are unsure, start with QR. You can add an API number later, and both run side by side in the same account. Pricing details are on the WASync plans page.

Step 3a. Connect by QR (about 60 seconds)

1. On the WhatsApp Connections page, click Add WAPP (QR code). A Connect WhatsApp window opens with a QR code. On an empty account the button reads Add your first connection.
2. On your phone, open WhatsApp, go to Settings → Linked Devices → Link a Device.
3. Scan the code on screen.
4. Wait for the status to change to connected. Until you scan, the number shows Waiting for QR scan.

What you should see: the number appears in the Connection Name list as connected, and recent chats begin to sync. Keep the phone online and WhatsApp updated, as with any linked device. If the link drops later, use Reconnect (or Show QR) on that row and scan again.

Step 3b. Connect by the official API

1. On the WhatsApp Connections page, click Add WABA (Meta API). The button shows Opening Facebook… while Meta's sign-in window loads.
2. Sign in with the Facebook account that has access to your Business Portfolio.
3. Choose or create the Business Portfolio and the WhatsApp Business Account.
4. Enter the phone number and verify it with the code Meta sends.
5. Finish. The button shows Finishing setup… and you return to the connections list.

What you should see: the number listed as an official API connection. Meta bills message fees to the payment method on your WhatsApp Business Account. If no payment method is attached, Meta can block sending, so add one in Meta's billing settings before your first campaign. For the fee structure see WhatsApp API cost.

Step 4. Send your first message from a Deal

1. Open any Deal or Person that has a phone number.
2. Open the WhatsApp panel on the Deal or Person detail view.
3. Type a message and send.

The message goes out from your connected number and appears in the thread. Replies arrive in the same panel. You can also use the floating inbox or the full-page chat to see all conversations in one place.

Step 5. Let new numbers create records

When someone you have never talked to writes to your number, WASync can create the Person and a Lead automatically and link the conversation. Your team does not copy phone numbers by hand.

The creation rules live under Inbound Rules in the WASync settings. Every conversation is also saved as Notes on the Person and the open Lead or Deal, with an "Open chat" link. A manager reading the Deal sees the history without asking the rep.

Troubleshooting

The number is already connected to another provider. A number on the WhatsApp Business Platform can usually be served by one provider at a time. If the number is already with another provider or tool, Meta may refuse the new connection, or messages may keep going to the old one. Remove the number from the old provider's account first, or use a different number. If you connect by QR instead, the number stays on your phone, but check that the old tool is not also linked to it.

The QR connection disconnects. WhatsApp can unlink a device if the phone is offline for a long time, if you log out of Linked devices, or if the account is flagged for unusual activity such as many first messages to contacts who never wrote to you. Reconnect by scanning a new QR code. To lower the risk, message people who expect to hear from you, and avoid sending the same text to many new contacts at once. If you need reliable outbound at volume, the official API is the safer choice.

I cannot send, and the message needs a template. WhatsApp allows free-text replies only within 24 hours of the customer's last message. After that, on the official API you must send a Meta-approved template. Create the template in WASync, submit it, and wait for approval (Meta's own guidance says it can take up to 48 hours). Starting a new conversation also needs a template. QR numbers do not have this rule, which is one reason people start there.

Sending is blocked with a billing error. On API numbers this usually means the WhatsApp Business Account has no valid payment method at Meta. Add one in Meta Business Settings, then retry.

Which one should you pick?

Pick QR if you want to be live today with the number your customers already know, and your messages are mostly replies. Pick the official API if you need templates, you reach out first, or your compliance team wants a Meta-approved channel. The price difference is $10 per month per number, and API numbers also carry Meta's per-message fees. We explain when that is worth it in Pipedrive WhatsApp pricing in 2026.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a Pipedrive Growth plan to use WhatsApp with WASync? No. WASync is a Marketplace app and does not depend on a plan-gated Pipedrive feature. Pipedrive's native WhatsApp integration is a separate product; check Pipedrive's current plans for its requirements.

Should I connect by QR or by the official API? Use QR to keep the number you already use and start in a minute, at $19 per month per number. Use the official API for Meta-approved templates and a stable long-term channel, at $29 per month per number plus Meta's message fees.

Can the whole team use one number? Yes. Licences are per connected number, not per seat. Every user working Deals and Persons can chat on the same number.

Does it cost anything to try? Every number starts with a 7-day free trial, no card required.

Ready to start? Open the WASync for Pipedrive page and click install.