Customers can call your business from WhatsApp, and agents answer in their browser. Agents can also call customers who have agreed to receive calls.
Plan & access
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Chatwoot Cloud: Business plan and above. Self-hosted: a paid plan with Enterprise Edition, from v4.15.0. Installing the Enterprise Edition build alone does not enable it. See Pricing & Plans.
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Inbox: WhatsApp Cloud API only. Both connection methods work, Quick setup and manual setup. Not available for Twilio or 360dialog WhatsApp inboxes.
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Your number must be enrolled in Meta's WhatsApp Business Calling API.
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Administrators turn it on. Agents in the inbox take and make calls.
How to check you have it: open the inbox settings. A Calls tab means calling is available for your account.
Turn on calling
New inbox: go to Settings › Inboxes › Add Inbox › WhatsApp Call and complete Quick setup. Chatwoot turns calling on during setup.
Existing inbox:
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Go to Settings › Inboxes, open your WhatsApp inbox and go to the Calls tab.
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Turn on Enable WhatsApp Calling.
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Optional: edit the Call permission request message that customers see when you ask to call them.
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Optional: set the other toggles on the Calls tab:
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Allow incoming calls: when off, incoming calls are declined automatically, agents are not notified and no conversation is created. Outgoing calls still work.
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Record calls: attaches each call's recording to the conversation.
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Transcribe recordings: shown when recording is on. Adds a transcript using Captain, and needs audio transcription turned on for your account.
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If you see Voice calling couldn't be turned on for this number, your number is not enrolled in Meta's Calling API yet. Ask Meta or your WhatsApp Business Solution Provider to enroll it, then try again.
Before your first call: each agent must allow microphone access for Chatwoot in their browser.
Test it: from another phone, open WhatsApp, find your business and tap call. A call notification should appear in Chatwoot.
Taking and making calls
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Incoming: a call window shows the caller's name, number and the inbox. Agents can join or reject the call.
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Outgoing: in a conversation, click Start WhatsApp call. If the customer has not agreed to receive calls, Chatwoot sends them a call permission request instead: Sent a call permission request to the contact. Try again once they accept. Once they accept, call again.
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Call states shown in the conversation: Incoming call, Outgoing call, Call in progress, Call ended, Missed call, No answer.
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Recordings are attached to the conversation when available. Transcripts are added if your account has Captain audio transcription turned on.
Who gets the call
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Assigned conversation: only the assignee's call window rings, whatever their availability status.
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Unassigned conversation: inbox agents who are set to Online ring.
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No one online: all inbox agents and all administrators ring.
The first agent to join takes the call. If the conversation has no assignee, the agent who joins is assigned to it. When an agent starts a call, the conversation is assigned to them if it has no assignee.
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Good practice
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Ask for call permission early in the conversation, not at the moment you need to call.
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Make sure agents who take calls are set to online, so calls are not missed.
Troubleshoot
| Symptom | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| No Calls tab | Your plan does not include calling (Business and above), or the inbox is not WhatsApp Cloud API | Check your plan in Pricing & Plans and your connection method in WhatsApp in Chatwoot |
| Voice calling couldn't be turned on | The number is not enrolled in Meta's Calling API | Ask Meta or your provider to enroll it, then try again |
| Agent cannot hear or be heard | The browser has no microphone permission | Allow microphone access for Chatwoot in the browser settings |
| Call permission request already sent recently | The customer has not answered the last request | Wait for the customer to accept before trying again |