Connect to WhatsApp
Open in CMSStage 2 starts here, because WhatsApp is the quickest way to put your agent in front of real people. For Kirana Group, that means site supervisors and field staff can message Atlas from their phones on a project site, without opening a browser. In a few minutes you can link a WhatsApp number to your agent and have it answer messages, without any provider account. This page explains the connection options so you can pick one, then points you to the step-by-step tutorial.
Before you start
- Your agent answers well in Preview and has been published at least once. See Preview and Publish Changes. The Published Configuration tab only works for a published agent.
- You have Owner or Contributor access to the agent in the CMS.
- You have a WhatsApp number to connect. For the Qlar options this is a phone with WhatsApp on it; for the official providers it is a WhatsApp Business number registered with that provider.
Your connection options
Open Channels → WhatsApp in the CMS. If no number is connected yet, the Connect WhatsApp wizard asks you to pick a Protocol.
There are two families of options:
- Qlar (Self-hosted) links an ordinary WhatsApp number to your agent, the same way WhatsApp Web links a computer: you scan a QR code with your phone. No provider account, keys, or webhook. After you click Next, you choose where the connection runs:
- Public server — recommended: Qlar runs the connection for you. Nothing to download.
- Private — your own machine: you run the small Qlar Connector app on your own computer or server, so the WhatsApp session uses your own IP address.
- Meta Cloud, Coster and Qontak connect a WhatsApp Business number that is registered with one of these official providers. You copy credentials from the provider's dashboard into the CMS and register a webhook.
Compare the options
| Public server | Private server | Meta Cloud, Coster, Qontak | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Effort | Lowest: pick it, scan a QR code. | Low: download and run an app, enter a pairing code, scan a QR code. | Highest: provider registration, credentials, and a webhook. |
| What you need | A phone with WhatsApp. | A phone with WhatsApp, plus a Windows, macOS or Linux machine that stays on. | A WhatsApp Business number with the provider and access to its dashboard. |
| Who runs the connection | Qlar. | You (the Qlar Connector app on your machine). | The provider. |
| Cost and limits | A hosted channel can be disconnected after a number of days in which the agent sends no messages. When this applies, the console shows a notice with the number of days. | Runs while your Connector is running; closing the app disconnects WhatsApp. Not affected by the idle disconnect. | Set by the provider's own pricing and rules. |
| Choose it when | You want to go live today, or you are trying WhatsApp for the first time. | You want the session on your own IP or infrastructure. | You already use one of these providers, or need an official WhatsApp Business API account. |
Start with Public server. It is the fastest way to see your agent working on WhatsApp, and you can switch later: delete the channel and connect again with another option.
Choose your tutorial
| Page | Use it when |
|---|---|
| Quick Start: Public Server | You want the easiest path. Recommended for your first number. |
| Private Server | You want to run the connection yourself with the Qlar Connector app. |
| Meta Cloud | Your number is on Meta's WhatsApp Business Platform directly. |
| Coster | Your number is managed through Coster. |
| Qontak | Your number is managed through Qontak. |
Each configuration holds one number with one protocol, so you only need to follow one of these pages per number.
Once a number is connected, with any of these options, you can also switch it to Redirect to web: every WhatsApp message is answered with a one-time sign-in link, and the conversation continues in the agent's web chat. See Redirect to Web Chat.
Understanding Dual Configuration
Every agent in qlar supports two independent WhatsApp numbers at the same time — one for each version of your agent.
| Tab | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Published Configuration | The number your live users interact with. Tied to the published (production) version of your agent. |
| Draft Configuration (Optional) | A separate number used for internal testing. Tied to the draft version of your agent, so you can test changes without affecting live users. |
The Draft Configuration is optional. You can leave it unconfigured if you do not need a dedicated test number. Each tab has its own wizard, so the two numbers can even use different protocols.
Tip: Using a separate draft number lets you iterate on your agent's behaviour and test new API integrations without any risk of breaking conversations that are already happening on your production number.
Saving your changes
On the Meta Cloud, Coster and Qontak forms, every card saves itself. There is no Save or Update button for the whole screen.
| What you change | How it is saved |
|---|---|
| Connection & Credentials | Read-only until you click Edit. Then Save at the bottom of the card, or Cancel to drop the edit. |
| Session Management | Save at the bottom of the card, or Discard to put the saved values back. |
| Redirect to Web | Save at the bottom of the panel. On Qontak it reads Save & submit for review when saving will submit a template to WhatsApp. |
| Active switch, Reply Mode | Saved as soon as you click them. |
A card with edits that are not saved yet shows Unsaved changes next to its buttons. Saving one card never sends what you are still editing in another. On the Published Configuration tab, every save asks you to confirm, because it applies to the live agent straight away.
The header of the screen holds the channel-wide actions: the Notifications button, which opens notification templates, API integration and history, and the ⋯ menu with Delete channel….
Session Management
These settings apply to the Meta Cloud, Coster and Qontak forms. After connecting your number, scroll down to the Session Management section in the configuration form. They control when qlar considers a conversation session to have ended.
Note for Qontak: The Session Management section only becomes visible after you have successfully clicked Set Endpoint. Complete that step first before configuring session settings.
Note for Redirect to web: When Reply Mode is set to Redirect to web, the Session Management card is hidden, because no AI answers on WhatsApp. Its values are kept and come back when you switch back to AI agent. See Redirect to Web Chat.
| Setting | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Ask User to End Session | Enabled | When enabled, qlar asks the user to confirm before closing the session instead of ending it automatically. |
| Delay Before Ask More (seconds) | 300 | How many seconds of inactivity before qlar asks if the user needs more help. |
| Delay Before End Session (seconds) | 600 | How many seconds after asking before the session is automatically closed. |
Adjust these values to match your use case, then click Save at the bottom of the Session Management card.
A Qlar (Public or Private server) channel shows a console instead of this form. Its settings are explained in Quick Start: Public Server.
Check the result
- From a different phone, send a WhatsApp message to the number you connected (use the draft number if you only configured Draft Configuration).
- The agent should reply within a few seconds, with the same kind of answer it gives in Preview.
If the agent does not reply, follow the "Check the result" section of your option's tutorial.
Next steps
- Start now: Quick Start: Public Server.
- Next in the journey: Embed Chat on Your Website, to let website visitors chat with your agent too.
- Field reference: WhatsApp in Help lists every setting on this screen.