> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.growthxai.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # How to Connect a WhatsApp Number > Link a WhatsApp number by scanning a QR code, confirm its age, and message people who agreed to hear from you. A **WhatsApp sender** is a phone number linked to GrowthxAI as a linked device. Sequences can message people who have agreed to hear from you, and every reply lands in the Inbox. The number owner links it themselves on a secure page, so nothing is shared beyond the link. Only **Owners** and **Managers** can connect senders. ## Before you start * GrowthxAI Outreach is **not affiliated with WhatsApp or Meta**. * WhatsApp restricts numbers that start many chats which get no reply. **The number owner carries the risk of a restriction.** * The number must be **at least 6 months old** and have **real conversations** on it. Fresh numbers are often restricted after only two or three new chats. You confirm this when you connect. * **Have the phone with the number to hand.** You'll scan a QR code with it. * WhatsApp only reaches people who agreed. A new chat needs a recorded consent. See [Consent](#consent) below. ## How to connect 1. Go to **Senders** and click **Connect sender**. 2. Under **What would you like to connect?**, choose **WhatsApp**, tick the box confirming you have the owner's permission, and click **Continue**. 3. Fill in the account details: * **Display name**: for example *Jane's WhatsApp*. The real number is filled in once the account is connected. * **Owner email**: the person who owns the number. We email them here if it ever needs to be linked again. * **Timezone**: outreach is sent during the owner's working hours in this timezone. * **Client** (optional): the client this number works for. 4. Under **Number age (required)**, tick **This number is at least 6 months old and has real conversations on it** and enter the **Months in use** (a whole number, 6 or more). This is recorded with your name and the date, and it appears on the number's page. 5. Click **Continue**, then **Connect WhatsApp**. You'll be taken to a secure page that shows a **QR code** (or a pairing code). 6. On the phone, open **WhatsApp → Linked devices → Link a device** and scan the code. Then return to GrowthxAI. The sender shows **Connecting** until the link is complete, then **Connected**. Conversations and contact names follow within a few minutes. The link expires after **15 minutes**. If it expires, go back and create a new one. You can't continue past the details step without the number-age confirmation. If you later find the number was younger than you said, update it on the sender's **Overview** tab. ## Connecting someone else's number? Click **Copy sign-in link** instead of opening it yourself, and send it to the number owner. They need the **phone with the number** next to them, because the QR code is scanned from WhatsApp on that phone. See [How to Securely Connect Someone Else's LinkedIn Account](/senders/connect-someone-elses-linkedin) for the same approach in more detail. ## What happens after connecting ### A 24-hour quiet period Every time a WhatsApp sender connects or reconnects, **outreach waits 24 hours**. The sender's page shows **Outreach starts in …** with a countdown. **Replies still go out**, and people who write in aren't held back. ### Warm-up: new chats a day WhatsApp levels follow **reply rate**, not time. A new sender starts at level 0: | Level | New chats a day | To move up | | - | - | - | | **0** (on connect) | 2 | 7 days connected, at least 5 real conversations, and the number confirmed as 6+ months old | | **1** | 5 | Reply rate of 40% or more over at least 10 new chats (last 14 days) | | **2** | 10 | Reply rate of 40% or more over at least 25 new chats | | **3** | 20 | Reply rate of 45% or more over at least 50 new chats | | **4** | 35 | Top level: reply rate of 50% or more and no blocks in 30 days to stay here | Messages in chats that already exist are capped at 100 a day at every level. A sender **drops a level straight away** if its reply rate falls below 25%, someone blocks it, or it's logged out within 24 hours of sending. Messages go out **20 to 90 seconds** apart. See [Channel Limits & Restrictions](/getting-started/platform-overview/channel-limits-and-restrictions#whatsapp). Write the first message so it invites a reply: ask a short question instead of pitching. Replies are what raise a sender's level. ## Using a WhatsApp sender in a sequence Add the WhatsApp number to the sequence's **Pool**, then use the steps under **WhatsApp actions** in the builder: **Check the number**, **Check consent** and **Send message**. The **WhatsApp follow-up for consented leads** template puts them together. See [Sequence Nodes](/sequences/creating-managing-sequences/sequence-nodes#whatsapp) and [Sequence Templates](/sequences/creating-managing-sequences/sequence-templates#the-templates). The safest way to reach WhatsApp is through a conversation that already happened: a lead replies on LinkedIn and shares their number, you record that as consent, and the conversation carries on on WhatsApp. The **LinkedIn first, WhatsApp through the conversation** template is built around this. Everything said in WhatsApp chats, including replies, quotes, reactions and forwards, is handled in the [Inbox](/inbox-and-manual-messaging/inbox-overview#instagram-whatsapp-and-email-conversations). ## Consent A sequence can only **start** a WhatsApp conversation with someone who has a recorded reason to hear from you. No consent, no first message. The check runs when the message is planned and again when it's sent. * Consent is recorded on the lead (**Leads → the lead → Consent**), or automatically when the person messages the number first. * Replies to people who write in are always allowed. * Anyone who replies "stop" or "unsubscribe" has their consent withdrawn and their number suppressed, and they leave every WhatsApp sequence. * Every number is checked before a new chat. Numbers that aren't on WhatsApp are skipped without using the day's allowance. **Settings → Safety** explains each consent basis. The **Consent** report under **Reports** lists everyone contacted on WhatsApp with the basis and evidence, ready to export. See [Channel Limits & Restrictions](/getting-started/platform-overview/channel-limits-and-restrictions#whatsapp). ## What you'll see on the sender * **Senders list**: for a WhatsApp sender, today's **New conversations** and **Messages** (used / cap). * **Overview tab**: the **Number**, warm-up level (out of 4), health, the **Number age** confirmation and the quiet-period countdown. * **Number age** card: shows the months and the date it was confirmed. If it's missing, the number stays at level 0 (2 new chats a day) until a manager confirms it is at least 6 months old. Only managers can update it. * **Budgets tab**: a **New-conversation governor** card showing the current level and what it takes to reach the next one, plus today's usage. You can set a lower manual cap. You can't go above the platform ceiling. * **Profile and Session tabs** don't appear. They are for LinkedIn senders only. ## Reconnecting If the number is logged out of linked devices, the sender shows **Re-login needed** and its actions are held. Open the sender, go to the **Overview** tab and click **Send re-login link** (valid for 1 hour), then scan the new QR code from **WhatsApp → Linked devices**. A fresh quiet period of 24 hours starts. See [Sender Statuses and Errors](/senders/sender-statuses-and-errors#red-re-login-needed). ## Troubleshooting **1. "WhatsApp numbers need at least 6 months of real use before outreach"** * The number-age confirmation is missing or under 6 months. ✅ **Solution:** Use a number that has been in real use for 6 months or more. Then tick the confirmation and enter the months in use. **2. The QR code expired or won't scan** * The link is only valid for 15 minutes, and a QR code refreshes on its own. ✅ **Solution:** Generate a new link. Scan it with the phone that has the number, from **WhatsApp → Linked devices → Link a device**. **3. The sender is Connected but nothing goes out** * It's inside the 24-hour quiet period, the lead has no recorded consent, or the day's new chats are used up. ✅ **Solution:** Open the sender and click **Why isn't this sending?** on the Overview tab. It gives the exact reason in plain words. If it says consent is missing, record a basis on the lead. Don't guess one. **4. The sender dropped a level** * Its reply rate fell below 25%, someone blocked it, or it was logged out within 24 hours of sending. ✅ **Solution:** Shorten and soften the first message, and only message people who expect to hear from you. The level climbs back as the reply rate recovers. **5. "Trial workspaces can connect up to 3 senders"** * Trials are limited to 3 active senders. ✅ **Solution:** Add billing under **Settings → Billing** to connect more. See [Pricing Plans](/subscription-and-billing/pricing-plans). ## Related articles * [Channel Limits & Restrictions](/getting-started/platform-overview/channel-limits-and-restrictions) * [Smart Limits & Account Safety](/getting-started/platform-overview/smart-limits-and-account-safety) * [Sender Profiles](/senders/sender-profiles) * [Sender Statuses and Errors](/senders/sender-statuses-and-errors) * [How to Connect an Instagram Account](/senders/connect-instagram)