Messaging with WADOG
Send text, images, videos, documents and voice notes to WhatsApp from Conversations; incoming media, phone sync, read receipts and calls.
4 min read
Once your number is connected, you run all your WhatsApp messaging from Conversations. This article covers what you can send from the panel, how content from patients appears, and WhatsApp-specific situations (read receipts, calls, numbers that don't use WhatsApp).
Reply from the panel
- Open the patient's conversation in Conversations.
- In the reply box, choose the channel WADOG is connected to: the SMS tab if your account is in "replacing SMS" mode, or the WhatsApp channel if it's in "separate channel" mode. (We explain the modes in Number settings.)
- Type your message, attach files with the paperclip if needed, and click Send.
Following the sticky number rule, the message goes from the number already used with the patient, after a short "typing…" pause. For the reply screen in general, see Reply and channels.
What you can send
| Content | How it is sent |
|---|---|
| Text | A normal WhatsApp message. WhatsApp formatting works: *bold*, _italic_. |
| Image, video, document (PDF) | Each attached file is sent as a separate WhatsApp message, before the text. |
| Audio file (.mp3, .ogg) | Arrives at the patient as a voice note. |
| Snippets | The panel's snippets are sent as normal text. See Templates and snippets. |
Note
WADOG has no 24-hour rule and no Meta template approval; even if a patient writes days later, you can reply with free text. However, frequently sending messages the patient didn't start or expect puts your number at risk. See Bulk sending and number safety.
Content from patients
- Photos, videos, documents: the file itself reaches the panel; you can open it in the chat, download it or keep it on the contact record. A caption, if written, shows as the message text.
- Voice messages: arrive as an audio file marked 🎤; you can play them in the panel.
- Location: arrives as "📍 Konum" (Location) text with a map link.
- Contact cards and polls: show as "👤 Kişi kartı: …" (contact card) and "📊 Anket: …" (poll) text.
- Stickers: the file isn't transferred; "🙂 Çıkartma" (sticker) text appears.
- Reactions (emoji reactions) are not passed to the panel.
- Disappearing messages and view-once media are passed on like normal messages.
If a file can't be downloaded, the message isn't lost; it is written to the chat with a description such as "📷 Görsel: file-name" (image).
Example: Jonas Weber from Germany sends his panoramic X-ray for All-on-4 on WhatsApp. The X-ray file lands in Conversations, Zeynep Arslan forwards it to the doctor and replies from the panel; the patient gets the answer from the usual clinic number.
Messages typed on the phone
Messages you type directly in WhatsApp on the clinic phone are also added to the chat in the panel as outgoing messages within a few seconds (with their attachments). So even if a coordinator writes to a patient from the phone, the team sees the whole conversation in the panel.
- This sync works while the number's Gelen mesajlar (Incoming messages) setting is on.
- Messages to yourself ("Message yourself") and WhatsApp groups are not part of this sync. For groups, see WhatsApp groups.
Delivered and read receipts
The status of a message you send updates as WhatsApp reports it: first sent, then delivered when the patient's phone receives it, then read when they open it. If the patient has turned off read receipts in WhatsApp, the message stays at "delivered" — that's not an error.
Numbers that don't use WhatsApp
If the number you write to doesn't use WhatsApp:
- The message fails in Conversations with the error "Bu numara WhatsApp kullanmıyor" (This number doesn't use WhatsApp).
- The no-whatsapp tag is added to the contact automatically.
You can build a smart list on this tag and reach these contacts by email or phone. Also check that the phone number is saved correctly with country code; a mistyped number gives the same result.
WhatsApp calls
If the number's Aramaları kaydet (Log calls) setting is on, an incoming WhatsApp call from a patient is added to the chat as a "📞 WhatsApp sesli arama" (voice call) note — or "📹 WhatsApp görüntülü arama" for a video call. You can't answer the call from the panel; it rings on the phone. The note works as a reminder to call back missed calls.
Replies to buttons
If you sent a button or list message with the Message builder, the text of the option the patient taps (e.g. "Free consultation") lands in the chat as a normal incoming message. Button messages are experimental with this method and may not display on the patient's phone.
Common issues
A message failed. The most common causes: the number's connection dropped, the contact has no WhatsApp, or the phone number is wrong. The error text tells you which; for connection problems see Troubleshooting.
The message was sent but never shows as read. The patient may have turned off read receipts or hasn't opened it yet.
The patient sent a photo but the panel only says "📷 Görsel". The file couldn't be downloaded; view the photo on the phone or ask the patient to send it again.
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