How to create and configure your Gupshup account

In this guide, we'll show you how to create a Gupshup account and configure it for use in your WhatsApp channels to engage in conversations with your customers. Let’s get started NOW!

First Things First: What Is Gupshup?

Gupshup is a conversational messaging platform that allows businesses to communicate through multiple channels like WhatsApp, SMS, and more. In uContact, you’ll use Gupshup as an efficient medium to connect with your customers.

How to create your account?

The first step is to create an account on Gupshup. The process is quite simple and can be done using various methods like Google or Facebook.

1. To create the account, go to the Gupshup portal and register using your details or your Google or Facebook account.

If you already have an account, you can log in with your credentials.

How to create an application?

Once you’ve created your account or logged in, you need to create an application to connect uContact with Gupshup and send/receive messages.

1. Start by clicking on the "Create Your First Application" button.

2. You’ll be redirected to a new page where you must assign a name to your application.

Things to keep in mind

• The name must be unique; you cannot have two applications with the same name.
• The name is for identification purposes and cannot be changed later.
• It must be at least 6 characters long and cannot include special characters like spaces, accents, or hyphens.

After entering the name, click the "Submit" button. The system will indicate whether your application was successfully created or not. If not, check if the name meets the requirements or contact Gupshup Support.

If the application is successfully created, you’ll see the message "Created Successfully." Click the "Go to Dashboard" button to proceed.

3. With your application created, you can now start the configuration process. In the dashboard, you’ll see a list of created applications. To configure one, simply click its name.

4. You’ll access the Application Details page. Click on the "Settings" tab.

Here, you’ll find all the relevant information about the application. What’s most important is the application API Key, which will be needed later to configure the provider in uContact. You can also enable or disable the use of templates. Not sure what a template is?

5. Configure Webhooks in the "Webhooks" tab. These will be used by uContact to receive customer messages and various events.

Enable the "Callback URL" option. Then, enter the webhook URL:

https://instance.ucontactcloud.com/api/inbound/gupshupWpp/event

Replace "instance" with your instance name, excluding ".ucontactcloud.com." For example, if your instance is named "docs," the webhook URL should be: https://docs.ucontactcloud.com/api/inbound/gupshupWpp/event.

Click "Set," and Gupshup will test the webhook.

• If successful, you’ll see the message "Callback URL configured successfully."
• If not, you’ll see "Callback URL configuration failed." Double-check the instance name and webhook URL or contact our Support Team.

6. In the same tab, configure the message events required by uContact.

Make sure all events are enabled. These are used in uContact to display message statuses, such as sent, read, failed, etc.

7. That’s it! You’ve completed the configuration in the Gupshup portal.

Templates

To initiate interactions with your customers on WhatsApp, you need to use templates approved by Meta.

What is a template?

A template is a simple text, such as: "Hi! Have you heard about our October promotions? Click the button to visit our website."

To avoid spam, templates must be approved by Meta. The process usually takes only a few hours.

Templates can include:

• Text
• Images
• Videos
• Contacts
• Locations
• Buttons

How to customize templates?

Templates allow the use of variables to personalize messages. For instance, you can include the customer’s name, a discount code, a debt amount, or anything else.

Example:

"Hi Santiago! Your shipment #3762367 will arrive TODAY between 10:00 AM and 5:00 PM."

Here, 5 variables are used, enabling personalized messages about order statuses, delivery times, and more.

Hi {1}! Your shipment {2} will arrive {3} between {4} and {5}.

Ready-to-Use Templates

Gupshup provides several templates pre-approved by Meta, ready for use. In uContact, you can send these templates.

These templates are available in the "Templates" tab of each application.

How to create a template?

1. To create your own template, access the application details and go to the "Templates" tab. Click "Create Template."

What’s Next?

Now that your application is configured, you can create the connector in uContact to use it with your WhatsApp channels.