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| 1 | +# WhatsApp Integration Setup Guide |
| 2 | + |
| 3 | +This guide will help you set up and use the WhatsApp messaging functionality that has been added to your Rails application. |
| 4 | + |
| 5 | +## What Was Added |
| 6 | + |
| 7 | +The following components have been integrated into your existing Rails app: |
| 8 | + |
| 9 | +### 1. Database |
| 10 | +- **Migration**: `db/migrate/20251015112429_create_whatsapp_messages.rb` |
| 11 | +- **Model**: `app/models/whatsapp_message.rb` |
| 12 | +- Stores WhatsApp message records with fields: `to`, `from`, `text`, `status`, `message_uuid`, `is_inbound` |
| 13 | + |
| 14 | +### 2. Controller |
| 15 | +- **File**: `app/controllers/outbound_whatsapp_controller.rb` |
| 16 | +- **Actions**: |
| 17 | + - `new` - Display the form for sending WhatsApp messages |
| 18 | + - `create` - Send a text WhatsApp message |
| 19 | + - `interactive` - Send an interactive WhatsApp message with reply buttons |
| 20 | + |
| 21 | +### 3. View |
| 22 | +- **File**: `app/views/outbound_whatsapp/new.html.erb` |
| 23 | +- Contains forms for both text and interactive WhatsApp messages |
| 24 | + |
| 25 | +### 4. Routes |
| 26 | +Added to `config/routes.rb`: |
| 27 | +```ruby |
| 28 | +get '/outbound_whatsapp/new', to: 'outbound_whatsapp#new', as: :new_outbound_whatsapp |
| 29 | +post '/outbound_whatsapp', to: 'outbound_whatsapp#create', as: :outbound_whatsapp |
| 30 | +post '/outbound_whatsapp/interactive', to: 'outbound_whatsapp#interactive', as: :interactive_whatsapp |
| 31 | +``` |
| 32 | + |
| 33 | +### 5. Environment Configuration |
| 34 | +Added `VONAGE_WHATSAPP_NUMBER` to `.env.example` |
| 35 | + |
| 36 | +## Setup Instructions |
| 37 | + |
| 38 | +### Step 1: Run the Migration |
| 39 | +```bash |
| 40 | +rails db:migrate |
| 41 | +``` |
| 42 | + |
| 43 | +### Step 2: Configure Your Vonage WhatsApp Application |
| 44 | + |
| 45 | +1. Log in to your [Vonage Dashboard](https://dashboard.nexmo.com/) |
| 46 | +2. Create a new application (or use an existing one) and enable the **Messages** capability |
| 47 | +3. Add webhook URLs for: |
| 48 | + - **Inbound**: `https://your-domain.com/inbound` (or use ngrok for testing) |
| 49 | + - **Status**: `https://your-domain.com/status` |
| 50 | +4. Click **Generate public and private key** |
| 51 | +5. Move the downloaded `private.key` file to the root of your Rails app |
| 52 | +6. Note your **Application ID** |
| 53 | +7. Click **Save** |
| 54 | +8. Under the **Link external accounts** tab, link your WhatsApp number |
| 55 | + |
| 56 | +### Step 3: Update Your .env File |
| 57 | + |
| 58 | +Add the following to your `.env` file (create one if it doesn't exist): |
| 59 | + |
| 60 | +```bash |
| 61 | +VONAGE_APPLICATION_ID=your_application_id_here |
| 62 | +VONAGE_PRIVATE_KEY=./private.key |
| 63 | +VONAGE_WHATSAPP_NUMBER=14157386102 # Your WhatsApp Business number |
| 64 | +``` |
| 65 | + |
| 66 | +### Step 4: Test the Integration |
| 67 | + |
| 68 | +1. Start your Rails server: |
| 69 | + ```bash |
| 70 | + rails s |
| 71 | + ``` |
| 72 | + |
| 73 | +2. Navigate to: `http://localhost:3000/outbound_whatsapp/new` |
| 74 | + |
| 75 | +3. You should see two forms: |
| 76 | + - **Send a WhatsApp Message** - For sending text messages |
| 77 | + - **Try an Interactive Message** - For sending messages with reply buttons |
| 78 | + |
| 79 | +## Features |
| 80 | + |
| 81 | +### Text Messages |
| 82 | +Send simple text messages to any WhatsApp number. The form includes: |
| 83 | +- **From**: Your WhatsApp Business number (pre-filled from ENV) |
| 84 | +- **To**: Recipient's WhatsApp number (format: +14155551234) |
| 85 | +- **Message**: The text content to send |
| 86 | + |
| 87 | +### Interactive Messages |
| 88 | +Send messages with reply buttons that users can tap to respond. The example includes: |
| 89 | +- A header ("Delivery time") |
| 90 | +- Body text with a question |
| 91 | +- Footer text with additional info |
| 92 | +- Three reply buttons with different time slots |
| 93 | + |
| 94 | +You can customize the interactive message structure in the `interactive` action of `OutboundWhatsappController`. |
| 95 | + |
| 96 | +## How It Works |
| 97 | + |
| 98 | +1. **User fills out the form** and submits |
| 99 | +2. **Controller receives the data** and creates a `WhatsappMessage` record |
| 100 | +3. **Vonage client is initialized** with your credentials |
| 101 | +4. **Message is sent** via the Vonage Messages API |
| 102 | +5. **Response is checked** - if successful (HTTP 202), the `message_uuid` is saved |
| 103 | +6. **User is redirected** back to the form with a success notice |
| 104 | + |
| 105 | +## Next Steps |
| 106 | + |
| 107 | +As mentioned in the tutorial, this implementation covers sending messages. To build a complete WhatsApp integration, you'll want to add: |
| 108 | + |
| 109 | +1. **Inbound message handling** - Receive messages from users |
| 110 | +2. **Status webhooks** - Track message delivery and read status |
| 111 | +3. **Interactive response handling** - Process which button the user clicked |
| 112 | + |
| 113 | +These features would require additional controllers and webhook endpoints, similar to the existing `inbound_sms` and `sms_message_status` controllers in your app. |
| 114 | + |
| 115 | +## Troubleshooting |
| 116 | + |
| 117 | +- **Make sure your WhatsApp number is linked** to your Vonage application |
| 118 | +- **Verify your .env file** has the correct credentials |
| 119 | +- **Check that private.key** is in the root directory |
| 120 | +- **Ensure the recipient number** is in E.164 format (e.g., +14155551234) |
| 121 | +- **For testing**, you can use the [Vonage Sandbox for WhatsApp](https://developer.vonage.com/en/messages/concepts/messages-api-sandbox) |
| 122 | + |
| 123 | +## Resources |
| 124 | + |
| 125 | +- [Vonage Messages API Documentation](https://developer.vonage.com/en/messages/overview) |
| 126 | +- [WhatsApp Business API Guide](https://developer.vonage.com/en/messages/concepts/whatsapp) |
| 127 | +- [Vonage Ruby SDK](https://github.com/Vonage/vonage-ruby-sdk) |
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