For a large share of Indian B2B and services buyers, WhatsApp is the primary reply channel. Email gets read; WhatsApp gets answered. The commercial consequence is that a growing part of your customer relationship history lives on personal phones, invisible to everyone else in the business.
What Vertex CRM ships
Vertex CRM treats WhatsApp as a first-class Inbox lane with two connection paths:
- AiSensy (BSP): Project ID + Project API key for outbound (session text, approved templates, media) and project webhooks at
/webhooks/aisensyfor inbound and delivery status. - Meta WhatsApp Cloud API: phone number ID + token under Setup → Integrations → WhatsApp, webhook at
/webhooks/whatsapp.
Either path lands in the same multichannel Inbox. Agents can send text, attachments, and approved templates; create follow-up or reminder activities; and share payment links without leaving the thread. Inbound messages are logged and can create leads.
The path a message takes
Personal numbers are the real risk
Ungoverned personal-number messaging creates four problems at once: the history leaves when the employee does, there is no consent record, nothing is auditable, and clients cannot tell an official message from a personal one. Moving to a business number on an official API (Cloud API or a BSP such as AiSensy) is a governance decision before it is a feature decision.
Consent, which is not optional
Cloud API or AiSensy (BSP)?
| Meta Cloud API direct | AiSensy (BSP) | |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Teams already operating a Cloud API number in Meta Business Suite | Teams that prefer BSP onboarding, template ops, and Project API send |
| Setup in Vertex CRM | Integrations → WhatsApp (Cloud API fields) | Integrations → WhatsApp (AiSensy Project ID, API key, webhook secret) |
| Inbound webhook | /webhooks/whatsapp | /webhooks/aisensy |
| Inbox composer | Session replies via Cloud API where connected | Session text, templates, and media via Project API |
| Cost shape | Meta conversation pricing | Meta pricing plus BSP platform fees |
Pick the path that matches how you already host the number. You do not need both; Vertex CRM prefers AiSensy Project API when that connector is ready, otherwise falls back to Cloud API.
What agents can do from Inbox
- Reply in open sessions and send Meta-approved templates (HSM) when outside the window
- Attach images, documents, and other media within provider limits
- Schedule follow-ups and reminders as CRM activities on the related record
- Create and share payment links (shop API or Razorpay) and, where configured, catalog / subscription cards
Operational notes
- Process webhook deliveries idempotently—retries are normal, and duplicates create two sellers calling the same person
- Rotate Project API keys and Cloud API tokens on staff changes; store them encrypted in org settings
- Set expectations about response hours; an unanswered WhatsApp message reads worse than an unanswered email
- Keep the message record attached to the account so the relationship survives a handover
Related: DPDP and consent, lead tracking, and the India CRM buyer guide.
Frequently asked questions
- Does Vertex CRM bundle WhatsApp?
- Yes — configure AiSensy or Meta Cloud API under Integrations → WhatsApp. Both paths use the same Inbox lane.
- What can agents send from Inbox?
- Session text, approved templates, media attachments, payment links, and CRM follow-up / reminder activities.
- What about consent?
- Capture opt-in and purpose limitation consistent with your privacy program.