Can Salesforce send and receive WhatsApp messages?

Yes. An enhanced WhatsApp channel connects your WhatsApp Business number to Salesforce. Agents chat from the console, bots answer first questions, and every message stays on the lead or buyer record.

Can we send WhatsApp messages to leads who never wrote to us?

Only with their opt-in and an approved template. WhatsApp lets a business start a chat, or write after 24 hours of silence, only with a template Meta has approved.

Does Salesforce SMS work in the UAE and India?

Salesforce’s own SMS numbers cover a list of countries that does not include the UAE or India. There we connect a local SMS provider, with the sender ID and templates registered as local rules require.

Do we need Sales Cloud and Service Cloud?

Sales Cloud for leads, opportunities and the pipeline. Service Cloud for the console and messaging. Many developers use both; we size the licences with you and your Salesforce account team.

Can we move our leads and WhatsApp history from our current CRM?

Leads, buyers, brokers and notes, yes. Chat history moves when the old system exports it; we attach it to the record as a transcript.

A sales agent at a developer’s sales gallery answering a buyer’s message on a laptop, a tower model and floor plans on the table, the city at dusk outside.

Real estate CRM · in Salesforce

The lead came in at 21:40. Three brokers called before you did.

Leads wait for the morning, WhatsApp lives on personal phones and the pipeline is updated before the Thursday meeting. Here is how a developer’s sales team works in Salesforce: the lead record, lead tracking, the pipeline, the opportunity, WhatsApp and SMS, each screen explained.

Get the written assessment See leads and call centre

Salesforce consulting partner since 2010 · MVP Hall of Fame · 200+ agents in production · UAE, India and US desks

Where sales leaks

Six gaps between the enquiry and the booking.

01Leads called hours laterA portal enquiry lands at 21:40 and waits for the morning. By then the buyer has spoken to three brokers.

02The same buyer, four timesAn ad form, a portal lead, a WhatsApp message and a walk-in. Four agents call one person.

03WhatsApp on personal phonesThe best conversations sit on an agent’s own phone. When the agent leaves, the history leaves too.

04A pipeline nobody trustsStages are updated on Thursday before the sales meeting. Forecasts are guesses with decimals.

05No idea which campaign soldMarketing reports leads, sales reports bookings, and nobody can join the two.

06Consent nobody can proveA buyer complains about a message. Nobody knows when, or whether, they opted in.

Lead tracking

From the first message to the site visit.

A sample path. Your limits, queues and steps replace ours.

Minute 0
Captured
Web, portal, ad form, WhatsApp, call or walk-in creates a lead with its source and campaign.
Minute 0
Checked for duplicates
Matching rules on phone and email merge it with an open lead or attach it to an existing buyer.
Minute 1
Routed
By project, language, budget and who is on shift. Omni-Channel offers it to an available agent.
Minute 5
First touch or escalated
An approved WhatsApp template goes out if the buyer opted in. No call logged yet: the team lead is told.
Day 1–3
Qualified
Budget, unit type, finance, timeline and buyer type, captured on the call and the chat.
Day 3–10
Site visit
Booked as an event with a reminder, a map pin and the sales manager’s name.
After the visit
Converted
The lead becomes a buyer, an account and an opportunity, with every message and call kept.

Each step is a field, a rule or a flow on the lead, so a report can show where every lead is and how long it waited.

Get the written assessment

The lead in Lightning

One record, every channel the buyer used.

Drawn by us in the Lightning look with invented buyers and figures, to show the setup. The numbered notes explain each part.

Illustration, sample data
SalesLeadsOpportunitiesUnitsBookingsReports
Lead
Omar H.
ConvertSend WhatsAppLog a Call
Lead source
Property portal
Campaign
Tower B launch
Lead owner
Aisha M.
First response
3 min
✓ New
✓ Contacted
Qualified
Site visit
Converted
Mark as current stage
Details
Budget
AED 1.8M to 2.2M
Unit type
2 bed, high floor
Buyer type
Joint, with spouse
Finance
Mortgage, pre-approval pending
Preferred language
Arabic
WhatsApp opt-in
Yes, portal form, 08 Oct
Interested in
Tower B, Tower C
Duplicates
1 possible match
Campaign history (2)
Campaign Status Date
Tower B launch, portal Responded 08 Oct
Tower B, Meta lead ad Sent 02 Oct
Potential duplicates (1)
Name Match Owner
Omar Hassan Same mobile Walk-in, Karim S.
Activity
WhatsApp: WhatsApp from Omar H.
Today 09:12
Is the 2 bed on a high floor still available? Can I see it Saturday?
Call: Call, 6 min, qualified
Yesterday 21:46 · Aisha M.
Joint purchase with his wife. Mortgage with his bank, pre-approval next week.
SMS: SMS: brochure link
Yesterday 21:44 · automatic
Email: Email: Tower B floor plans
Yesterday 21:43 · automatic
Task: Call within 5 minutes
Completed in 3 min
Sales agent
One lead record holds the source, the campaign, the qualification and every call, chat and email. The path shows where the buyer is; the agent never opens a second tool.
1. 01Highlights show where the lead came from and how fast we answered. First response is a formula from created time to the first logged touch.
2. 02The path is the lead status. Each step has guidance for the agent: the questions to ask at Qualified, the visit checklist at Site visit.
3. 03Details hold what decides the unit: budget, type, finance and buyer type. Joint and corporate buyers change the KYC later, so we ask now.
4. 04Opt-in is a field with its source and date. Templates only go to leads who said yes.
5. 05Duplicate rules match on mobile and email. The agent merges with one click and keeps both histories.
6. 06Activity shows WhatsApp, SMS, calls, emails and tasks in one timeline, whichever channel the buyer used.
Illustration, sample data
SalesLeadsOpportunitiesUnitsBookingsReports
Leads · list view
New leads, not yet called
NewAssign
Lead Source Waiting Owner
Priya N. Meta lead ad 2 min Aisha M.
Khalid A. WhatsApp 4 min Karim S.
L. Chen Website 7 min Escalated
Fatima R. Portal 11 min Escalated
Team lead
Lead tracking starts with one list: who is waiting and for how long. Past five minutes, the team lead gets the lead and a Slack note.
1. 01Filters on status New and no logged call. The list refreshes as leads arrive.
2. 02Waiting is the minutes since the lead was created. A flow escalates at your limit.
Illustration, sample data
SalesReportsLeadsOpportunitiesUnitsBookings
Dashboard
Leads this month · Tower B
- New leads
  1,240
- Median first response
  4 min
- Site visits booked
  186
- Bookings
  38
Source Leads Visits Bookings
Property portals 512 61 11
Meta lead ads 388 42 7
Brokers 164 51 15
WhatsApp click-to-chat 121 23 4
Walk-in and events 55 9 1
Sales and marketing heads
Source to booking on one dashboard, because the lead, the opportunity and the booking share a record trail. Sample figures.
1. 01Campaign influence joins each booking back to the campaigns that touched the buyer.
2. 02The same report, filtered by agent, shows response time and visits per agent.

Campaign	Status	Date
Tower B launch, portal	Responded	08 Oct
Tower B, Meta lead ad	Sent	02 Oct

Name	Match	Owner
Omar Hassan	Same mobile	Walk-in, Karim S.

Lead	Source	Waiting	Owner
Priya N.	Meta lead ad	2 min	Aisha M.
Khalid A.	WhatsApp	4 min	Karim S.
L. Chen	Website	7 min	Escalated
Fatima R.	Portal	11 min	Escalated

Source	Leads	Visits	Bookings
Property portals	512	61	11
Meta lead ads	388	42	7
Brokers	164	51	15
WhatsApp click-to-chat	121	23	4
Walk-in and events	55	9	1

Opportunities

The pipeline in your stages, the deal on one page.

Site visit, EOI, unit held, booking, KYC, SPA signed. The board and the record use the same stages.

Illustration, sample data
SalesOpportunitiesLeadsUnitsBookingsReports
Opportunities · Kanban
Tower B pipeline
NewFilterForecast
1. Site visit
  AED 41.6M · 22
  Omar H. · 2 bed
  Sat 11:00 · Aisha M.
  Priya N. · 1 bed
  Sun 16:30 · Karim S.
2. EOI
  AED 28.4M · 14
  L. Chen · 3 bed
  Token received
  Al Noor Holdings
  Corporate, 4 units
3. Unit held
  AED 12.9M · 6
  Rania K. · B-1204
  Hold ends 18:00
4. Booking
  AED 9.8M · 5
  Sami D. · B-0907
  Booking fee paid
5. KYC
  AED 6.1M · 3
  Khalid A. · B-1502
  Passport copy missing
6. SPA signed
  AED 15.2M · 8
  Fatima R. · B-0611
  Oqood submitted
Sales manager
The pipeline as cards. Drag a card to the next stage; rules check the step is done first (no Booking stage without a booking fee).
1. 01Stages are a developer’s, not a software default: site visit, EOI, unit held, booking, KYC, SPA signed.
2. 02Each column shows the value and the count. The forecast uses the same stages with your probabilities.
3. 03Validation rules stop skipped steps, so the board shows what really happened.
Illustration, sample data
SalesOpportunitiesLeadsUnitsBookingsReports
Opportunity
B-1204 · Rania K. and Sami K.
Hold unitGenerate SPASend WhatsApp
Amount
AED 1,960,000
Close date
30 Oct 2026
Broker
Direct, no broker
Owner
Aisha M.
✓ Site visit
✓ EOI
Unit held
Booking
KYC
SPA signed
Closed
Mark as current stage
Details
Unit
B-1204, 2 bed, 1,180 sq ft
Payment plan
Construction linked, plan 3
Discount
Approved in Slack, 14 Oct
Hold expires
Today 18:00
Buyer type
Joint
Finance
Cash
Contact roles (2)
Name Role KYC
Rania K. Primary buyer Done
Sami K. Co-buyer Passport due
Units (2)
Unit List Sale
B-1204 2,020,000 1,960,000
Parking P2-44 Included Included
Payment schedule (3)
Instalment Due Amount
Booking On signing 196,000
Slab 10 Milestone 392,000
Structure Milestone 392,000
Activity
Event: Site visit, Tower B show unit
12 Oct 11:00 · Aisha M.
WhatsApp: WhatsApp: unit held until 18:00
14 Oct 10:05 · template
Note: Discount approved by sales director
14 Oct 09:52 · from Slack
Task: Collect booking fee
Due today · Aisha M.
Sales agent and sales manager
The opportunity is the deal: the unit, the price, both buyers, the plan and every step to the SPA. Booking, KYC and the SPA start from here.
1. 01The path follows the developer’s sale. Moving to Unit held reserves the unit with a timer; when the hold expires the unit goes back on the board.
2. 02Contact roles name each buyer, the co-buyer, a power of attorney or a broker. KYC runs per role, so a joint purchase never waits on a guess.
3. 03Units are products on the opportunity, priced from the price list. A discount over your limit asks for approval in Slack first.
4. 04The payment schedule is copied from the plan when the booking is made, and later synced to the ERP.
5. 05Actions run flows: hold a unit, generate the SPA for e-signature, send an approved WhatsApp template.

Name	Role	KYC
Rania K.	Primary buyer	Done
Sami K.	Co-buyer	Passport due

Unit	List	Sale
B-1204	2,020,000	1,960,000
Parking P2-44	Included	Included

Instalment	Due	Amount
Booking	On signing	196,000
Slab 10	Milestone	392,000
Structure	Milestone	392,000

WhatsApp and SMS

Chats on the record, not on an agent’s phone.

WhatsApp and SMS inside Salesforce, with consent and approved templates.

Illustration, sample data
Service ConsoleMessaging sessionsLeadsBookingsCases
Messaging session · WhatsApp
Khalid A. · +971 50 *** 4471
TransferSend templateEnd chat
Channel
WhatsApp, Tower B number
Linked to
Lead · Khalid A.
Routed by
Omni-Channel, Arabic queue
Window
Open, 23 h left
Details
Opt-in
Yes, click-to-chat ad
Language
Arabic, English
Lead status
Contacted
Visit
Sat 10:00, booked from chat
Conversation
Khalid A. · 10:02السلام عليكم، Is the 3 bed in Tower B still on the same payment plan?
Assistant · 10:02Thank you, Khalid. Connecting you to Karim from the Tower B team.
Karim S. · 10:04Yes, plan 3: a booking amount, then instalments by construction milestone. Shall I send the brochure and book a visit?BrochureBook a visit
Khalid A. · 10:06Yes please, Saturday morning.
Call centre and sales agents
WhatsApp inside Salesforce, not on a phone. The chat opens beside the lead, the agent replies with the record in view, and the transcript stays on the record when the agent leaves.
1. 01An enhanced WhatsApp channel connects your WhatsApp Business number to Salesforce. Messages arrive as messaging sessions.
2. 02Omni-Channel routes the session by language, project and who is available, the same way it routes calls and leads.
3. 03Inside the 24-hour window after the buyer writes, agents reply freely. Outside it, only templates Meta has approved can start the chat.
4. 04Quick actions send a brochure, book a visit or create a case without leaving the chat.
Illustration, sample data
SetupMessaging templatesChannelsFlows
Messaging template · WhatsApp
visit_reminder_ar_en
Details
Status
Approved by Meta
Category
Utility
Languages
Arabic, English
Sent by
Flow: site visit reminder
Placeholder Filled from
{{1}} Lead first name
{{2}} Visit date and time
{{3}} Show unit map link
Salesforce admin
Templates are written once, approved by Meta and filled from the record. Reminders, statements and visit confirmations use them.
1. 01Marketing templates need marketing consent; utility templates cover visits, holds and payments.
2. 02Each send is logged on the record with the template and the time.
Illustration, sample data
Flow BuilderFlowsMessaging templatesChannels
Record-triggered flow
New lead: first touch
Done: Lead created from portal, ad or web
Done: Opted in to WhatsApp? Send template
Done: No WhatsApp? Send SMS through the local provider
Done: Email brochure and floor plans
Done: Task: call within 5 minutes
Open: No call logged by minute 5: alert team lead in Slack
Salesforce admin
SMS is the fallback when a buyer has no WhatsApp or did not opt in. In the UAE and India it goes through a local SMS provider connected to Salesforce, with the sender ID and templates registered locally.
1. 01One flow decides the channel from consent and the number, so a buyer never gets the same message twice.
2. 02Replies by SMS come back to the same lead timeline as WhatsApp and email.

Placeholder	Filled from
{{1}}	Lead first name
{{2}}	Visit date and time
{{3}}	Show unit map link

How WhatsApp and SMS connect

Three options, one timeline per buyer.

Licences come from Salesforce today. We help you pick the plan and work with your Salesforce account team.

01
Service Cloud messaging
Enhanced WhatsApp channel on your number · Two-way chats in the console · Omni-Channel routing and bots · Native SMS only where Salesforce has numbers
02
Marketing Cloud
WhatsApp and SMS in journeys · Launch campaigns and nurture · Consent and opt-out managed · Results back on the lead
03
Provider connector
Local SMS providers in the UAE and India · Sender IDs and templates registered locally · Installed from AppExchange or built on the provider’s API · Messages logged on the record
04
In every option
Opt-in before marketing messages · Meta-approved templates outside 24 hours · One timeline per buyer · Transcripts kept when agents leave

Three ways to connect WhatsApp and SMS. Most developers use the first for sales and service chats and the second for campaigns.

Mermaid source

flowchart TD
  B["Buyer: WhatsApp, SMS"] --> SC["Service Cloud messaging: enhanced WhatsApp channel, SMS"]
  B --> MC["Marketing Cloud: WhatsApp and SMS journeys"]
  B --> AX["Provider connector: local SMS gateway or WhatsApp provider"]
  SC --> R["Lead, opportunity and booking records"]
  MC --> R
  AX --> R

What else matters

Twelve parts of the setup that decide whether it works.

Standard Salesforce features, set up for how a developer sells.

01Lead assignment and Omni-ChannelRules by project, language, budget and shift. Leads, chats and calls go to whoever is free, with capacity per agent.

02Duplicate and matching rulesPhone numbers normalised to one format first, then matched across leads, buyers and brokers.

03Consent recordsOpt-in per channel and purpose, with the source and date. Opt-out from any message works everywhere.

04Campaigns and attributionEvery lead carries its campaign and UTM. Campaign influence connects bookings back to spend.

05Path guidanceKey fields and the next step at each stage, so a new agent works the way your best one does.

06Validation rulesNo booking without a fee, no SPA without KYC. The pipeline shows what happened, not what was typed.

07Broker lead protectionA broker’s registration is checked against existing buyers, with a window you set. Disputes get a record, not an argument.

08Units as productsUnits, parking and storage live in the price list with status. Holds and releases update the board for everyone.

09Approvals in SlackDiscounts, plan changes and hold extensions approved from a Slack message, written back to the record.

10Call centre telephonyA connected phone system pops the lead on the call, records the outcome and logs the call on the timeline.

11Mobile appAgents at the show unit update the lead, hold a unit and send a template from the Salesforce mobile app.

12Reports and forecastsSource to booking, speed to lead, pipeline by stage and forecast by month, from the same records.

FAQ

What sales heads ask first.

Can Salesforce send and receive WhatsApp messages?: Yes. An enhanced WhatsApp channel connects your WhatsApp Business number to Salesforce. Agents chat from the console, bots answer first questions, and every message stays on the lead or buyer record.
Can we send WhatsApp messages to leads who never wrote to us?: Only with their opt-in and an approved template. WhatsApp lets a business start a chat, or write after 24 hours of silence, only with a template Meta has approved.
Does Salesforce SMS work in the UAE and India?: Salesforce’s own SMS numbers cover a list of countries that does not include the UAE or India. There we connect a local SMS provider, with the sender ID and templates registered as local rules require.
Do we need Sales Cloud and Service Cloud?: Sales Cloud for leads, opportunities and the pipeline. Service Cloud for the console and messaging. Many developers use both; we size the licences with you and your Salesforce account team.
Can we move our leads and WhatsApp history from our current CRM?: Leads, buyers, brokers and notes, yes. Chat history moves when the old system exports it; we attach it to the record as a transcript.

The brief · one email

Tell us where your leads come from and who answers them.

The honest no: if the work is a software factory with a named delivery date, we are the wrong partner.

The lead came in at 21:40. Three brokers called before you did.

Six gaps between the enquiry and the booking.

From the first message to the site visit.

One record, every channel the buyer used.

Details

Campaign history (2)

Potential duplicates (1)

Activity

The pipeline in your stages, the deal on one page.

Details

Contact roles (2)

Units (2)

Payment schedule (3)

Activity

Chats on the record, not on an agent’s phone.

Details

Conversation

Details

Three options, one timeline per buyer.

Twelve parts of the setup that decide whether it works.

What sales heads ask first.

Tell us where your leads come from and who answers them.