# Connect WhatsApp for the assistant or campaign sending

Understand the two separate WhatsApp connections, link your phone to the assistant, or connect your own sending number through Chrome.

Canonical: https://docs.lead-knight.com/en/channels/connect-whatsapp/


## Choose the right WhatsApp connection

**Assistant on WhatsApp** links your phone so you can message the assistant. **WhatsApp · Your number** connects your own WhatsApp Web account for campaign messages to contacts and groups. These are separate connections: linking the assistant does not enable campaign sending, and connecting a sending number does not link the assistant.

## Before you start

For the assistant, the workspace must have the assistant's WhatsApp channel available; the connection may show that a verified WhatsApp Business number is required. This is not an instruction to register your personal sending number as the assistant's business number.

For campaign sending, use your own desktop Chrome with the [extension connected](https://docs.lead-knight.com/en/extension/install-and-pair/), your phone to sign in to WhatsApp Web, and recipients who agreed to hear from you. The workspace owner must enable sending first. Each user can connect one sending number per workspace.

> **Important:** WhatsApp does not allow automated sending from regular accounts and may restrict or ban a number. Pacing does not remove that risk. Read and accept the displayed risk notice only if you understand it; you remain responsible for WhatsApp and Meta's terms and recipients' consent.

## Link your phone to the assistant

1. Open **Connections**, then **Assistant on WhatsApp**.
1. Choose **Connect WhatsApp**. The card shows a linking code and the instruction to send it to the assistant.
1. Use **Open WhatsApp** and send that code to the assistant from the phone number you want to link. Copying the code alone does not link the phone.
1. Wait for **Linked** on the card. The code expires in 10 minutes; if it expires, start again for a fresh code.
1. To stop the link, choose the assistant card's **Disconnect**. This is separate from disconnecting a campaign-sending number.

## Connect your own campaign-sending number

1. On **Connections**, choose **WhatsApp · Your number**. If sending is off, the owner must complete **Turn on WhatsApp sending?** and its acknowledgement first; other members are directed to ask the owner.
1. Read the personal risk notice in **Connect your WhatsApp** and tick **I accept this risk for my own number.**
1. Follow **Open WhatsApp Web** in the same Chrome browser as the connected extension. If the extension is not linked to your account in this Chrome, complete the displayed pairing step first.
1. In WhatsApp Web, scan the QR code with your phone if asked. Wait while the extension checks the signed-in account.
1. In **Is this your number?**, inspect the number. Choose **Yes, connect** only for your own intended number. For a different number, choose **Not my number**, sign out of WhatsApp Web, sign in correctly and retry.
1. After **WhatsApp connected.**, review any offered audience-import choices. Keeping people as audiences does not automatically make them CRM contacts.

Keep WhatsApp Web open while campaign messages are sending. The connecting member's browser performs the send even when a teammate has been granted use of the number.

## Manage the sending connection

- **WhatsApp Web open** means the browser can see that WhatsApp session; **Computer offline** means sends need the computer/browser connection restored.
- **Pause** stops this number; **Resume** resumes it. Workspace **Stop all sending** affects contact and group sends from every number, and **Resume sending** allows them to continue.
- The connector uses **Who can post** to grant eligible teammates access to the number.
- **Sending rules** apply to contact and group sends from that number. You can set slower hourly/daily limits, delays and sending hours; empty pacing fields keep the automatic pace. You can only make it slower. Review the workspace time zone displayed in the dialog.
- **Disconnect** removes the number from future contact/group campaign sending; existing send history remains visible.

## If something goes wrong

| Symptom | What to do |
| --- | --- |
| Assistant code never becomes **Linked** | Send the current code to the assistant from the intended phone; check its expiry and regenerate if needed. |
| Sending is off | Ask the workspace owner to enable it and complete the risk acknowledgement. Assistant linking does not enable it. |
| Waiting for the extension | Pair the extension in this Chrome to your own account, not another member's browser. |
| WhatsApp Web is not open or cannot be reached | Open it in this Chrome; reload the WhatsApp Web tab if the message requests it. |
| WhatsApp Web is open elsewhere | Follow the message to use the current session in the WhatsApp Web tab. |
| Number does not match | Sign out of WhatsApp Web and sign in to the correct number before confirming. |
| **Computer offline** | Restore the connecting member's browser and WhatsApp Web session. Another member being online does not replace that connection. |

## Related pages

- [Assistant](https://docs.lead-knight.com/en/assistant/overview/)
- [Extension setup](https://docs.lead-knight.com/en/extension/install-and-pair/)
- [Campaigns](https://docs.lead-knight.com/en/campaigns/overview/)
- [Connections](https://docs.lead-knight.com/en/channels/overview/)