WhatsApp authentication

You can send one-time passcodes (OTP) and multi-factor authentication (MFA) codes via WhatsApp in addition to SMS. When WhatsApp is set up and enabled, Kinde prefers WhatsApp for delivering codes and falls back to SMS if WhatsApp delivery fails and SMS is configured.

What you need

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• A verified WhatsApp Business account in Meta
• WhatsApp API token (access token) and WhatsApp Business Account ID
• A configured SMS provider in Kinde if you want fallback delivery

Configure WhatsApp in Kinde

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1. In Kinde, go to Settings > Environment > Messaging > WhatsApp
2. Turn on Enable WhatsApp
3. Enter your WhatsApp token (from Meta)
4. Enter your WhatsApp Business Account ID
5. (Optional) Enter a Template name if you want to use a specific WhatsApp message template. If left blank, Kinde uses a default template.
6. Select Sync WhatsApp
7. After sync completes, the WhatsApp phone number dropdown appears.
8. In WhatsApp phone number, select the phone number you want to use for sending codes.
9. Select Save

After saving, Kinde sends OTP and MFA codes through WhatsApp when available, and falls back to SMS if delivery fails and SMS is configured.

Do I need a paid Kinde plan to use WhatsApp authentication?

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WhatsApp authentication is free to use in Kinde, but the number of messages you can send is subject to the same monthly limit as SMS (10 messages per month). WhatsApp is a bring-your-own-provider integration, and Meta charges separately for each message sent. See WhatsApp pricing for details.

Can I change the language of the WhatsApp messages?

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Yes, you can change the language by going to Kinde > Settings > Environment > Languages. After changing languages, run Sync WhatsApp again so template languages are updated. If a configured language is not supported by WhatsApp, Kinde falls back to en-US.

Troubleshooting

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Templates fail to create or sync

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Template issues are usually caused by Meta account setup or credential mismatches:

• Confirm your WhatsApp Business account is verified in Meta and templates can be created in WhatsApp Manager.
• Confirm the token and Business Account ID in Kinde match Meta and that the token has correct permissions.
• After fixing issues in Meta, run Sync WhatsApp again in Kinde.

Messages not received by users

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• Confirm the phone number is in a WhatsApp-supported format (for example, E.164 with country code).
• Confirm WhatsApp is available in the user’s region and the user has an active WhatsApp account.
• If you rely on fallback delivery, verify SMS is configured in Settings > Environment > Messaging > SMS.