Setting up WhatsApp Calling via Plivo

Enable voice calling on your WhatsApp Business numbers to connect with customers directly through WhatsApp. Time to complete: ~15 minutes

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Quick Start

What you’ll build

• Inbound calling: Receive calls from users through your WhatsApp Business number
• Outbound calling (Business Initiated Calling): Initiate calls to users (with proper permissions)

Prerequisites

• Plivo account - Request Trial
• WhatsApp Business Account linked to Plivo. Follow these steps
• A WhatsApp-enabled phone number
• A server endpoint to handle webhooks (for testing, use ngrok or similar)

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Part 1: Receiving Inbound Calls (User-initiated Calls)

Step 1: Create a Plivo XML Application

1. Navigate to Voice -> Applications -> XML -> Add New Application
2. Configure the application

• Application Name: WhatsApp Calling Application
• Primary URL: https://yourdomain.com/receive_call/ (Replace this with your actual call URL)
  • This endpoint receives call events
  • Must return a valid Plivo XML
• Hangup URL(Optional): URL called when the call ends
• Fallback URL(Optional): Backup URL if Primary fails

3. Click Create Application

Step 2: Enable Calling on Your WhatsApp Number

1. Go to WhatsApp > WhatsApp Business Account
2. Click Enable Calling next to your phone number
3. Select the XML application you created: WhatsApp Calling Application
4. Click Save Configuration
5. Once calling is enabled:
   1. ✅ You should now see a call button next to your WhatsApp number on WhatsApp

Step 3: Configure Calling Hours Set when users can call your business number:

1. Open Meta Business Manager → WhatsApp Manager → Phone Numbers
2. Select your number → More → Calls → Available call hours
3. Configure your business hours

Step 4: Test Inbound Calls

1. Call your WhatsApp Business number from any WhatsApp account:
2. Verify:

• Call connects successfully
• Audio is routed to your configured endpoint
• Two-way audio works

Troubleshooting: Check Voice → Call Logs in the Plivo console if issues occur.

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Part 2: Making outbound calls (Business Initiated Calls)

Understanding Callback permissions Important: As per Meta guideline, you must obtain explicit permission before calling a WhatsApp user.

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Permission Methods

Method 1: Request Permission via Message Send a permission request using a WhatsApp template message / free-form message (see Step 1 below). **Create a callback request permission template: **

1. Go to your Meta Business Profile > WhatsApp Manager > Manage Templates > Create Template
2. Select the Calling permissions request under Marketing or Utility
3. Configure the template and submit for approval.

Method 2: Automatic Callback Permission When a user calls your business first, they automatically grant temporary callback permission (if enabled on your number in Meta Business Manager). Placing a call: Refer to the Plivo XML Dial element to configure and place an outbound call Use Plivo’s XML <Dial> element to initiate calls:

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Required Parameters

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Limitations & Restrictions

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Meta Restrictions

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Geographic Restrictions

Outbound calls are NOT available from business numbers in:

• 🇺🇸 United States
• 🇨🇦 Canada
• 🇹🇷 Turkey
• 🇪🇬 Egypt
• 🇳🇬 Nigeria
• 🇻🇳 Vietnam

⚠️ Important: This restriction applies to your business phone number’s country code only. Users can call from any country where the WhatsApp Cloud API is available.

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Call Routing

• Calls cannot be forwarded to PSTN (traditional phone) numbers
• Calls must be answered via a Cloud platform
• WhatsApp-to-WhatsApp call forwarding is not supported

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Capacity Limits

• Maximum concurrent calls: 1,000 simultaneous calls per WhatsApp Business number
  • Other than this, your Plivo account’s CPS (Calls Per Second) limits apply to all calls combined (including WhatsApp calls). Check your CPS limits here.

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Permission Rules

Permission expires in these scenarios:

1. Time-based expiration
   • 7 days after approval, rejection, or no response
2. New permission granted
   • When a new call permission request is approved
3. Missed call warnings
   • After 2 consecutive missed calls → User prompted to reconsider permission
   • After 4 consecutive missed calls → Permission automatically revoked