Whatsapp Groups

Create, fill, and run official WhatsApp groups straight from your inbox — bring guests, vendors, or your team into one shared WhatsApp chat, with every member's reply landing in Lodgestory CRM.

TL;DR

• What it is — native support for creating and managing official WhatsApp groups inside the CRM. Spin up a group, share an invite link, and message it like any other chat.
• Who it's for — operators who coordinate a stay, a booking, or a vendor over WhatsApp instead of one-to-one — villa handovers, group bookings, supplier coordination.
• Top outcome — run a whole group conversation from the same inbox you use for everything else, with each member's messages attributed by name.

At a glance

How to find it

Sidebar → Home → "Group" button, next to New Chat above the chat list. Once a group exists, it shows in your chat list like any other conversation, and its management panel lives in the right-hand guest panel.

📸 [SCREENSHOT: whatsapp-group-button.png — New Group button beside New Chat]

What is WhatsApp Groups?

The problem it solves

Some conversations aren't one-to-one. A villa handover involves the guest, the housekeeper, and the manager. A group booking has several travellers. A supplier thread has two or three people. Running those over WhatsApp normally means leaving the CRM and picking up a phone. WhatsApp Groups brings the whole group conversation into the same inbox — created, filled, and messaged from Lodgestory CRM.

What you get

• Create a WhatsApp group in a couple of clicks.
• A shareable invite link so people join themselves.
• Every member's messages in your inbox, attributed by name.
• The same composer, templates, notes, and assignment tools you already use.
• A management panel to rename, add or remove members, and copy the invite link.

How it's different

Lodgestory already shows WhatsApp groups that arrive on an unofficial channel. What's new is creating and managing official WhatsApp groups — on a verified business number — directly from the inbox.

Core concepts

• Official Business Account — a WhatsApp number verified as a business. Group creation needs one. A number shared with the WhatsApp Business app can't create groups.
• Invite link — the link people tap to join. WhatsApp groups are invite-only: you can't force anyone in, so the invite link is how members join.
• Join approval — optionally review who joins before they're added.
• The 24-hour window — the rule that governs free-text replies in a group (see Messaging a group below).

Quick Start — create and run a group in a few minutes

Step 1 — Open the New Group dialog

On Home, click Group next to New Chat. The button is available when you have a verified official WhatsApp number; otherwise it explains why.

Step 2 — Name the group

Pick the official WhatsApp number to send from, give the group a name (up to 128 characters), add an optional description, and choose whether to approve members before they join.

Step 3 — Let it create

Lodgestory sets up the group in the background. It appears in your chat list within a few seconds — no need to wait on the dialog.

Step 4 — Share the invite link

Open the group, copy the invite link, and share it with the people you want in the group. They join by tapping it.

Step 5 — Start the conversation with a template

Until a member sends the first message, send an approved template to open the conversation — just like a one-to-one WhatsApp chat.

Step 6 — Chat freely

Once any member messages the group, you can reply with free text for the next 24 hours — refreshed every time a member messages.

📸 [SCREENSHOT: whatsapp-group-create.png — New Group dialog]

How it works

1. You create the group and get an invite link.
2. You share the link; people tap it to join (up to 8 members).
3. To start, you send an approved template — it reaches everyone who's joined.
4. The moment any member replies, a 24-hour window opens for the whole group, and you can send free text until it closes.
5. Every member's message lands in the group chat in your inbox, labelled with the sender's name.

Features in depth

Creating a group

The New Group dialog asks for the sending number, a name, an optional description, and a join-approval choice. Creation happens in the background — you'll see a brief "Creating…" state, then the group appears in your chat list. There's no need to add members up front.

Inviting members

WhatsApp groups are invite-only. The reliable way to bring people in is to share the invite link — copy it from the group panel and send it however you like. You can also add members by number from the panel, but WhatsApp lets each person choose whether to join, so some won't be added automatically; the invite link always works. A group holds up to 8 members, including your business number.

Messaging a group — templates and the 24-hour window

Group messaging follows WhatsApp's standard rule:

• Before any member has messaged, the composer keeps you to approved templates. A free-text message sent here won't be delivered.
• After any member messages the group, a 24-hour window opens and you can send free text. Each new member message refreshes the window.
• Templates can be sent at any time, once at least one member has joined.

The composer shows the same advisory you see on one-to-one Official chats when the window is closed — switch to a template to start or re-open the conversation.

Seeing who said what

In a group, each member's messages show with their name and a colour, so a busy thread is easy to follow at a glance.

Managing a group

The group's panel on the right lets you:

• Edit the name and description.
• See the member list with each person's join status (joined, invited, pending, left).
• Copy or share the invite link.
• Add members by number or remove them.
• Leave or delete the group.

Roles & permissions

Any team member who can see the group chat can open it and message it. Creating, editing, adding or removing members, and deleting are available to team members with management access — the same as other admin-style actions in the inbox.

Limits a user will run into

• 8 members per group, including your business number.
• Official Business Account required — group creation won't work on an unverified number or one shared with the WhatsApp Business app.
• No group calls — voice and video calls aren't part of WhatsApp groups.
• Some message types don't apply in groups — interactive buttons/lists and authentication (OTP) templates aren't supported; text, media, and standard templates are.

Errors & FAQ

"This number isn't eligible for WhatsApp groups." The sending number must be a verified business (Official Business Account). Verify the number with WhatsApp, then try again.

My first message didn't appear in the group. Either no member has joined yet, or no member has messaged the group. Share the invite link so someone joins, then send an approved template to start — free text only delivers after a member has messaged the group.

I added someone but they're not in the group. WhatsApp lets people choose whether to join. Share the invite link — that's the reliable way for members to join.

The group is taking a while to appear after I create it. Creation happens in the background and normally shows up within a few seconds. If it doesn't, refresh the chat list.

Related modules & next steps

• Home — Unified Inbox — where group chats live, and how the composer and 24-hour window work.
• WhatsApp Templates — create the approved templates you'll use to start a group conversation.
• Connections — connect and verify your official WhatsApp number.