Getting Started
Do I need a WhatsApp Business API account before signing up?
Do I need a WhatsApp Business API account before signing up?
No. You can sign up for Soneka and start your free 14-day trial without a WhatsApp Business Account (WABA). The onboarding wizard walks you through creating or connecting a WABA as part of setup. If you already have a Meta-verified WABA from another platform, you can connect it directly during onboarding.
How long does it take to get up and running?
How long does it take to get up and running?
Most businesses are live and sending messages within a few hours. Here’s a rough breakdown: signing up and connecting your Facebook Business Account takes about 10 minutes; WhatsApp number registration typically takes 1–2 hours for Meta to verify; your first message template is usually approved within 24 hours. If you’re migrating from another platform, your contacts and flows can be imported in the same session.
What is the free trial and what does it include?
What is the free trial and what does it include?
The 14-day free trial gives you full access to every Soneka feature — broadcasts, automation flows, inbox, AI Copilot, analytics, integrations, and API access. No credit card is required to start. At the end of 14 days, if you haven’t upgraded, your workspace automatically moves to the free Starter plan. All your data is preserved.
Can I invite my whole team during the trial?
Can I invite my whole team during the trial?
Yes. All plans, including Starter and the free trial, support unlimited team seats. Invite your agents, managers, and developers right away — there’s no per-seat charge on any plan.
What happens to my data if I don't upgrade after the trial?
What happens to my data if I don't upgrade after the trial?
Your workspace moves to the free Starter plan, which includes 1 WhatsApp number, 1,000 messages per month, and 500 contacts. Your contacts, templates, flows, and conversation history are all preserved — you simply work within Starter’s volume limits until you choose to upgrade.
WhatsApp & Templates
How long does template approval take?
How long does template approval take?
Meta typically reviews and approves new message templates within 24 to 48 hours. In some cases approval can take up to 72 hours, particularly for templates in categories like finance, healthcare, or political content. You can track the approval status of every template in real time from Templates → Status.
What should I do if my template is rejected?
What should I do if my template is rejected?
When a template is rejected, Soneka displays Meta’s rejection reason alongside the template. Common reasons include promotional language in a utility template, missing opt-out instructions, or content that violates WhatsApp’s commerce policy. Edit the template to address the flagged issue, then resubmit. There is no limit on resubmissions, but repeated rejections for the same number can affect your account quality rating.
What types of templates can I create?
What types of templates can I create?
Meta recognises three template categories: Marketing (promotions, offers, re-engagement), Utility (order updates, appointment reminders, transactional confirmations), and Authentication (one-time passwords). Each category has different pricing and content guidelines. Soneka’s template editor helps you choose the right category and validates your content before submission.
Can I use dynamic variables in templates?
Can I use dynamic variables in templates?
Yes. Templates support double-curly-brace variables such as
{{1}}, {{customer_name}}, or {{order_id}}. These are filled in at send time from your contact attributes, flow variables, or API payload. You can preview how a template renders with sample values before submitting it to Meta.Messaging & Broadcasts
How many messages can I send per day?
How many messages can I send per day?
Your daily messaging capacity depends on your Meta messaging tier (not your Soneka plan). New WhatsApp Business API numbers start at Tier 1 (1,000 unique conversations per day) and scale automatically up to Tier 4 (unlimited) as you maintain a healthy quality rating and volume. Soneka displays your current Meta tier and quality rating on the Dashboard.
What counts as a 'conversation' vs a 'message'?
What counts as a 'conversation' vs a 'message'?
Meta charges per 24-hour conversation window rather than per individual message. Once a conversation window is open — either because your contact messaged you or because you sent a template — all messages exchanged within that 24-hour window are part of the same conversation. Soneka’s billing, however, counts individual outbound messages sent against your plan’s monthly message limit.
Do I need explicit opt-in before messaging contacts?
Do I need explicit opt-in before messaging contacts?
Yes. WhatsApp’s policy requires that contacts explicitly opt in before you send them proactive (outbound) template messages. Opt-in can be collected via a web form, SMS, in-store sign-up, or any other channel — but you must be able to demonstrate that consent was given. Soneka provides a built-in opt-in widget you can embed on your website. Contacts who message you first open a free-form conversation window for 24 hours, during which opt-in is implied.
What happens if my sender quality rating drops?
What happens if my sender quality rating drops?
If your quality rating falls to Low (red), Meta may restrict or temporarily suspend your ability to send template messages. Soneka sends you an in-app alert and email the moment your rating drops below the Medium threshold. You can improve your rating by reducing opt-out rates, spacing out broadcasts, and ensuring messages are genuinely relevant to recipients.
Billing & Plans
Is pricing per seat, per message, or per workspace?
Is pricing per seat, per message, or per workspace?
Soneka pricing is per workspace based on monthly volume limits (messages and contacts) — not per seat. You can add unlimited team members to every plan without paying more. The Starter plan is permanently free; paid plans start at $96/month for Growth.
How does the 20% annual discount work?
How does the 20% annual discount work?
When you choose annual billing, Soneka applies a 20% discount to the monthly rate. For Growth, that means 96 (billed as 256/month instead of 3,072 upfront). The discount is applied automatically at checkout.
What is the refund policy?
What is the refund policy?
Soneka offers a 14-day money-back guarantee from the date of your first paid upgrade, available once per workspace. Monthly plan refunds are full and unconditional. Annual plan refunds are prorated for unused complete months, minus a 10% processing fee. To request a refund, email billing@soneka.africa.
Can I pay with M-Pesa or mobile money?
Can I pay with M-Pesa or mobile money?
Yes. Soneka supports M-Pesa, Airtel Money, and Safaricom Global Pay (virtual cards) alongside Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and 18 other global payment gateways including Paystack, Flutterwave, Razorpay, and PayPal.
What happens if I exceed my plan's message or contact limit?
What happens if I exceed my plan's message or contact limit?
Soneka will notify you when you reach 80% and 100% of your monthly limits. Once a limit is reached, additional outbound messages are paused until your cycle resets or you upgrade. Your inbox and inbound messages continue to work normally — you won’t miss messages from customers.
Integrations
Does Soneka integrate with Shopify?
Does Soneka integrate with Shopify?
Yes. The Soneka–Shopify integration syncs order events (confirmed, shipped, delivered, refunded) directly into WhatsApp notifications using your approved templates. You can also trigger flows based on cart abandonment and customer segments. Install the integration from Admin → Integrations → Shopify.
Can I use Soneka alongside Twilio?
Can I use Soneka alongside Twilio?
Soneka connects to WhatsApp via the official Meta Business API and does not require Twilio. However, if you currently use Twilio as a BSP (Business Service Provider) for WhatsApp, you can migrate your number to Soneka’s direct Meta connection using the migration wizard — this usually results in lower per-conversation costs.
Is there a Google Sheets or Google Calendar integration?
Is there a Google Sheets or Google Calendar integration?
Yes. Soneka connects to Google Sheets via its native integration (useful for syncing contact lists and logging conversations) and to Google Calendar for appointment-based flows. Both are available under Admin → Integrations → Google. Zapier and Make (Integromat) connectors are also available for custom workflows.
Is there a public API I can build on?
Is there a public API I can build on?
Yes. Soneka exposes a full REST API and webhook system. API keys are generated in Admin → Settings → Developers. Documentation, OpenAPI specs, and Postman collections are available in the Developer section of this Help Center.
AI & Automation
What is Soneka Copilot and how does it work?
What is Soneka Copilot and how does it work?
Soneka Copilot is an AI assistant embedded in the agent inbox. It reads the conversation context and suggests reply drafts, helping agents respond faster and more consistently. Copilot can also summarise long conversation threads, suggest handoff actions, and flag conversations that need escalation. It is available on all plans.
Is my customer data used to train AI models?
Is my customer data used to train AI models?
No. Soneka does not use your workspace data — messages, contacts, or conversation content — to train any AI model. Copilot suggestions are generated in real time using the conversation context, but that context is not retained or used for model improvement.
Which large language models (LLMs) does Soneka use?
Which large language models (LLMs) does Soneka use?
Soneka Copilot is powered by a combination of models depending on the task. Reply drafting uses GPT-4o; summarisation uses a fine-tuned lightweight model optimised for speed. Enterprise customers can request custom model configurations, including the ability to bring their own Azure OpenAI or Anthropic endpoint.
Can I build flows without coding?
Can I build flows without coding?
Yes. The Soneka Flow Builder is a visual no-code editor where you drag, drop, and connect triggers, conditions, delays, and message steps. You can build complex multi-step sequences — including branching logic, webhook calls, and AI-powered responses — without writing a single line of code.
Support & SLAs
How quickly does Soneka respond to support requests?
How quickly does Soneka respond to support requests?
Email support at connect@soneka.africa has a median reply time of 4 hours, including weekends. WhatsApp support at +254 722 685 776 is typically faster, with replies in around 30 minutes during business hours.
Do Enterprise customers get a different level of support?
Do Enterprise customers get a different level of support?
Yes. Enterprise and Scale plan customers receive 24/7 support with a 1-hour SLA for critical issues. You also get a dedicated account manager and same-day response from the sales and technical team. Enterprise support is available via a private Slack channel in addition to email and WhatsApp.
How do I escalate a support issue?
How do I escalate a support issue?
If you have an open ticket that has exceeded the expected response time or your issue is critically urgent, reply to your existing ticket with the word “ESCALATE” in the subject line, or send a WhatsApp message to +254 722 685 776 referencing your ticket number. Our team treats escalation flags as high-priority.
How do I request deletion of my workspace data?
How do I request deletion of my workspace data?
You have three options: (1) revoke Soneka’s Facebook app permissions from your Meta Business Settings, (2) email connect@soneka.africa with a data deletion request, or (3) go to Admin → Settings → Account Profile → Delete Account & Workspace. Access tokens are revoked instantly; your workspace data is wiped within 30 business days; encrypted backups are purged within 60 business days.