> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.soneka.africa/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Soneka Quickstart: Go Live on WhatsApp in 4 Minutes
> Create your workspace, connect a WhatsApp number, build your first template, and send your first message. Most teams are live in under four minutes.
This guide walks you through the complete onboarding flow from a blank browser tab to a live WhatsApp number with your first message on its way. Most teams finish in under four minutes. You don't need a credit card, a Meta Business account already set up, or any technical background — just a phone number and something you want to send.
Open [soneka.africa](https://soneka.africa) and click **Get started free**. Soneka's signup flow has three screens: **Account**, **Workspace**, and **Plan**.
**Account screen**
Choose how you want to sign in:
* **Continue with Google** — fastest option, no password to manage.
* **Continue with Facebook** — useful if your business Meta account is Facebook-linked.
* **Email + password** — fill in your name, work email, and choose a password. You'll receive a verification email; click the link inside to activate.
Use a work email address rather than a personal one. Soneka ties your workspace billing and admin permissions to this address, and changing it later requires a support request.
**Workspace screen**
Give your workspace a name — typically your brand or company name. This name appears in the top-left of the app and in any system-generated messages your team sends. You can rename it later under **Settings → Workspace**.
Set your timezone. Soneka uses this to schedule broadcast sends, apply SLA business hours, and display conversation timestamps correctly for your agents.
**Plan screen**
Select the plan that fits your current needs.
| Plan | Price | Numbers | Messages/mo |
| ---------- | -------- | --------- | ----------- |
| Starter | Free | 1 | 1,000 |
| Growth | \$96/mo | 2 | 20,000 |
| Pro | \$320/mo | 5 | 100,000 |
| Enterprise | Custom | Unlimited | Custom |
If you're evaluating Soneka, click **Start 14-day trial** — your trial gives you full Pro-level access with no credit card required. You can add payment details and choose a plan before the trial ends.
Your trial starts from the moment you click **Start 14-day trial**, not from when you send your first message. Don't delay setup if you want to make the most of the trial window.
After your workspace is created, Soneka drops you into the **Connect a number** setup screen. You have three options:
Recommended for production. Uses Meta's official embedded signup. Takes \~4 minutes. Supports green tick verification and unlimited messaging tiers.
Best if your team already has a Twilio account or needs Twilio-specific features. Plug in your Account SID and Auth Token. Takes \~2 minutes.
Scan a QR code with your personal WhatsApp or WhatsApp Business app. No approval required. Takes \~30 seconds. Recommended for testing only.
Select a method and follow the in-app steps. The setup wizard keeps your place — if you need to pause and gather credentials, you can return to **Settings → Channels** and resume without starting over.
If you're not sure which method to choose, start with the **Unofficial API (QR)** to explore the platform immediately, then upgrade to the **WhatsApp Cloud API** before you go to production. Full instructions for all three methods are in the [Connect WhatsApp](/connect-whatsapp) guide.
WhatsApp requires pre-approved templates for any outbound message you initiate to a customer (outside an open 24-hour conversation window). Soneka's template editor makes creating and submitting them fast.
Navigate to **Templates** in the left sidebar and click **New template**.
1. **Choose a category.** Pick from Marketing, Utility, or Authentication. Marketing covers promotions and announcements. Utility covers transactional messages like order updates and appointment reminders.
2. **Pick a starter.** Soneka provides a library of pre-written starter templates organized by use case — welcome messages, order confirmations, reengagement campaigns, appointment reminders, and more. Select one that's close to what you want to send, then customize it.
3. **Edit your content.** The template body supports plain text, bold, italic, and variable placeholders in the format `{{1}}`, `{{2}}`, etc. Variables are filled in at send time from your contact data or a custom value you enter. **Example body:**
```text theme={null}
Hi {{1}}, your order #{{2}} has been confirmed and will ship by {{3}}.
Track it here: {{4}}
```
4. **Add a header and footer (optional).** Headers can be text, an image, a video, or a document. Footers are plain text and often used for opt-out instructions.
5. **Add quick-reply or call-to-action buttons (optional).** Quick-reply buttons let recipients respond with a single tap. CTA buttons can open a URL or dial a phone number.
6. **Preview.** The right panel shows a live WhatsApp-style preview of your template as you type. Check both mobile and desktop views.
7. **Submit for review.** Click **Submit to Meta**. Most templates are reviewed within a few minutes, though Meta can take up to 24 hours. You'll get an in-app notification and an email when your template is approved or rejected.
Templates are tied to your connected WhatsApp number (WABA). If you switch numbers later, you'll need to resubmit templates under the new WABA. Keep a copy of your approved template content for easy resubmission.
Once you have at least one approved template, you're ready to reach customers. Choose the path that matches your immediate goal:
A broadcast lets you send one message to many contacts at once — ideal for announcements, promotions, or transactional notifications sent in bulk.
1. Go to **Broadcasts** in the sidebar and click **New broadcast**.
2. Give your broadcast a name (this is internal only).
3. Select your approved template from the dropdown. If your template has variables, you'll be prompted to map each `{{n}}` to a contact field or enter a static value.
4. Choose your audience. You can upload a CSV, select from an existing segment, or pick individual contacts.
5. Schedule your send — choose **Send now** or pick a date and time. Soneka respects your workspace timezone.
6. Click **Launch broadcast**. The broadcast dashboard shows delivery, read, and reply rates in real time as WhatsApp returns status updates.
Keep your first broadcast small — 10 to 50 contacts — so you can verify delivery and read rates before scaling up. WhatsApp may rate-limit new numbers sending large volumes before your number has built a quality rating.
A flow is a visual automation that responds to a trigger — a new contact, a keyword, an inbound message, or a webhook — and sends messages, waits for replies, and branches based on conditions.
1. Go to **Flow Builder** and click **New flow**.
2. Choose a trigger. For your first flow, try **Contact created** or **Keyword match** (e.g., the word "Hi" triggers the flow).
3. Drag a **Send message** node onto the canvas and connect it to the trigger. Select your approved template or type a freeform reply (freeform replies only go inside an open 24-hour window).
4. Optionally, add a **Wait for reply** node and two branches — one for a positive response (e.g., "Yes"), one for anything else.
5. Click **Activate flow**. The flow immediately starts processing triggers that match its conditions.
Flow Builder has advanced nodes including HTTP request (call an external API), Set contact field (update CRM data), Assign to agent, and AI Agent. Explore them once you've confirmed your basic flow works end-to-end.
Soneka doesn't charge per seat, so invite everyone who needs access.
1. Go to **Settings → Team members** and click **Invite member**.
2. Enter your teammate's email address and choose their role:
* **Admin** — full access to settings, billing, and all conversations.
* **Agent** — can handle conversations and send messages; cannot change settings or billing.
* **Viewer** — read-only access to conversations and reports; useful for managers or compliance reviewers.
3. Click **Send invite**. Your teammate receives an email with a link to join your workspace. If they don't already have a Soneka account, they'll be prompted to create one — no separate signup required.
4. Optionally, organize agents into **Teams** (e.g., Sales, Support, Billing). Teams can be used in Flow Builder to route conversations to the right group automatically.
Set up at least one team and at least one auto-assignment rule before your number goes live in production. Without assignment rules, all inbound conversations land in the **Unassigned** queue and require manual claiming.
## What to explore next
You're live. Here are the most common next steps for new Soneka workspaces.
Deep-dive into the Cloud API, Twilio, and QR connection methods with step-by-step screenshots.
Upload a knowledge base and deploy a RAG-powered agent that answers customer questions automatically.
Configure keyword triggers and out-of-hours responses so no inbound message goes unanswered.
Integrate Soneka with your CRM, e-commerce platform, or internal tools using outbound webhooks and the REST API.
Need help? Email [connect@soneka.africa](mailto:connect@soneka.africa) or send a WhatsApp to +254 722 685 776. A real human replies — usually within a few hours during East Africa business hours.