Automate WhatsApp Messages from Google Sheets Using Pabbly Connect

Learn how to automate WhatsApp messages from Google Sheets using Pabbly Connect and the WhatsApp Official Cloud API in this detailed tutorial. Transform complex automation concepts into accessible, actionable steps that eliminate unnecessary manual work while maximizing existing application capabilities.

Watch Step By Step Video Tutorial Below

1. Setting Up Pabbly Connect for Google Sheets and WhatsApp Integration

To begin with, you need to access Pabbly Connect to set up the integration between Google Sheets and WhatsApp. First, navigate to Pabbly.com and select the Pabbly Connect option. Sign up for a free account or log in if you already have one. This platform provides you with 100 free tasks every month, which is perfect for testing your automation.

Once logged in, you will be directed to the Pabbly Connect dashboard. Click on the blue button to create a new workflow, naming it something like ‘Google Sheets to WhatsApp Automation’. This name will help you identify the automation later. After naming your workflow, you will see two boxes labeled Trigger and Action. The Trigger is what starts the automation, while the Action is what happens as a result.

2. Configuring Google Sheets as a Trigger in Pabbly Connect

In this step, you will set Google Sheets as the trigger application in Pabbly Connect. Select Google Sheets from the list of applications and choose the event as ‘New or Updated Spreadsheet Row’. This means that whenever a new row is added or an existing row is updated in your Google Sheets, it will trigger the automation.

Next, you will be provided with a webhook URL. Copy this URL as you will need to paste it into your Google Sheets. To do this, go to your Google Sheets, click on Extensions, then Add-ons, and finally Get Add-ons. Search for Pabbly Connect Webhooks and install it. After installation, find Pabbly Connect Webhooks from the Extensions menu and click on Initial Setup. Paste the copied webhook URL into the designated field and specify the trigger column, which is typically the last column of data entries.

• Navigate to Extensions > Add-ons > Get Add-ons.
• Search for Pabbly Connect Webhooks and install it.
• Click on Extensions > Pabbly Connect Webhooks > Initial Setup.

After pasting the URL and setting the trigger column, click on Send Test. If successful, you will see a confirmation that the test data has been sent to Pabbly Connect, indicating that the connection is established.

3. Sending WhatsApp Messages Using Pabbly Connect

Now that you have configured Google Sheets as a trigger, it’s time to send WhatsApp messages using Pabbly Connect. You will need to use the WhatsApp Official Cloud API for this purpose. First, click on the Action step and select WhatsApp Cloud API as the application. Choose the action event as ‘Send Template Message’.

Before you can send messages, you need to connect your WhatsApp Cloud API account to Pabbly Connect. Go to developers.facebook.com to create an app and generate a permanent access token. Once you have your token, enter it along with the Phone Number ID and WhatsApp Account ID into Pabbly Connect. This connection is crucial for sending messages through WhatsApp.

• Create an app on developers.facebook.com.
• Generate a permanent access token for WhatsApp Cloud API.
• Input the token, Phone Number ID, and WhatsApp Account ID in Pabbly Connect.

Once connected, you can map the template name and recipient mobile number from the Google Sheets data. Make sure to include the country code for the phone number to ensure the message is sent correctly. After mapping all necessary fields, click on Save and Send Test Request to send a test message.

4. Conditional Messaging Based on Fee Status

In this section, you will set up conditions for sending different messages based on the fee status of students using Pabbly Connect. You need to use the Router feature to create two conditions: one for when the fee is due and another for when it is paid. This allows you to send customized messages based on the student’s payment status.

To set up the Router, click on the Router icon in Pabbly Connect. Create two routes: one for ‘Fees Due’ and another for ‘Fees Paid’. For each route, you will set the condition based on the fee status retrieved from Google Sheets. You can easily map the fee status data from the previous steps.

Create two routes in the Router: ‘Fees Due’ and ‘Fees Paid’. Set conditions for each route based on the fee status from Google Sheets. Map the fee status data to determine which route to follow.

Once the conditions are set, you can configure the WhatsApp message templates for each route. For instance, when the fees are due, you might send a reminder message, while a confirmation message can be sent when the fees are paid. After setting this up, test each route to ensure the correct messages are sent based on the fee status.

5. Finalizing Your Automation with Pabbly Connect

After configuring the conditions and WhatsApp messaging, it’s time to finalize your automation in Pabbly Connect. Review all steps to ensure that the triggers and actions are correctly set up and that the data is being mapped accurately. This is crucial for the automation to function as expected.

Once everything is set, you can save your workflow and enable it. Now, every time a new row is added or updated in Google Sheets, Pabbly Connect will automatically send the appropriate WhatsApp message based on the fee status. This automation can save you significant time and effort in communicating with students or clients.

To ensure everything works seamlessly, you can conduct a few tests by updating the Google Sheets data and checking if the correct WhatsApp messages are sent. This will confirm that your automation is fully operational.

Conclusion

In this tutorial, you learned how to automate WhatsApp messages from Google Sheets using Pabbly Connect and the WhatsApp Official Cloud API. By following the steps outlined, you can efficiently manage communications based on specific conditions, ensuring timely and relevant messaging for your needs.