Let your sales and support team answer customers from one WhatsApp number, without sharing a single phone.
When customer messages grow, one phone running the WhatsApp Business app stops working. Chats get missed, two people reply to the same customer, and nobody knows who promised what.
A shared team inbox fixes this by putting every WhatsApp conversation on one screen your whole team can use. This page explains how it works, what it needs, and how MetaReach sets it up. If you're still deciding between the app and the API, start with our WhatsApp Business App vs API comparison.
Your business number is connected to the WhatsApp Business API. Instead of messages landing on one phone, they arrive in a web inbox. Each agent signs in with their own account and sees the conversations assigned to them or their team.
| WhatsApp Business app | Shared inbox on the API | |
|---|---|---|
| Who replies | One phone plus a few linked devices | Multiple agents, each with their own login |
| Chat ownership | Anyone with the phone can reply | Chats assigned to a specific agent or team |
| Conversation history | On the device | In one shared place the team can see |
| Broadcasts and automation | Limited | Approved templates, campaigns and integrations |
| Cost | Free | Provider plan plus Meta's per-message charges |
The app is fine for a single owner answering a handful of chats. Once two or more people need to reply, a shared inbox avoids missed and duplicated replies.
Your team replies from the same verified business number, each from their own login, without sharing a phone.
Assign each conversation to the right agent or team, and reassign it when someone else needs to take over.
Every message stays with the conversation, so a new agent can pick up without asking the customer to repeat themselves.
Use approved templates to restart conversations, alongside broadcasts on the same WhatsApp Business API number.
A WhatsApp chatbot can answer common questions first and pass the chat to an agent when a person is needed.
Run WhatsApp alongside SMS, RCS, IVR and voice with the same team.
The number of agents and any extra features depend on your plan. We confirm exactly what's included during your demo and in your written quote.
WhatsApp has one rule that shapes how a team inbox works. When a customer messages you, a 24-hour customer service window opens. Inside that window, agents can reply with normal free-form messages. After it closes, the business can only restart the conversation with an approved template message.
| Team | How they use the shared inbox |
|---|---|
| Customer support | Order and service questions assigned to agents by topic or shift |
| Sales | Leads from ads and website chat buttons routed to sales staff for follow-up |
| Clinics and hospitals | Front desk handles appointment chats; reports and queries passed to the right department |
| Real estate | Enquiries from different projects routed to the relevant sales executive |
| Education | Admission queries answered by counsellors, with history kept for each student |
| E-commerce | Delivery, return and payment chats split between support agents |
Pricing: the MetaReach WhatsApp Business API plan is ₹7,999 for 3 months plus GST, with Meta's per-message charges billed on top. Your quote confirms the agent count and inbox features for your plan.
It is a web inbox where several agents can read and reply to WhatsApp chats sent to one business number, each from their own login. Chats can be assigned to agents or teams, and the full conversation history stays in one place.
Yes, through the WhatsApp Business API with a shared team inbox. The regular WhatsApp Business app is limited to one phone and a few linked devices, so it doesn't suit a team that needs chat assignment.
Yes. Multi-agent inboxes run on the WhatsApp Business API. MetaReach sets up the API on your business number and provides the team inbox on top of it.
Yes. A WhatsApp chatbot can handle common questions first and hand the conversation to an agent in the inbox when a person is needed.
Agents can no longer send free-form replies. To restart the conversation, they send an approved template message, which Meta charges for. Fast assignment helps keep replies inside the window.
The MetaReach WhatsApp Business API plan is ₹7,999 for 3 months plus GST, with Meta's per-message charges billed on top. The number of agents and inbox features for your plan are confirmed in your demo and written quote.
Tell us how many agents you have and how chats should be routed. We'll show you the inbox set up for your use case and send a written quote.
WhatsApp is a trademark of Meta Platforms, Inc. MetaReach Marketing is not affiliated with or endorsed by Meta. WhatsApp rules and charges described here are based on Meta's published policies as of October 2026 and may change.
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