Where to find it
Every candidate has a WhatsApp tab on their profile. Open a candidate and select WhatsApp to see the full conversation with them and a composer to reply — the same thread the hiring bot uses, logged against the candidate record.
Reading the conversation header
The header at the top of the tab tells you, at a glance, whether a message would even reach the candidate:
Chat active · [number] or Waiting for candidate message — whether a conversation exists yet
Window open / Window closing / Window closed — the state of the 24-hour messaging window (see below)
Bot active / Bot paused — whether the automated bot is currently handling this conversation
Needs handover — the bot has flagged that a human should step in
Opted out — the candidate has opted out of WhatsApp messages
A number badge on "WhatsApp Chat" shows how many unread messages the candidate has sent.
The 24-hour window
WhatsApp only lets you send free-form messages within 24 hours of the candidate's last message. This is Meta's rule, and Recruitera follows it so your business number stays in good standing.
Window open — you can type and send free-form messages
Window closing — still open, but running out; the countdown is a warning, not a block
Window closed — free-form sending is disabled; you'll see "The 24-hour messaging window is closed. Select a template to re-engage." Use an approved template to reopen the conversation.
Starting a conversation
If there's no conversation yet, the tab shows "Start the conversation with an approved template." Because of WhatsApp policy, the first message to a candidate can only be an approved template.
Click Start chat
Pick a template from the Approved templates list — each shows its category, tag, and a preview of the message
The template is sent and the conversation opens
Only templates that Meta has approved appear here. If the list is empty, an admin needs to create one and get it approved first — see Creating & Submitting WhatsApp Templates.
Replying to a candidate
Once a conversation is active and the window is open:
Type your message in the composer and press Enter (or the send button)
To send an approved template at any time, use the Templates button next to the composer
When you send, the message shows as Queued and appears in the thread. The attachment (paperclip) button is currently disabled — media upload is on the way. Candidates can still send you images, documents, and audio, which appear in the thread as links.
Delivery status
Each message you send carries a status, updated as WhatsApp reports back:
Queued — accepted and waiting to send
Sent — handed to WhatsApp
Delivered — reached the candidate's phone
Read — the candidate opened it
Failed — WhatsApp couldn't deliver it
If a candidate has opted out
If the candidate has opted out, the composer is disabled and shows "This candidate has opted out of WhatsApp messages." Neither free-form messages nor templates can be sent — opt-out overrides everything, even an open window.
Privacy
WhatsApp conversations are end-to-end encrypted. No one outside the chat — not even WhatsApp — can read them.