Migrating from Other Platforms (SMS, Viber) to WhatsApp Business API

In today's fast-paced digital landscape, businesses are constantly looking for more efficient ways to engage with customers. With over 2 billion users worldwide, WhatsApp has emerged as a powerhouse for customer communication, surpassing traditional channels like SMS and Viber in terms of interactivity, cost-effectiveness, and user preference. For businesses that rely on SMS or Viber for messaging, migrating to the WhatsApp Business API represents a strategic shift toward improved customer experiences. This migration is not just a platform change, but a complete overhaul of how you manage your customer database and messaging scenarios.

This guide delves into the algorithms and processes for migrating your customer base and scenarios from alternative messengers like SMS and Viber to the WhatsApp Business API. We'll explore the key steps, best practices, potential challenges, and real-world examples to ensure a seamless transition. Whether you're dealing with a small customer list or a massive database, understanding this WhatsApp migration process can unlock new opportunities for growth.

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Why migrate to the WhatsApp Business API?

Before diving into the technical details, it's important to understand the motivations behind migrating from Viber/SMS to WhatsApp Business API. SMS, while ubiquitous, is limited to 160-character messages, lacks rich media support, and often comes with high international rates. Viber, on the other hand, offers more features like calls and groups, but struggles with global reach compared to WhatsApp and has stricter policies for business messaging.

The WhatsApp Business API addresses these gaps by offering

• Rich media and interactivity: Send images, videos, documents, and interactive buttons far beyond the text-only limitations of SMS.
• End-to-End Encryption: Ensure secure communications and build trust with customers.
• Automation and Scalability: Integrate with chatbots, CRMs, and AI to handle high-volume requests.
• Cost Efficiency: Lower cost per message, especially for companies with international audiences.
• Higher engagement rates: Open rates for WhatsApp messages hover around 98%, compared to 20-30% for SMS.

According to industry reports, businesses that migrate to WhatsApp see up to 40% improvements in response times and customer satisfaction. This сменa платформы (platform switch) is particularly attractive to e-commerce, customer support, and marketing teams looking to consolidate channels.

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Preparing for Migration: Initial Assessment

The first step in any миграция каналов (channel migration) is a thorough audit. Start by evaluating your current setup on SMS or Viber:

1. Inventory your customer database: Compile a list of all your contacts, including phone numbers, opt-in status, and interaction history. For SMS, this may be stored in your ESP (email service provider) or SMS gateway such as Twilio. For Viber, export user data from the Viber Business Dashboard to ensure compliance with privacy laws such as GDPR or CCPA.
2. Analyze messaging scenarios: Identify key use cases, such as promotions, appointment reminders, or customer support flows. Document scripts, templates, and automation rules. For example, a Viber chatbot scenario for order tracking might include buttons for "track order" or "cancel," which need to be adapted to WhatsApp's message templates.
3. Verify compliance and opt-in: WhatsApp requires explicit user consent for business messaging. Check your existing opt-ins from SMS/Viber; they may not carry over directly. You'll need to re-acquire permissions via a soft launch on WhatsApp.
4. Choose a business solution provider (BSP): The WhatsApp Business API isn't directly accessible; partner with a BSP like 360Dialog, Twilio, or MessageBird. They handle API integration and migration support. Research providers based on your needs - for example, if you're heavy on Viber, choose one with multichannel expertise.

This preparation phase typically takes 1-2 weeks and lays the groundwork for a smooth переход в WhatsApp (transition to WhatsApp).

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Customer database transfer algorithms

Transferring your customer base is at the heart of the WhatsApp migration process. Unlike SMS or Viber, where databases are often siloed, the WhatsApp Business API seamlessly integrates with CRMs like Salesforce or HubSpot, allowing for centralized management. Here's a step-by-step algorithm:

Step 1: Data Extraction

• From SMS: Use your SMS provider's API (such as Nexmo or Plivo) to export contacts in CSV format. Include fields such as phone number, name, last interaction date, and preferences.
• From Viber: Access the Viber admin panel to download user lists. Viber allows you to export subscribed users with details like subscription date and message history.
• Algorithm Tip: Automate the extraction process using scripting languages such as Python or Node.js. For example, connect to the API, retrieve the list of subscribed users, and save the data to a CSV file with columns for phone numbers, names, and opt-in dates. This approach ensures that the data is clean and structured for further use.

Step 2: Data cleansing and normalization

• Validate phone numbers using international formats (e.g. +1 for US). Tools such as libphonenumber can automate this.
• Remove duplicates and invalid entries. Merge SMS and Viber data if they overlap.
• Enrich data with WhatsApp-specific fields, such as user IDs or session status.
• Best Practice: Use data mapping to align fields, e.g. Viber's "user_id" to WhatsApp's "wa_id".

Step 3: Import into WhatsApp Ecosystem

• Upload the cleaned CSV to your CRM integrated with the WhatsApp API.
• For direct API usage, use the Contacts API to verify numbers: Send a POST request to /v1/contacts with phone numbers to check WhatsApp registration status.
• Bulk import algorithm:
  
  1. Batch contacts in groups of 1000.
  2. For each batch, query WhatsApp API to confirm active users.
  3. Store the results in your database: Active users are flagged for messaging; inactive users are flagged for re-engagement campaigns.
• Handle opt-ins: First, send a migration notification via SMS/Viber, e.g., "We're moving to WhatsApp! Reply YES to join." Then add the consenting users to WhatsApp.

Step 4: Synchronize data

• Set up real-time synchronization using webhooks. WhatsApp API webhooks notify you of new messages or status changes, updating your CRM.
• For ongoing management, use ETL tools like Zapier to pull data from legacy systems during the transition period.

Potential challenges:

• Data loss: Always back up before migrating.
• Privacy concerns: Anonymizing sensitive data and auditing for compliance.
• Scale: For large databases (100k+ contacts), use cloud services such as AWS S3 for storage.

This database transfer typically takes 3-5 days, depending on the volume.

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Migrating Messaging Scenarios and Automation

Once your customer base is in place, focus on migrating scenarios-predefined flows for interactions. SMS scenarios are linear (text only), while Viber offers some multimedia. WhatsApp enhances this with templates, quick replies, and bots.

Step 1: Map existing scenarios

• List all scenarios: For example, SMS order confirmation: "Your order #123 has been shipped."
• Viber support flow: User selects "Help" → Bot asks about issue → Routes to agent.
• Identify equivalents in WhatsApp: Use message templates for notifications, interactive messages for choices.

Step 2: Redesign for WhatsApp

• Migrate templates: WhatsApp requires pre-approval for templates. Convert SMS/Viber messages to templated formats, such as
  
  1. Original SMS: "Hi [name], your appointment is at [time]."
  2. WhatsApp template: "Hi {{1}}, your appointment is at {{2}}." Submit via BSP for approval.
• Bot Scenarios: If using Dialogflow or Rasa for Viber bots, migrate to WhatsApp-compatible frameworks. Rewrite intents and entities.
• Scenario transfer algorithm:
  
  1. Extract flow diagrams from current tools (e.g. Viber Bot Builder).
  2. Use JSON to represent scenarios: { "intent": "order_track", "response": "Your order status is {{status}}." }
  3. Import to WhatsApp bot platforms like Landbot or Chatfuel.
  4. Sandbox testing: Simulate user input and verify output.

Step 3: Integrate and Test

• Integrate with API endpoints: Use /messages to send, webhooks to receive.
• A/B test: Run parallel scenarios on SMS/Viber and WhatsApp for a subset of users.
• Monitor metrics: Track delivery rates, open rates, and response times after migration.

Step 4: Phased rollout

• Start with non-critical scenarios (e.g., newsletters) before core scenarios (e.g., payments).
• Use analytics to refine: WhatsApp Insights provides data on message performance.

Challenges include template approval delays (up to 48 hours) and adapting to WhatsApp's 24-hour session rule - out-of-session messages require templates.

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Best practices for a successful transition

To minimize disruption during this Viber/SMS transition:

• Communicate with Customers: Send advance notifications about the transition through current channels.
• Train your team: Train support staff on WhatsApp tools.
• Monitor Compliance: Adhere to WhatsApp's commercial and business policies to avoid bans.
• Leverage multichannel tools: Platforms such as Infobip or Bird support hybrid setups during migration.
• Backup and contingency: Have a fallback to SMS in case of problems.

Case Study: A retail brand that migrated from Viber to WhatsApp saw a 25% increase in conversion rates by using interactive catalogs. They transferred 50,000 contacts in one week and redesigned 20 scenarios with minimal downtime.

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Potential pitfalls and solutions

• Number Migration: If using the same number, follow BSP guidelines for porting - verify via SMS/voice PIN.
• Cost Management: Budget for API fees; start with low-volume testing.
• Technical hurdles: If on-premises, migrate to cloud API for easier scaling.

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The bottom line

Migrating from SMS and Viber to WhatsApp Business API is more than a technical upgrade-it's a transformation in customer engagement. By following these algorithms for customer database transfer and scenario customization, businesses can achieve seamless integration, increased efficiency, and better ROI. The key is careful planning, compliance, and iterative testing.

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