WhatsApp media and replies

What it is

WhatsApp conversations can contain files and replies that refer to earlier messages. INSIDE shows supported media and quoted-message previews in the transcript. The available formats differ between Meta Cloud and Twilio connections.

Who uses it and why

• Operators open customer attachments, send supported files and use quoted context to understand a reply.
• Visitors send media or use WhatsApp's reply action to identify the message they mean.

Where to find it

Open the WhatsApp conversation on the operator floor. Incoming media and quote previews appear with the conversation messages. Use the conversation's attachment tools for outgoing files.

How it works

When a customer sends supported media, INSIDE retrieves it and adds it to the conversation. The account's provider and your website's allowed file types affect what can be received.

When a customer quotes a message, INSIDE tries to find the earlier message and shows its sender and content preview. Image quotes can include a thumbnail. Other attachment quotes can show a short media description. If the original cannot be found, the preview says Original message unavailable.

Meta WhatsApp can also process customer text edits when the original message is available in a recent conversation. INSIDE updates the text and adds Message edited by visitor. An ordinary reply to the customer's own message remains a reply rather than changing the earlier text.

Configure it

There is no separate operator setting for quote previews or incoming edits. Ask Powerfront to confirm which WhatsApp provider your account uses and to allow the incoming file type in your website's attachment rules.

For an outgoing Twilio attachment, use JPEG or PNG images or PDF documents smaller than 5,000,000 bytes. Audio follows a separate sending path. Do not assume the same file checks apply to Meta Cloud.

Limits and good to know

• The Twilio size comparison is strictly below 5,000,000 bytes for the image and PDF path. A file exactly that size is rejected there.
• The Twilio error message also mentions audio and a 5 MB limit, but audio follows a separate check. Provider restrictions can still reject it.
• Meta supports outgoing image, video and document paths in this release. Provider restrictions still apply.
• Quote lookup can search up to seven days back. Older or unavailable originals may have no resolved preview.
• Meta edit handling searches available WhatsApp conversations whose last message is less than 24 hours old. Older edits are not guaranteed to update the transcript.
• Operator WhatsApp reactions are unsupported in this release.

Depends on and works with

FAQ and troubleshooting

Why was my Twilio attachment rejected?

Check that it is a supported format and, for JPEG, PNG or PDF, smaller than 5,000,000 bytes. The provider can apply further restrictions.

Why does a quote say Original message unavailable?

INSIDE could not find the earlier message within its lookup scope. The new reply can still appear without a resolved original preview.

Why does a quoted image show a description instead of a thumbnail?

The earlier message may not have a usable image preview. INSIDE can show a media description instead.

Why did a customer's edit not update an older message?

This release's Meta edit handling depends on finding the original in an available recent conversation. It is not a general edit synchronisation service for all historical messages.

Can I react to a WhatsApp message from INSIDE?

No. Operator reaction sending is not implemented for WhatsApp in this release.