Test and Troubleshoot Channels
Connection testing validates phone credentials; webhook verification and end-to-end message delivery are separate tests.
WhatsApp has several checkpoints that can fail independently: credential lookup, callback verification, signed inbound delivery, message-type filtering, SmartSite security, OpenAI processing, and outbound Graph API delivery. The Connected badge and Test Connection cover only credential configuration; a real plain-text message is required to prove the complete route.
Work through this page by starting when you keep the channel enabled only during a controlled test window. Finish by making sure you check meta delivery errors and token permissions if inbound works but reply fails; if that check fails, the field descriptions help identify whether the problem belongs to content, behavior, transport, or operations.
What this feature does and when to use it
Section titled “What this feature does and when to use it”Use this sequence when the badge, Meta console, inbound event, or reply behaves differently.
Use this feature in the following situations:
- Test Connection passes but Meta refuses the callback verification.
- Meta delivers an event but no SmartSite conversation or reply appears.
- Text works but nontext messages, long replies, or the public
wa.melink behave unexpectedly.
Where to find it
Section titled “Where to find it”Before you begin
Section titled “Before you begin”- SmartSite Assistant is installed and activated.
- You are signed in with an account that can manage WordPress options.
Set it up step by step
Section titled “Set it up step by step”- Keep the channel enabled only during a controlled test window.
- Run Test Connection and record the sanitized result.
- Verify the callback and Verify Token in Meta.
- Send a plain text message from an allowed test number.
- Check the web server access/PHP log for the webhook route.
- Check Chat History for channel WhatsApp and any blocked/error result.
- Confirm the active assistant and regular OpenAI key.
- Check Meta delivery errors and token permissions if inbound works but reply fails.
Fields, controls, and important values
Section titled “Fields, controls, and important values”Connection, webhook, and logging checks reveal where a WhatsApp conversation stops. A successful Graph connection proves outgoing access to the phone resource; verification and signatures protect incoming events; the shared AI pipeline determines the reply. If delivery works but the answer is poor, move to assistant, knowledge, or tool diagnostics instead of changing Meta credentials.
| Field, control, or status | What SmartSite Assistant does with it | How to use it and why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Test Connection | Checks the token/Phone Number ID by fetching display phone, verified name, and quality information. | Enter “Test Connection” exactly as its source system provides it. This reference points the workflow at a particular resource; it does not improve AI reasoning, and the wrong value can quietly target the wrong account or stored record. |
| GET webhook | Handles Meta challenge verification using the Verify Token. | Copy “GET webhook” from the named provider without extra spaces, save it over HTTPS, and keep it out of captures and support messages. A masked value shows that WordPress stored something; the connection test shows whether the provider accepts it. |
| POST webhook | Requires a valid HMAC signature and processes text message events. | “POST webhook” must match the receiver’s HTTPS address or request contract exactly. Test with synthetic data in a controlled destination and examine authentication plus the returned body; transport success alone does not prove the intended action finished. |
| Security pipeline | Channel messages pass through the same security manager and are logged under a channel-specific identity. | “Security pipeline” affects message transport in this way: Channel messages pass through the same security manager and are logged under a channel-specific identity. It may determine whether a question or reply reaches WhatsApp, but it does not improve the answer itself; content quality still comes from the active assistant, knowledge, and tools. |
| Nontext/status events | Ignored with a successful acknowledgement; no assistant reply is expected. | “Nontext/status events” reports progress or configuration state, not the quality of an answer. Wait for unfinished work, inspect item-level errors, and after a successful state ask a question that can only be answered from the affected source or service. |
How to confirm it is working
Section titled “How to confirm it is working”Confirm Test and Troubleshoot Channels with the smallest representative end-to-end test. When the result differs from the success description, keep the exact input and state so troubleshooting can identify the responsible layer without changing unrelated AI settings.
Practical example
Section titled “Practical example”If Test Connection passes but Meta verification fails, troubleshoot the public callback and Verify Token—not the Phone Number ID.
Recommended practice
Section titled “Recommended practice”- Change one part of Test and Troubleshoot Channels at a time and keep a short record of the previous value and test result.
- Verify the saved result in the screen, visitor session, or connected service that actually consumes the setting.
Important warnings
Section titled “Important warnings”Common problems and focused checks
Section titled “Common problems and focused checks”| Problem | What to check and what to do next |
|---|---|
| The website landing icon opens nothing. | Save the optional WhatsApp Phone Number in country-code digits without +; credentials alone do not build the wa.me URL. |
| Long replies are incomplete. | Inspect each Meta send response and Chat History; the plugin splits at 4,096 characters and sends chunks in order. |
| Test and Troubleshoot Channels is missing or does not match this guide. | Confirm the plugin is active and the account can manage WordPress options. Test Meta connection, webhook verification, signed delivery, and the shared AI pipeline as separate stages. |
| A change on Test and Troubleshoot Channels does not produce the expected result. | Keep the exact notice and test case, then review the browser console and WordPress/PHP log. Test Meta connection, webhook verification, signed delivery, and the shared AI pipeline as separate stages. |
Screen reference
Section titled “Screen reference”- Capture
- Show a sanitized successful Test Connection result next to the WhatsApp status badge and webhook URL.
- Show
- Status badge, Test Connection result, webhook URL, Enable toggle
- Viewport
- Desktop, 1440 × 900
- Annotate
- Use numbered callouts only for controls referenced in the procedure.
- Redact
- OpenAI keys, tokens, secrets, personal information, private URLs, IP addresses, and conversation text