The free WhatsApp Business app supports one active user on one device. That breaks down the moment you have a team — conversations get missed, two agents reply to the same customer, nobody knows who's handling what. The solution is a shared inbox powered by the WhatsApp Business API.
What Is a Shared WhatsApp Inbox?
A shared inbox connects one WhatsApp Business number to a web-based platform where multiple agents log in and manage conversations — like a support help desk (Zendesk, Freshdesk) but built around WhatsApp instead of email.
What You Can Do
- Assign conversations — route chats to specific agents based on skill, availability, or department
- See real-time status — open, assigned, pending, resolved — no chat gets lost
- Internal notes — leave notes the customer doesn't see ("follow up about refund")
- Canned replies — save common responses to answer repetitive questions instantly
- SLA tracking — track first response time and resolution time per agent
- Auto-assignment rules — assign based on keywords, tags, or round-robin rotation
Setting Up on Tenreply
- Create your Tenreply account — start free trial
- Connect your WhatsApp number — Settings → Channels → WhatsApp → follow the guided Meta Business Manager setup
- Invite your team — Settings → Team → Invite Members. Each agent gets their own login; everyone sees the same inbox.
- Set up routing rules — Automation → Rules → e.g., "Round-robin between all available agents"
How Many Agents Can Use One Number?
With the WhatsApp API, there's no hard limit. Tenreply allows unlimited agents on all plans — no per-seat charges. Compare this to WATI, which charges per agent and gets expensive as the team grows.
See how Tenreply's shared inbox works → | WhatsApp for support teams →