DocumentationJourney OptimizerJourney Optimizer Guide

Check and send your WhatsApp messages send-whatsapp

Last update: September 8, 2026

CREATED FOR:

  • Beginner
  • User

On this page: Preview, validate, and send your WhatsApp message, then analyze the interaction data it returns, so you can confirm your message is correct before delivery and measure how recipients engage with it.

style
shade-box

Preview your WhatsApp message preview-whatsapp

Once your message content has been defined, you can preview its content using either simulation method:

  • Click Simulate content to test content variations with sample input data or AI auto-generation. Learn how to simulate content variations
  • Click Simulate content, then select Simulate content (AEP profiles) from the dropdown to preview with test profiles.

Detailed information on how to preview & test content is available in the Content Management section.

Validate your content whatsapp-validate

You must check alerts in the upper section of the editor. Some of them are simple warnings, but others can prevent you from sending the message. Two types of alerts can happen: warnings and errors.

  • Warnings refer to recommendations and best practices. For example, a warning message is displayed if your text message is empty.

  • Errors prevent you from testing or activating the journey, or publishing the campaign, as long as they are not resolved. For example, an error message warns you when the subject line is missing.

Send your WhatsApp messages whatsapp-send

IMPORTANT
If your campaign is subject to an approval policy, you will need to request approval in order to be able to send your text messages. Learn more

When your WhatsApp message is ready, complete the configuration of your journey or campaign to send it.

Analyze WhatsApp interactions whatsapp-channel-context

Journey Optimizer captures additional interaction data returned from the WhatsApp channel and stores it in the AJO - Email Tracking Experience Event Dataset under the whatsAppChannelContext field group. Use these fields to build audiences, run queries, and analyze WhatsApp engagement. Learn more about system datasets.

The following fields are captured:

Field
Description
messageType
WhatsApp message type (for example, templateBased, response).
inboundMessage
Inbound reply content (for example, stop, start, subscribe).
inboundNumber
Sender ID where the inbound message was received.
channelType
Channel category (Utility, Marketing, or Promotional).
profileNumber
Phone number from which the inbound message was received.
origTimestamp
Original timestamp from Meta / WhatsApp.
status
Delivery status including standardized provider feedback (sent, delivered, bounce, error, delay, duplicate, denylist, exclude, or unknown) and the raw provider status message.
reactionEvent
Content of the user response: emoji for reactions, or message text for replies to a specific message.
reactionMessageID
ID of the original message being responded to.
reactionActionName
Type of response action (react, unreact, or reply).
interactiveSelectedTitle
User-selected title from a WhatsApp interactive message.
interactiveType
Interactive message type (list reply, button reply, or button).
interactiveSelectedDescription
Description of the selected WhatsApp interactive option.
interactiveSelectedID
ID of the selected option from WhatsApp.

To query this dataset, use the ajo_email_tracking_experience_event_dataset table in Query Service. For query patterns and related use cases, see Dataset query examples.

AI Knowledge Reference

This section contains structured knowledge intended to support interpretation, retrieval, and question answering related to this topic.

For complete understanding, this information should be combined with the documentation on this page. Neither source is intended to stand alone; the page describes the feature, while this section provides additional context that helps disambiguate terminology, intent, applicability, and constraints.

  • TL;DR: This page explains how to preview, validate, and send a WhatsApp message in Journey Optimizer, and how to analyze the WhatsApp interaction data captured in the tracking dataset.

Intents:

  • Preview WhatsApp message content using Simulate content or Simulate content (AEP profiles)
  • Check warnings and errors before testing, activating, or publishing
  • Complete the journey or campaign configuration to send the WhatsApp message
  • Analyze WhatsApp interaction data returned from the channel
  • Build audiences and run queries on captured WhatsApp engagement fields

Glossary:

  • Simulate content: The option used to test content variations with sample input data or AI auto-generation (product-specific)
  • Simulate content (AEP profiles): An option selected from the Simulate content dropdown to preview with test profiles (product-specific)
  • Warnings: Alerts that refer to recommendations and best practices; for example, shown if your text message is empty (product-specific)
  • Errors: Alerts that prevent testing or activating the journey, or publishing the campaign, until resolved; for example, a missing subject line (product-specific)
  • whatsAppChannelContext: The field group under which WhatsApp interaction data is stored in the AJO - Email Tracking Experience Event Dataset (product-specific)

Guardrails:

  • Errors prevent you from testing or activating the journey, or publishing the campaign, until they are resolved; warnings do not block.
  • If your campaign is subject to an approval policy, you must request approval before you can send.
  • WhatsApp interaction data is stored in the AJO - Email Tracking Experience Event Dataset under the whatsAppChannelContext field group.
  • To query the dataset, use the ajo_email_tracking_experience_event_dataset table in Query Service.

Terminology:

  • Canonical name: WhatsApp message — Acronym: n/a — variants: WhatsApp
  • Synonyms: “Simulate content (AEP profiles)” = “preview with test profiles”
  • Do not confuse: “Warnings” (recommendations/best practices; do not block) ≠ “Errors” (block testing, activation, or publishing until resolved)
  • Do not confuse: “Simulate content” (test content variations with sample input data or AI auto-generation) ≠ “Simulate content (AEP profiles)” (preview with test profiles)

FAQ:

  • Q: How can I preview my WhatsApp message? — Click Simulate content to test variations with sample input data or AI auto-generation, or select Simulate content (AEP profiles) from the dropdown to preview with test profiles.
  • Q: What is the difference between warnings and errors? — Warnings are recommendations and best practices and do not block; errors prevent testing or activating the journey, or publishing the campaign, until resolved.
  • Q: How do I send my WhatsApp message? — Complete the configuration of your journey or campaign; if an approval policy applies, request approval first.
  • Q: Where is WhatsApp interaction data stored? — In the AJO - Email Tracking Experience Event Dataset, under the whatsAppChannelContext field group.
  • Q: How do I query WhatsApp interaction data? — Use the ajo_email_tracking_experience_event_dataset table in Query Service.
  • Q: What can I do with the captured interaction fields? — Build audiences, run queries, and analyze WhatsApp engagement.
recommendation-more-help
journey-optimizer-help