--- url: >- https://docs.corbitaltech.dev/products/whatsmark-saas/tenant/whatsApp-auto-lead.md description: >- Automate lead generation with WhatsMark SaaS's WhatsApp Auto Lead feature. Instantly convert incoming messages into leads, track status, assign follow-ups, and streamline your sales pipeline efficiently. --- # WhatsApp Auto Lead The **WhatsApp Auto Lead** feature in Whatsmark empowers businesses to **automate their lead generation** directly from WhatsApp. ![whatsapp-auto-lead](../images/whatsmark-settings/whatsapp-auto-lead.png) ## Key Benefits * **Automates Lead Generation** Automatically transforms WhatsApp messages into leads without human intervention. * **Saves Time** Minimizes manual data entry, freeing up your team to focus on closing deals. * **Improves Lead Distribution** Sends every new lead to a team member automatically. You can send all leads to one person, or use **Round Robin** to share them evenly across your team. * **Tracks Source Effectively** Captures the lead source for marketing performance analysis and campaign ROI. ## Configuration Options The **WhatsApp Auto Lead** settings panel consists of several fields that define how incoming WhatsApp messages are handled and converted into leads: ### 1. **Enable Auto Lead Capture** * **Component Type:** Toggle switch * **Label:** `Acquire New Lead Automatically (convert new WhatsApp messages to lead)` * **Functionality:** * When toggled **ON**, the system actively listens for new WhatsApp messages and converts them into leads using the configured rules. * When toggled **OFF**, auto lead generation is disabled. New message senders are stored as **Guest** contacts instead. * **Usage Scenario:** Ideal for businesses that want hands-free lead intake from WhatsApp chats. ::: warning **Guest Type Behavior** When Auto Lead is **disabled**, any new user who sends a message to your WhatsApp Business number will be automatically stored as a **Guest** type contact. You can later manually convert these guests to leads or customers as needed. Guest contacts can still be targeted in: * Message Bots * Template Bots * Campaigns * Other automation workflows ::: *** ### 2. **Lead Status** * **Field Type:** Dropdown (Required) * **Purpose:** Sets the default lifecycle status for all newly created leads. * **Available Statuses:** * `New` – Lead just received and not yet processed. * `In Progress` – Lead is actively being worked on. * `Contacted` – Initial contact has been made with the lead. * `Qualified` – Lead has been vetted and is considered a potential customer. * `Closed` – Lead has been either converted or disqualified. * **UI Label:** `Lead Status` * **Example from UI:** `In Progress` * **Why It Matters:** Helps sales teams prioritize and segment leads by their current stage in the sales funnel. *** ### 3. **Lead Source** * **Field Type:** Text Input (Required) * **Purpose:** Captures the channel or origin of the lead. * **Accepted Values:** * `WhatsApp` * `Facebook` * **UI Label:** `Lead Source` * **Example from UI:** `whatsapp` * **Why It Matters:** Helps marketing teams measure which platforms generate the most leads. *** ### 4. **Lead Assigned** * **Field Type:** Dropdown (Optional) * **Purpose:** Chooses which team member each new lead is assigned to. * **UI Label:** `Lead Assigned` * **Available Options:** * **Leave it empty** – New leads are not assigned to anyone. You can assign them manually later from the contacts page. * **Round Robin** – New leads are shared between your team members in turn. See [How Round Robin Works](#how-round-robin-works) below. * **A specific staff member** (for example, `vatsal patani`) – Every new lead is assigned to that one person. * **Usage Scenario:** Pick one staff member if a single person handles all new enquiries. Pick **Round Robin** if several people share the work and you want each of them to get a fair share of new leads. #### How Round Robin Works {#how-round-robin-works} When **Lead Assigned** is set to **Round Robin**, WhatsMark gives each new lead to the next team member in the list. After the last team member gets a lead, the next lead goes back to the first team member, and the cycle continues. For example, if your team has three active members, Asha, Ben and Carlos: | New lead | Assigned to | | -------- | ----------- | | Lead 1 | Asha | | Lead 2 | Ben | | Lead 3 | Carlos | | Lead 4 | Asha | | Lead 5 | Ben | Keep these points in mind: * **Only active users get leads.** If you deactivate a staff member, Round Robin skips them. When you activate them again, they rejoin the rotation. * **The account owner is included.** The main account (the person who signed up for the workspace) is a user too. The account owner takes part in the rotation like any other active user. * **The order is fixed.** Team members get leads in the order they were added to your workspace. * **New staff join automatically.** When you add a new staff member, that person starts receiving leads straight away. You do not need to save the Auto Lead settings again. * **Existing contacts are not changed.** Round Robin only assigns new leads. Contacts that already exist keep their current owner. * **If there are no active users,** the new lead is created without an owner. ::: tip Want to keep someone out of the rotation? Round Robin includes every active user in your workspace. If someone should not receive new leads (for example, a manager), choose a specific staff member instead, or deactivate the users who should not get leads. ::: #### Where Round Robin Is Used Your workspace has one shared rotation. Round Robin assigns new leads that come from: * New WhatsApp messages (WhatsApp Cloud API) * New WhatsApp messages received through WhatsApp QR Login * New Facebook Messenger messages * WhatsApp Flow form submissions that create a new contact * Contacts created through the API, and messages sent through the API to a new phone number Because the rotation is shared, a lead from WhatsApp and the next lead from Messenger go to two different team members. Round Robin is **not** used for: * **Facebook Lead Ads.** Facebook Lead Ads has its own **Lead Assigned** setting, and that setting only accepts one staff member. * **Contacts you add yourself** from the contacts page. * **Contacts imported from a CSV file.** The `assigned_id` column in your file decides the owner. * **API requests that already include an `assigned_id`.** The `assigned_id` value in the request is used instead. *** ### 5. **Save Changes** * **Component Type:** Button * **Label:** `Save Changes` * **Functionality:** Applies all configured settings to the WhatsApp Auto Lead feature. * **Behavior:** Clicking this commits the configuration to the backend and activates lead automation based on the current settings. ## Manual Lead Management Even with automation enabled, the platform provides flexibility through manual controls: * Manually **edit lead details** (status, notes, tags, etc.). * **Reassign leads** to other team members as business needs shift. * Update or override automated fields for special cases or high-priority customers. ## Implementation Requirements To enable and use WhatsApp Auto Lead effectively, ensure the following are configured: 1. **WhatsApp Business Integration** * Your WhatsApp Business number must be connected and integrated into WhatsMark. 2. **Valid Lead Source Mapping** * Make sure predefined lead sources like "WhatsApp" and "Facebook" are recognized and linked with marketing reports. 3. **User Role Configuration** * Users must have appropriate permissions to access lead management features, assign leads, or view status updates. 4. **Active Staff Members (for Round Robin)** * If you use **Round Robin**, make sure every team member who should receive leads has an active user account. ## Example Workflow **Scenario:** A customer sends a message on your business WhatsApp asking about pricing. * The system automatically: * Creates a new lead with status: `In Progress` * Source is tagged as: `WhatsApp` * Assigned to: `vatsal patani` * The agent gets notified and follows up within minutes. * Sales tracking and analytics are updated in real time. **Scenario with Round Robin:** Your sales team has three active members, and **Lead Assigned** is set to **Round Robin**. Three new customers message you one after another. * The first customer becomes a lead assigned to the first team member. * The second customer becomes a lead assigned to the second team member. * The third customer becomes a lead assigned to the third team member. * The fourth customer becomes a lead assigned to the first team member again. Each team member gets an equal share of new leads, and no one person gets overloaded. ## Contact Type Workflow Understanding how contact types are assigned based on your Auto Lead settings: ### When Auto Lead is ENABLED ```text New WhatsApp Message → Automatically Created as LEAD → Assigned Lead Status & Source ``` * All new message senders are immediately converted to **Lead** type * Lead status, source, and assignment are applied automatically * Ready for immediate follow-up by your sales team ### When Auto Lead is DISABLED ```text New WhatsApp Message → Automatically Created as GUEST → Manual Conversion Required ``` * All new message senders are stored as **Guest** type * Guests remain in the system for tracking and engagement * You can manually convert guests to leads or customers when qualified * Guests can still receive automated messages via bots and campaigns ::: tip **Best Practice** * Use **Auto Lead ON** if you want aggressive lead capture and immediate sales follow-up * Use **Auto Lead OFF** if you prefer to qualify contacts first before converting them to leads * Regularly review your Guest contacts to identify potential leads ::: ## Comparison Table | Feature | Auto Lead ON | Auto Lead OFF | | ---------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | **New Message Contact Type** | Lead | Guest | | **Status Assignment** | Uses configured status from Auto Lead settings | Takes first available status automatically (can be changed later manually) | | **Source Assignment** | Uses configured source from Auto Lead settings | Takes first available source automatically (can be changed later manually) | | **Assignee Assignment** | Uses the configured staff member, or shares leads in turn with Round Robin | Takes first available assignee automatically (can be changed later manually) | | **Manual Conversion Needed** | No | Yes (to convert to Lead/Customer) | | **Can Receive Bot Messages** | Yes | Yes | | **Can Receive Campaigns** | Yes | Yes | ::: info **Key Difference** * **Lead (Auto Lead ON)**: You have full control to decide which status, source, and assignee to use via the Auto Lead configuration settings. For the assignee, you can pick one staff member or use Round Robin. * **Guest (Auto Lead OFF)**: The system automatically assigns the first available status, source, and assignee from the system. You can manually edit these values later from the contact management page. :::