---
url: >-
  https://docs.corbitaltech.dev/products/whatsmark-saas/tenant/whatsapp-session-management.md
description: >-
  Complete guide to configuring and using WhatsApp Session Management to
  re-engage inactive conversations automatically
---

# WhatsApp Session Management Guide

**Prerequisites:** Active WhatsApp Business Account connected

**Important:** Hours limited to 1-23 due to WhatsApp's 24-hour messaging window

## Overview

### What is WhatsApp Session Management?

WhatsApp Session Management is an intelligent automated system that helps you maintain conversation continuity within WhatsApp's 24-hour messaging window. When a customer doesn't respond within a specified timeframe (1-23 hours), the system automatically sends a friendly reminder to keep the conversation active before the 24-hour window expires.

::: info Understanding WhatsApp's 24-Hour Window
WhatsApp Cloud API restricts businesses to send messages only within 24 hours after a customer's last message. This feature helps you re-engage customers **before** this window closes, ensuring your conversation remains active and you can continue communicating without restrictions.
:::

## How It Works

Understanding the system helps you configure it better. Here's what happens automatically:

### The Session Management Flow

```mermaid
graph TD
    A[Customer Messages You] --> B[Conversation Active]
    B --> C{Customer Replies Within Set Hours?}
    C -->|Yes| B
    C -->|No| D[System Detects Inactivity]
    D --> E[Session Expiry Time Reached]
    E --> F[Automatic Reminder Sent]
    F --> G{Customer Responds?}
    G -->|Yes| H[Conversation Continues]
    G -->|No| I[24-Hour WhatsApp Session Will End]
    H --> B
```

## Configuration Guide

### Step 1: Navigate to Settings

1. Log in to your WhatsMark SaaS dashboard
2. Click on **Settings** in the left sidebar
3. Select **Application Settings**
4. Click on **WhatsApp Session Management**

***

### Step 2: Enable Session Reset Message

#### What This Toggle Does

The **Enable Session Reset Message** toggle is the master switch for the entire session management system.

#### Configuration

| Setting     | Options  | Recommendation               |
| ----------- | -------- | ---------------------------- |
| **Toggle**  | ON / OFF | **ON** for better engagement |
| **Default** | OFF      | Change to ON to activate     |

::: tip Best Practice
Turn this ON if you're actively managing customer conversations. Turn OFF only if you're on vacation or during maintenance periods.
:::

***

### Step 3: Set Session Expiry Hours

#### What This Means

This is the number of hours of inactivity before the system sends a reminder to the customer. **You can only set between 1-23 hours** due to WhatsApp's 24-hour messaging window restriction.

::: danger Important Limitation
**Allowed Range: 1-23 hours ONLY**

WhatsApp Cloud API only allows messaging within 24 hours of a customer's last message. To ensure reminders are sent successfully, you must set the expiry time between 1-23 hours. Setting it to 24 hours or more would exceed the messaging window.
:::

::: details Example Scenarios

* Set: **23 hours** (maximum allowed)
* Message: "Hi {contact_firstname}! Following up on our conversation. Still interested? Let me know! "

:::

### Step 4: Craft Your Session Expiry Message

This is the most important part – the message your customers will see when they're reminded.

#### Available Merge Fields

Use these placeholders to personalize your messages:

| Merge Field           | Description              | Example Output       |
| --------------------- | ------------------------ | -------------------- |
| `{contact_firstname}` | Customer's first name    | "John"               |
| `{contact_lastname}`  | Customer's last name     | "Smith"              |
| `{contact_email}`     | Customer's email address | "john@example.com"   |
| `{contact_phone}`     | Customer's phone number  | "+1234567890"        |
| `{company_name}`      | Your company name        | "Your Business Inc." |

***

### Step 5: Save Your Configuration

1. Review all your settings one final time
2. Click the **Save Changes** button
3. Wait for confirmation: "Settings saved successfully"