Send Messages to Candidates
TL;DR — Open Chats from the sidebar (or the WhatsApp Chat button on any candidate's application). Type a message and send. Outside the 24-hour reply window from the candidate's last message, free text is blocked — pick one of two pre-approved templates (Initial Contact or Follow-up) to reach out. Email is sent automatically by the system; ad-hoc emails aren't a feature here.
Before you start
- Requires: Admin, Campaign Manager, or Member role.
- WhatsApp messaging must be enabled for your organization. This is configured by the BrightStep team. If the Chats entry is missing from your sidebar or messaging is disabled when you open it, ask the BrightStep team to enable WhatsApp for your org.
- Candidate phone: the candidate must have a phone number on file (with country code) to receive WhatsApp messages.
Two ways to message
| From | When to use |
|---|---|
| Chats inbox (sidebar → Chats) | Triaging incoming messages, switching between several candidates, working through your unread queue |
| WhatsApp Chat button on a candidate's application page | One-off message to a specific candidate while reviewing their application |
Both surfaces share the same conversations — sending from one shows up in the other.
Open the Chats inbox
- From the sidebar, click Chats. The inbox opens with the conversation list on the left and the active chat on the right.
- If your organization's WhatsApp number is pending activation, a banner explains that messaging is disabled until the number is active. You'll need to wait for activation before sending.
Find a conversation
The conversation list supports:
- Search — type a contact name or phone number into the search box.
- Filters — switch between All, Unread, and Campaigns filters at the top of the list.
- Campaign filter — when Campaigns is selected, you can drill into a specific campaign or view All my campaigns.
The unread count for each conversation appears as a badge on the right of the row.
To start a brand-new conversation with a contact who isn't in the list yet, click + New Chat at the top of the inbox. The dialog lets you search your contacts by name or phone — pick one and start typing.
Send a text or media message
In an active conversation:
- Click the message input at the bottom of the chat panel.
- Type your message. Press Enter to send (or click the send button).
- To attach a file, click the paperclip icon, pick a file from your computer, and (optionally) add a caption. Images show a preview before sending. Other file types display as attachment cards.
- The system uploads the media to secure storage first, then delivers it via WhatsApp — the status updates inline as it sends.
This works only when you're inside the 24-hour window (see below). If the window has expired, the input is disabled and a banner explains why.
The 24-hour window
WhatsApp Business has a strict policy: you can only send free-form messages within 24 hours of the candidate's last reply. Once that window expires, free text is blocked until the candidate replies again — at which point the window reopens.
To reach out outside the window (or to start a fresh conversation), you have to use a pre-approved template message — see the next section.
This is a Meta policy enforced by the WhatsApp Business API. There's no way to bypass it; it's not a BrightStep limitation.
Send a template message
When the 24-hour window has expired (or you're starting a new conversation), the chat shows a template panel instead of the message input.
Two templates are available, each in English or French:
| Template | When to use |
|---|---|
| Initial Contact | First time you're reaching out to this candidate via WhatsApp |
| Follow-up | Following up after a previous conversation went quiet |
The template preview shows exactly what the candidate will receive — your name, the organization name, the campaign name, and the candidate's first name are filled in automatically. You can switch the language between English and French in the panel.
To send:
- Pick the template (Initial Contact or Follow-up) and language.
- Review the preview.
- Click Send. A "Template message sent" toast confirms.
After the candidate replies to the template, the 24-hour window opens and you can switch to free-form messaging.
Message from a candidate page
You can also message a candidate without leaving their application:
- Open the candidate's application page.
- In the Quick Actions Bar, click WhatsApp Chat. A side sheet opens with the conversation thread.
- Send a message exactly as you would in the inbox — text, media, or a template if the window has expired.
The conversation appears in the global Chats inbox afterward.
Manage conversations
From the conversation list or active chat:
- Mark as read — opening a conversation automatically marks it as read. The unread badge clears.
- Delete — from the conversation actions, choose Delete conversation. A confirmation dialog appears: "This will permanently delete this conversation and all its messages. This action cannot be undone." Use this to clean up test threads or duplicates — never as a "soft delete," because there's no undo.
Troubleshooting
| Symptom | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Chats is missing from the sidebar | WhatsApp messaging isn't enabled for your organization | Ask the BrightStep team to enable WhatsApp |
| Banner: "WhatsApp phone number is pending activation" | Your org's number is being provisioned by Meta | Wait for activation. The BrightStep team will let you know when it's live |
| Banner: "WhatsApp phone number is not configured" | Org has no number associated yet | Ask the BrightStep team to set one up |
| Message input is disabled with: "The 24-hour messaging window has expired" | The candidate hasn't replied in over 24 hours | Switch to a template — Initial Contact or Follow-up — to reopen the conversation |
| Template send fails — "Failed to send template message" | Network blip, or template approval lapsed at Meta's end | Retry. If it keeps failing, the BrightStep team can verify template status with Meta |
| Media upload fails — "Failed to upload media" / "Failed to send media" | File too large, unsupported type, or network issue | Try a smaller file. WhatsApp limits images to ~5 MB and documents to ~100 MB |
| + New Chat doesn't show a contact you expect | The contact has no phone number on file, or they're not in your accessible contacts | Update the candidate's phone number on their contact record |
| Conversation list is empty even though candidates have applied | None have messaged you, and you haven't messaged any of them yet | Use + New Chat to start a conversation, or open a candidate's application and click WhatsApp Chat |