Sending WhatsApp template messages from Everbridge Incident Templates

Use an Everbridge Incident Template to send an approved WhatsApp message template with values entered in the Operator’s Form. For template sending, the integration combines the WhatsApp template ID stored in WhatsApp Code with the values of the incident variables.

This guide covers updating an existing Everbridge and ChatArchitect integration to use the message-building behavior introduced between May 31 and June 3, 2025.

What to enter in each Everbridge field

Everbridge field or section	What to enter or configure
Incident variable named exactly WhatsApp Code	The WhatsApp template ID copied from ChatArchitect, including its curly brackets.
Incident variables used as WhatsApp parameters	The actual values for the template placeholders, such as a building name or event time. Enter these values as plain text.
Form & Message → PREVIEW & EDIT → Operator’s Form	Include the WhatsApp variables and arrange the parameter fields in the order expected by the WhatsApp template.
Outgoing Message → All delivery methods	Paste the template content copied from ChatArchitect, following the integration setup instructions. When an eligible WhatsApp Code is populated, WhatsApp template sending uses that ID and the form values.
Incident Template Settings	Select WhatsApp under delivery methods and the Response Subscription Profile configured for the integration.

Everbridge also has a Template ID in the Incident Template header. That ID identifies the Everbridge Incident Template. The value for WhatsApp Code comes from the WhatsApp message template in ChatArchitect. Everbridge Incident Template fields.

Get the WhatsApp template ID

Open the ChatArchitect application at wtargeted.com, choose the required approved WhatsApp template, and copy its ID with the brackets included. Keep the copied value intact when pasting it into WhatsApp Code. ChatArchitect setup instructions.

The fixed wording belongs to the approved WhatsApp template. Its placeholders, such as {{1}} and {{2}}, receive the values supplied through the incident variables. ChatArchitect WhatsApp template guide.

Create or reuse the incident variables

In the Everbridge Manager Portal, select your organization and open Communications → Incidents → Variables. Click New Variable, choose Textbox, and name the ID variable exactly WhatsApp Code. Set a suitable character limit and click OK.

Create or reuse one variable for each WhatsApp template parameter. For example, a template with three placeholders could use Site, Event, and Time. Use a single text value for each parameter. Everbridge variable creation instructions.

Add the variables to the Incident Template

Open Communications → Incidents → Templates and edit the relevant template. In Form & Message, select WhatsApp Code and the parameter variables to include them in the form. Mark fields required where a missing value would prevent correct template sending.

Use PREVIEW & EDIT → Operator’s Form to arrange the fields. Everbridge shows the form order with numbers beside the variables and supports changing it by dragging the fields. Everbridge template editor, Everbridge Incident Communications User Guide.

For this integration, WhatsApp Code and every WhatsApp parameter must have a sequence number of 3 or higher. Fields with a lower sequence number are ignored for template sending. Use the numbered form order as a guide: place WhatsApp Code third or later, then arrange the parameter fields in the template’s placeholder order. This placement assumes the displayed order matches the sequence numbers sent by your deployment. If expected fields are missing, ask the integration administrator to check those sequence numbers.

After this update, eligible parameter fields are included even if they appear before WhatsApp Code. Keeping the ID field before the parameters makes the form easier to review.

Example field order and values

Suppose the approved WhatsApp template reads:

Incident at {{1}}: {{2}}. Reported at {{3}}.

Configure the WhatsApp portion of the Operator’s Form as follows:

Form order	Variable	Value
3	WhatsApp Code	{{your-template-id}}
4	Site	Building A
5	Event	Power outage
6	Time	14:30

Here, {{your-template-id}} represents the exact ID copied from ChatArchitect.

The integration builds this sending string:

{{your-template-id}} {{Building A}} {{Power outage}} {{14:30}}

The intended message received in WhatsApp is:

Incident at Building A: Power outage. Reported at 14:30.

Enter Building A in the Everbridge field. The integration adds the parameter brackets automatically.

Check the outgoing message and delivery settings

In Outgoing Message → All delivery methods, keep the template content copied from ChatArchitect as described in the setup guide. Review the Incident Template’s Settings, select the WhatsApp delivery method, and select the appropriate integration profile. Save the template. ChatArchitect setup instructions.

When WhatsApp Code is eligible and populated, changing the Outgoing Message text alone does not change the WhatsApp template selection or its parameter values. Update the ID field or the parameter fields to change those.

Fill in the values when launching an incident

Open Communications → Incidents → Launch Incident, choose the template, and fill in the Operator’s Form. Check the copied template ID, all parameter values, and the recipients. Continue through Next, review the incident details and sending options, and select Review and Send. The Review button depends on the organization’s review settings. Everbridge incident launch instructions.

For the first send after updating a template, use designated test recipients and check the received WhatsApp message. The Everbridge preview shows the outgoing message configured in Everbridge; verify the WhatsApp result separately.

Rules that affect the message

• Parameter mapping follows field order. Variable names such as Site or Event help the operator, but the integration sends their values in the original order.
• Every populated eligible field is included. Other incident variables with sequence numbers of 3 or higher also become parameters. Review the whole form for extra fields that could change the parameter count or order.
• Empty values are skipped. Leaving a parameter blank can shift subsequent values into the wrong placeholders. Require and fill all parameters needed by the selected template.
• Use one value per field. The integration reads the first value of each incident variable. A multiple-selection variable does not supply a separate parameter for every selection.
• An eligible WhatsApp Code is required for this template workflow. If the field is missing, blank, or has a sequence number below 3, the integration falls back to the Everbridge Outgoing Message text and does not append the other variables.

What changed from the previous sending behavior

Before these changes, the integration forwarded the Everbridge outgoing message text. The update added a separate WhatsApp Code field as the message base, followed by incident variable values wrapped in curly brackets. The final June 3 version selects non-empty fields with sequence numbers of 3 or higher.

For an existing template, add or populate WhatsApp Code, include the required parameter fields, and check their order. The update retains a plain-text fallback; it does not by itself make a WhatsApp template ID mandatory for every message.

ChatArchitect separately announced that template sends require an ID from August 1, 2025. For the template workflow described here, always copy the ID from ChatArchitect. ChatArchitect template sending update.