Creating and Managing Links Between WhatsApp Chats (BSUID and Phone Number) – SHOPLINE Help Center

In WhatsApp, the same customer may be identified by either a BSUID (Business-Scoped User ID) or a phone number (wa_id). As a result, two separate chats for the same customer may appear in Message Center.

SHOPLINE can link WhatsApp chats that belong to the same customer, allowing you to quickly switch between them and view the customer's chat history. When certain conditions are met, the system automatically links the chats. You can also manually link or unlink chats as needed.

This guide explains how WhatsApp chat linking works and how to link, unlink, and manage related customer account conflicts.

Requirements for Linking WhatsApp Chats

Before using this feature, make sure your store has connected a WhatsApp Business account to Message Center. For details on connecting your account, refer to "Connecting Your WhatsApp Business Account to SHOPLINE."

Understanding WhatsApp Chat Linking

WhatsApp can identify customers using either of the following:

BSUID (Business-Scoped User ID): A business-scoped user ID that WhatsApp uses to identify a customer.
Phone number (wa_id): An identifier based on the customer's WhatsApp phone number.

The same customer may interact with your store using both identifiers, which can result in two separate chats in Message Center. For example, if a customer first contacts your store using their phone number and later sends a message using their BSUID, Message Center may create another chat for that customer.

Once the system confirms that the two identifiers belong to the same customer, it links the corresponding chats. The two chats remain separate, but you can quickly switch between them to view the relevant chat history.

Automatic Chat Linking and Customer Account Binding

When information provided by WhatsApp confirms that a BSUID and phone number belong to the same customer, the system automatically links the corresponding chats.

What happens after linking depends on the customer's existing chats:

Only one existing chat: You can continue handling messages in the existing chat. No additional chat is created, and no additional linking information is displayed.
Two existing chats: Both chats remain in the chat list. When you open either chat, a notification at the top indicates that the chat is linked to another WhatsApp chat. Click View linked chat to switch to the other chat.

The customer account is also bound automatically. If one identifier is already bound to a customer account in your store while the other is not, the system automatically binds the unbound identifier to the same customer account. After the binding is complete, both chats display the same customer information.

Note: If the two identifiers are already bound to different customer accounts, the system doesn't automatically merge the customer accounts. Instead, it displays a conflict notification. For details, see "Resolving Customer Account Conflicts."

Manually Linking WhatsApp Chats

If the system doesn't automatically link two chats that belong to the same customer, you can link them manually:

Open one of the WhatsApp chats.
At the top of the chat, click Link chat.
From the chat list, select the other chat that you have confirmed belongs to the same customer.
Click Link chat on the selected chat, then confirm the action in the pop-up window.

Once linked, both chats display a notification indicating that the current chat is linked to another WhatsApp chat. Click View linked chat to switch between the chats.

Unlinking WhatsApp Chats

If two chats have been linked incorrectly, you can manually unlink them:

Open either of the linked WhatsApp chats.
In the linking notification at the top of the chat, click the … icon, then click Unlink.

In the pop-up window, click Unlink to confirm.

Note: If both identifiers are bound to the same customer account, unlinking the chats also removes the bindings between both identifiers and that customer account. After unlinking, the two identifiers become separate and are no longer bound to a customer account.

Once unlinked, the two chats become independent again. The linking notification and View linked chat entry are also removed.

After you unlink the chats:

The existing chat history in both chats is retained.
The system won't automatically link these two chats again.
To link them again, click Link chat and complete the linking process manually.

Resolving Customer Account Conflicts

A customer account conflict occurs when the system confirms that a BSUID and phone number belong to the same customer, but the two identifiers are already bound to different customer accounts.

When this happens:

The chat displays the notification This chat shares the same customer with another chat.
Click View details to view the conflict details.
In the pop-up window, review the affected chats and click Unlink to remove the current customer binding.

Note: To prevent customer information from being merged incorrectly, the system doesn't automatically merge different customer accounts. Review the conflict and resolve it manually based on the customer's actual information.

Important Notes About Linked WhatsApp Chats

Keep the following in mind when managing linked WhatsApp chats:

Where new messages appear: If a WhatsApp message contains only a BSUID or phone number, the message appears in the chat associated with that identifier. If the message contains both identifiers, it appears in the chat designated by the system as the primary chat.
Replying through a BSUID: Some WhatsApp connections currently don't support sending messages through a BSUID. If a chat contains only a BSUID and the current connection doesn't support sending messages through a BSUID, you may temporarily be unable to reply to the customer in that chat.
Chats and chat history: Linking or unlinking chats doesn't merge or delete them. Each chat retains its original chat history.

Frequently Asked Questions About Linked WhatsApp Chats

Q1: Will unlinking WhatsApp chats delete the chat history?

No. The chat history in both chats is retained. Unlinking only removes the link between the two chats, including the linking notification and View linked chat entry.

Q2: Will the system automatically link the chats again after I manually unlink them?

No. After you manually unlink the chats, the system won't automatically link them again, even if it later confirms that the two identifiers belong to the same customer. To restore the link, click Link chat and link them manually.

Q3: What should I do if the two identifiers are bound to different customer accounts?

The system displays the notification This chat shares the same customer with another chat. Click View details to review the conflict, then click Unlink in the pop-up window to remove the current customer binding.

After unlinking, you can manage the customer bindings again based on the customer's actual information.

Q4: Why can't I reply to a WhatsApp chat?

If the chat uses a BSUID and your current WhatsApp connection doesn't support sending messages through a BSUID, you may not be able to reply directly from that chat.

You can reply through the customer's phone number (wa_id) chat. If there is currently no phone number chat available for replying, contact your SHOPLINE account manager for more information about the supported messaging capabilities.