Some WhatsApp customers reach you without a phone number — see business-scoped WhatsApp contacts for what that is. For those, Lynomia Chat can ask WhatsApp to request the number from the customer, and the customer chooses whether to share it.
The action is unavailable more often than it is available, and the reason is always one of six.
| Reason you see | What it means | Can you clear it? |
|---|---|---|
| Available only for WhatsApp Cloud inboxes | the conversation is on a different kind of WhatsApp connection | no, not for this inbox |
| This contact already has a phone number | there is nothing to request | no, and nothing is wrong |
| Can only be requested from a business-scoped WhatsApp user | this contact is not one of those, so the request does not apply | no |
| Only within the 24-hour window | the customer last wrote more than 24 hours ago | yes — wait for them to write, or send a template |
| An approved template with a Request contact info button is required | outside the window, the request has to travel inside a template that carries that button, and none is approved | yes — have one approved |
| A request is already pending | you have asked and the customer has not answered | yes, by waiting |
The two worth planning for
Outside the window you need a template. The fourth and fifth rows are the same situation from two directions: inside the 24-hour window the request can be sent directly; outside it, it must be carried by an approved template with a Request contact info button. If you intend to do this routinely, get that template approved before you need it — see the template lifecycle.
A pending request blocks another. Only one can be outstanding per contact at a time, which stops an agent asking twice and stops two agents asking in parallel. A failed request does not count as pending, so a genuine failure does not lock the contact out.
Who can do this
Any agent working the conversation can send a request where it is available. Getting the template approved is an administrator's job.
Limits
- The customer decides. They may refuse, and there is no appeal and no second mechanism.
- You cannot cancel a pending request. It resolves when the customer answers or stops being pending.
- Nothing tells you a request was refused by the customer as distinct from ignored.
- A shared number cannot be requested twice in parallel.