Why should a recruitment agency log WhatsApp chats with candidates?
Recruiters use WhatsApp because it is where many candidates already chat. A short message suits a quick question, such as confirming an interview time or checking a notice period.
The trouble is where those conversations live. A chat on a consultant’s phone is invisible to the rest of the desk, it is missing from the candidate’s record, and it leaves with the consultant if they move on.
Logging WhatsApp in the recruitment CRM puts those messages next to the emails, notes and calls for the same person, so the record shows what was agreed.
Is there a recruitment CRM that logs WhatsApp messages with candidates alongside email?
Kepler is a recruitment CRM that keeps WhatsApp and email conversations in one inbox. Each thread is linked to the right candidate or contact, and you can re-link it if Kepler picked the wrong person.
The same conversations appear on the record’s timeline. Kepler syncs Gmail and Outlook both ways, so a candidate’s emails and WhatsApp messages sit side by side on one record.
How does WhatsApp work in Kepler?
An agency connects its WhatsApp Business number to Kepler. Messages from candidates and contacts arrive in Kepler’s inbox, linked to the right record, and the team replies from Kepler inside WhatsApp’s 24-hour customer service window.
Each conversation also appears on the candidate’s or contact’s timeline, next to their emails, notes and calls.
Can WhatsApp messages update candidate records in Kepler?
Yes, with a person in the loop. Kepler matches inbound WhatsApp messages to the right record and reads them for details worth keeping.
Kepler turns those details into suggested field updates and tasks. A consultant approves or rejects each one, and nothing is written to the record until they do. This is the same review step Kepler uses for emails and calls, described on auto-updating records.
What are WhatsApp’s rules for recruitment agencies messaging candidates?
WhatsApp sets its own rules for businesses, in the WhatsApp Business Messaging Policy and Meta’s developer documentation. These are the parts that matter most to a recruitment agency, as published on 3 Oct 2026.
Opt-in before you message
The WhatsApp Business Messaging Policy says a business may contact someone on WhatsApp only if the person has given the business their number and has opted in to receive messages from it. The policy makes the business responsible for how it collects that opt-in and for meeting the law where it operates.
WhatsApp’s best practices suggest an opt-in that covers the kinds of messages you will send, and clear instructions for opting out.
Honour every opt-out
The policy says a business must respect any request to stop messages on WhatsApp, whether the person asks on WhatsApp or somewhere else.
The 24-hour customer service window
Meta’s documentation says a 24-hour customer service window opens when a WhatsApp user messages or calls a business, and resets each time they do so again. While the window is open, a business on the WhatsApp Business Platform can reply with free-form messages. Outside the window, the platform allows only pre-approved template messages.
How does Kepler record WhatsApp consent and opt-outs?
Kepler keeps a consent ledger for every candidate and contact. Each entry records the purpose, the lawful basis, the source, the evidence, the date consent was given and the date it runs until.
When a person replies STOP on WhatsApp, Kepler writes a withdrawal to their consent record. When consent tracking is on, Kepler checks the ledger before it adds people to a campaign audience, so withdrawn people are left out.
Every night, Kepler flags consent that is about to expire or has expired. The full set of fields and settings is in consent and GDPR records.
How do WhatsApp steps work in Kepler campaigns?
Kepler campaigns are multi-step sequences that send email steps on a schedule. A campaign can also include a manual WhatsApp step.
When a candidate reaches a WhatsApp step, Kepler creates a task for the assigned person and holds the sequence until the task is done. The consultant then writes to the candidate one to one, and the reply lands in Kepler’s inbox and on the record.
How much does Kepler cost with WhatsApp?
Kepler is a single plan at USD 99 per user per month billed annually, or USD 129 monthly, with every feature included. See Kepler pricing.
AI Chat is included on every plan, monthly and annual, with no add-on or upgrade needed. AI Chat searches your CVs, notes, emails and call transcripts in plain English, and asks for your approval before it changes a record.
Frequently asked questions
How does a recruitment agency connect WhatsApp to Kepler?
The agency connects its WhatsApp Business number to Kepler. Candidate messages then arrive in Kepler’s inbox, linked to the right record, and the team replies from Kepler inside WhatsApp’s 24-hour customer service window.
Does Kepler save WhatsApp messages to the candidate record?
Yes. Kepler links each WhatsApp thread to the right candidate or contact and shows it on the record’s timeline, next to that person’s emails. You can re-link a thread if it was matched to the wrong person.
What is the WhatsApp 24-hour rule?
Meta’s documentation says a 24-hour customer service window opens each time a WhatsApp user messages or calls a business. Inside the window, a business on the WhatsApp Business Platform can reply freely. Outside it, the business can send only pre-approved template messages.
Do recruiters need consent to message candidates on WhatsApp?
The WhatsApp Business Messaging Policy says a business may contact someone only after they have shared their number and opted in to messages from that business. Kepler records consent per person and purpose, with the lawful basis, source and dates.
What happens in Kepler when a candidate replies STOP on WhatsApp?
Kepler writes a withdrawal to the candidate’s consent record. When consent tracking is on, Kepler then leaves that person out when it builds a campaign audience.
Can WhatsApp messages update a candidate’s profile automatically?
Kepler reads inbound WhatsApp messages and suggests field updates and tasks from them. A consultant approves or rejects each suggestion before anything is written to the record.
Sources
Every claim about another vendor on this page comes from that vendor's own public material. Where a vendor does not publish something — pricing is the usual one — this post says so rather than estimating.
- WhatsApp Business Messaging Policy Last updated 23 Sep 2026. Contact people only if they gave their number and opted in; the business is responsible for the opt-in method and applicable law; respect all opt-out requests on or off WhatsApp; Business Platform conversations may be initiated only with an approved Message Template; free-form replies within the 24-hour customer service window; opt-in best practices covering message categories and clear opt-out instructions.
- Meta for Developers — Service messages (WhatsApp Business Platform) The 24-hour customer service window starts when a user messages or calls and resets on each new message or call; free-form service messages while it is open; only pre-approved template messages once it closes; messages only to users who have opted in.
- Meta for Developers — Template fundamentals Template messages are the only messages that can be sent outside a customer service window; every template is categorised as authentication, marketing or utility, and the category factors into pricing.
Kepler publishes this guide. It describes Kepler as of 3 Oct 2026. If something here is out of date or wrong, tell us and we will correct it.