Chat & WhatsApp Integration

Overview of the Chat Module

The Chat section of AdlDesk serves two distinct communication channels: internal team chat between firm members and external client communication. Both are accessible by clicking Chat in the left sidebar.

Internal Team Chat

Internal chat lets firm members communicate privately outside of email. Features include:

• Direct messages — one-to-one private conversations between any two firm members.
• Case-linked channels — each case has its own conversation thread. Navigate to any case detail page and click the Chat tab to view or send messages specific to that case. All team members assigned to the case are participants.
• File sharing — attach and send files (PDF, images) directly in a chat thread. Sent files are also accessible in the related case's Documents tab.
• @Mentions — type @name to notify a specific team member in a case conversation.

Client Communication Channel

The Client channel appears as a separate section in the Chat sidebar. It shows conversations between your firm and individual clients who have portal access. Lawyers reply from here and the client sees the response in real time in their portal.

WhatsApp Integration Setup

If your subscription includes WhatsApp integration, you can connect your firm's WhatsApp Business number to receive and reply to WhatsApp messages directly from AdlDesk. To set it up:

1. Go to Settings → Integrations → WhatsApp.
2. Enter your WhatsApp Business phone number (in international format, e.g., +966501234567).
3. Enter the WhatsApp Business API Key provided by your WhatsApp Business Solution Provider.
4. Click Connect and follow the on-screen verification steps.

Once connected, incoming WhatsApp messages from clients appear in the Chat module under the relevant client's conversation thread. You can reply directly from AdlDesk and the reply is delivered as a WhatsApp message to the client's phone.

Message Templates

WhatsApp Business requires pre-approved message templates for outbound messages sent outside a 24-hour conversation window. AdlDesk includes two built-in templates:

• Appointment Confirmation — "Hello [Client Name], your appointment with [Lawyer Name] is confirmed for [Date] at [Time]. Location: [Branch Address]."
• Hearing Reminder — "Dear [Client Name], a reminder that your court hearing for case [Case Number] is scheduled on [Date] at [Court Name]."

To send a template message, open a client's WhatsApp conversation, click the Templates button, select the appropriate template, fill in the variable fields, and send.