SMS and WhatsApp, side by side

By default, installing WAGHL replaces SMS with WhatsApp — every message routed to "SMS" in GHL goes out on WhatsApp. That's perfect if you're moving away from Twilio entirely.

But what if you want to keep SMS running for some messages and use WhatsApp for others? That's where the Separate Channel mode comes in.

SMS WAMSG
📱 "Reminder: appointment tomorrow at 10am" via Twilio
"Welcome aboard! Here's your guide 👋"

Two tabs in your GHL Conversations panel — SMS keeps running through Twilio/LC, and WAMSG sends WhatsApp via WAGHL. Use whichever channel suits the message.

After installing the Separate Channel app, your GHL Conversations panel gets two tabs instead of one:

  • SMS — keeps using Twilio or LeadConnector exactly as before
  • WAMSG — your new WhatsApp channel, powered by WAGHL

How to add it inside GHL

1

Register at the wa-channel link

Sign up at waghl.com/wa-channel/ — this is the dedicated registration for the Separate Channel mode (different from the standard WAGHL signup).

2

Follow the video walkthrough

The video above takes you step-by-step through installing the channel app, authorising the GHL connection, and verifying the WAMSG tab appears in your Conversations panel.

3

Send your first WAMSG message

Open any contact's Conversations view, click the WAMSG tab, and type a message. It'll send via your connected WhatsApp number.

When to use Separate Channel

Pick this mode if any of these apply:

  • You have ongoing SMS workflows (lead nurture, payment reminders) and don't want to migrate them all to WhatsApp at once
  • Your team uses both channels strategically — SMS for transactional, WhatsApp for conversational
  • Some clients prefer SMS, others prefer WhatsApp — you want the choice per contact
  • You want to test WhatsApp adoption without disrupting SMS-dependent automations
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Vs. default mode

Default WAGHL = SMS becomes WhatsApp (one channel, replaced). Separate Channel = SMS keeps working AND WhatsApp is added as WAMSG (two channels in parallel).

Use it in workflow automation

Yes — the Separate Channel works inside GHL Workflow Automation:

  • As an action — use GHL's premium actions to send WhatsApp text messages, media, or internal notifications from your workflow
  • As a trigger — select WAMSG as the trigger channel to fire workflows when a WhatsApp message comes in

Limitations to know

Separate Channel has two trade-offs versus the default WAGHL setup:

⚠️
Cost & filtering caveats

1. Premium actions cost extra. Using WhatsApp inside automations requires GHL premium actions, which charge a small per-execution fee.

2. Custom channel filtering is limited. The custom channel doesn't show up in some GHL filters. You can still filter incoming messages, but reply-channel filters need a workaround in some automation patterns.

Pricing

  • $29/month per subscription — applies if you have 10 or fewer subscriptions
  • $19/month per subscription — kicks in automatically with 10+ paid subscriptions

What's next?

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