What changed

WhatsApp has started rolling out usernames, so a person can message a business without revealing their phone number. Before this update, a message from someone with no visible number couldn't be matched to a contact and didn't come through. Now it does — a contact is created and the conversation lands in GHL like any other.

Nothing to switch on This works automatically. You don't enable a setting or change any configuration — username contacts simply start appearing in your conversations.

What you'll see on the contact

A username contact looks almost like a normal contact, with three differences worth knowing:

FieldWhat you'll see
Name The person's WhatsApp display name, or their username if no name is available.
Phone A placeholder number starting with +86 — a stand-in used until a real number is known. It's there so GHL's message composer works. You can edit it if you learn the person's real number.
Tags A tag marks the contact as a username contact (the tag is wa-username-contact), and the person's WhatsApp username is saved as a tag too, so you can see and search on it.
Why the phone number looks unusual The +86 placeholder isn't the person's real number — it's a temporary value so the contact behaves normally in GHL. Treat it as "no real number yet," not as a number to call or text.

The username tag

The person's WhatsApp username is stored as a tag on the contact. One detail to know about timing: the username isn't always available the moment the contact is created — WhatsApp only provides it at a later point in the conversation. Until it comes through, you'll still have the contact and the conversation as normal; the username tag is added once WhatsApp sends it.

Replying works normally

You reply to a username contact exactly like any other — type in the GHL conversation and send. Messages go out and come back over WhatsApp as usual. Automations, workflows, and canned replies all work; the only thing that won't apply is anything that depends on a real phone number, since there isn't one yet.

When a real number turns up

Sometimes WhatsApp later reveals the person's real phone number. When that happens, one of two things follows:

1

The number is new to GHL

The placeholder is simply replaced with the real number, and the contact carries on as normal. Nothing for you to do.

2

The number already exists as another contact

If that person is already in GHL under their phone number, you'll get a tag on the username contact in the form merge-with:<their number> — for example merge-with:13473087143. That's a signal that this username contact and an existing phone contact are the same person.

Merging is your choice The merge-with: tag is just a heads-up. If you want a single record for that person, merge the two contacts yourself in GHL. If you don't, nothing breaks — messaging keeps working on the username contact either way, and no conversation is lost.

What you should do

  • Nothing is required — username contacts and their conversations just work.
  • Expect the +86 placeholder on contacts that reached you by username, and don't mistake it for a real number.
  • Use the tags to spot username contacts and to read the person's WhatsApp username.
  • Watch for merge-with: if you like tidy records — it flags a username contact that matches an existing phone contact, ready for you to merge.
  • Optional: if you run campaigns and want to exclude these contacts (so the +86 placeholder number isn't included), filter them out using the wa-username-contact tag rather than the phone field.

Common questions

+Did I lose any messages before this update?

Messages from username-only contacts that arrived before this feature couldn't be matched to a contact. Going forward they come through normally. If you think you missed conversations, ask the person to message again and it'll land correctly.

+Can I text or call the +86 number?

No — it's a placeholder, not a real number. WhatsApp messaging to that contact works fine; SMS or voice to the +86 value won't reach anyone.

+Why isn't the username showing yet?

The username isn't always there the instant the contact is created — WhatsApp provides it later in the conversation. It's added as a tag once WhatsApp sends it, so it may take a little while to appear.

+Do I have to merge contacts when I see merge-with:?

No. It's optional. Merge only if you want a single record for that person; messaging works either way.

What's next?