Request contact info: collect phone numbers from WhatsApp username adopters
When a customer who uses a WhatsApp username messages you, WhatsApp shares only their username, not their phone number. You can now add a "Share contact info" button to a WhatsApp template, or send it from a workflow, so the customer shares their phone number in one tap and a username-only lead becomes a fully contactable one.
> This is how you recover phone numbers from username adopters, so they no longer sit as contacts you cannot call, export, or run phone-based automations on.
What's new
📇 Request contact info
- Share contact info button on templates: Add a "Share contact info" button to utility and marketing WhatsApp templates. When the customer taps it, their phone number is shared and captured on their contact, turning a private, username-only lead into one you can actually reach.
- Request contact info from workflows: Send the same request as an interactive WhatsApp message from a workflow action, so you can ask for the number automatically at the right step instead of chasing it manually.
- Duplicate-safe capture: The shared phone number is added to the contact only when no existing contact already has that number, so recovering numbers at scale does not pollute your database with duplicates.
📞 WhatsApp calling
- Username support on WhatsApp calling: WhatsApp calling now works for contacts who use usernames, so a customer adopting a username no longer drops out of your calling flows.
How to activate
- Go to Settings > WhatsApp > Templates.
- Create or edit a template, and under Button (Optional) choose Share contact info.
- To automate it, go to Workflow > Action > WhatsApp interactive messages, set Interactive message type to Request Contact Info, and add your message body.
Why this matters for your business
Usernames give customers phone-number privacy, which is good for them but leaves you with contacts you cannot call, export, or run phone-based automations on. Requesting contact info closes that gap: one tap converts a username-only lead into a fully usable contact, with the number captured cleanly and no duplicates. It keeps LatAm and other high-adoption WhatsApp markets fully monetizable instead of filling up with unreachable contacts.
- Recover phone numbers from username adopters so they become contactable and exportable
- Automate the ask inside workflows, with no manual follow-up
- Protect data quality with same-number duplicate prevention
- Unlock WhatsApp calling for username contacts
Add a Share contact info button to your next template and start recovering numbers.
Resources
- Requesting phone numbers from users (Meta)
- Support Article