Turn WhatsApp contacts into RD Station Marketing conversions

How does a WhatsApp message become an RD Station lead?

Meta posts each message on the number to the webhook destination you set, here an n8n Webhook node. The workflow reads the sender's number and profile name from the payload and sends one HTTP POST to RD Station Marketing's conversions endpoint, with the API key in the query string.

The body carries event_type set to CONVERSION, event_family set to CDP, and a payload with a conversion_identifier you choose, such as whatsapp-inbound. Inside the payload go the name, the mobile_phone and any tags. RD Station creates the contact if it is new and records the conversion either way, so the contact's history shows that they came in through WhatsApp and when.

From there it is RD Station as usual: segment on the conversion or the tag, and let your automation flows take over.

{
  "event_type": "CONVERSION",
  "event_family": "CDP",
  "payload": {
    "conversion_identifier": "whatsapp-inbound",
    "name": "Maria",
    "mobile_phone": "+14155550188",
    "tags": ["whatsapp"]
  }
}

Should every message be a conversion?

No, and this is the design decision that matters most. A customer who sends eight short lines in a row would register eight conversions, which inflates reports and can trigger the same automation flow eight times.

Convert on the first message from a number, or on the first message after a gap you choose, such as thirty days. n8n can keep the last conversion date per number in its workflow static data or a small table and skip the call when it is recent.

Use a distinct conversion_identifier for anything more specific than first contact. A reply to a promotional template, a message containing a keyword, or a button tap on an interactive message can each be its own conversion, which gives RD Station clean segments to build on instead of one undifferentiated stream.

Can RD Station trigger a WhatsApp message back?

Through the workflow, yes. RD Station Marketing can fire a webhook when a lead converts or is marked as an opportunity, and an n8n webhook on the receiving end can send an approved WhatsApp template through the Cloud API, using the number's phone number id and access token from the EasyCoexistence dashboard.

Templates matter here because the lead may not have written in the last 24 hours. Outside that window only a template Meta has approved will deliver; free text fails. Inside it, a normal text reply works.

The WhatsApp Business app on the phone shows those sent messages as well, since Coexistence keeps the app and the API on the same number. A salesperson who picks the conversation up on the phone sees what the automation already said.

Common mistakes

• Sending a conversion for every message. One chatty customer registers as many conversions and repeats the same automation flow.
• Posting the API key from a browser page that anyone can read. Keep the call inside the n8n workflow, where the key stays private.
• Sending free text from an RD-triggered flow to a lead who has not written in 24 hours. Only an approved template delivers then.

Frequently asked questions

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