If you run a business in Tenerife, you already know: the customer doesn't call, they write on WhatsApp. If you still reply from your personal mobile, bookings get mixed up with family chats, conversations get lost and you end up answering at 11pm.
WhatsApp Business solves this, and it's free. As a rough estimate, setting it up properly takes about 20 minutes. Here's the 2026 guide.
In this guide: what changes compared with regular WhatsApp, the setup screen by screen, templates you can copy, how to build the wa.me link for your website properly, the most common mistakes, and when the API is worth it.
What's the difference between WhatsApp and WhatsApp Business?
WhatsApp Business isn't a more complicated version — it's a different tool with features the personal app doesn't have:
- Business profile — address, hours, website, description visible while chatting
- Catalogue — the customer sees your menu, rooms or tours without leaving WhatsApp
- Labels — sort conversations (Booking confirmed, Pending, VIP, etc.)
- Quick replies — type "/hours" and your full hours-and-address message appears
- Welcome and away messages — automatic: the greeting goes out when someone messages you for the first time or after 14 days of no activity in the chat (WhatsApp help centre); the away message follows the schedule you set
How do you set up WhatsApp Business in about 20 minutes?
- Download WhatsApp Business on a mobile dedicated to the business (ideally not personal — but shared works too)
- Verify the number — use a landline or business number, not the owner's. Changing later is a mess
- Fill in the profile — name, category (Restaurant, Hotel, Tour), address with Google Maps, website, hours, professional profile photo
- Set automated messages: welcome ("Hi! Thanks for messaging [Name]. We reply in under 2 hours, 10am-10pm"), away message, off-hours greeting
- Create 5-8 quick replies with shortcuts: /hours, /price, /address, /booking, /menu, /allergens, /payment
- Upload the catalogue — photos of dishes, rooms, tours with prices. This turns WhatsApp into a mini-shop
Step by step: what to set on each screen
The list above is the summary. Here's the detail, based on WhatsApp's own help centre. Menu names vary a little between Android, iPhone and app versions, but almost everything lives under Tools.
1. The number. You can register a mobile or a landline number you own. A landline can't receive texts, so choose the call option (Call me) and an automated voice reads you the registration code. Extension numbers don't work. And a WhatsApp Business account can only be verified with one number, so choose carefully from the start: it's the one you'll print on menus, flyers and your Google profile.
2. The profile. Fill in everything: category, short description, address, hours, website and email. It isn't just cosmetic. The app uses your profile to create default quick replies with your address and hours, and the away message can only be scheduled for "outside business hours" if you've set your hours in the profile.
3. The greeting message. It only goes out when someone messages you for the first time, or when they message again after 14 days of no activity in that chat (WhatsApp help centre: greeting messages). So it doesn't fire on every message, and a regular who writes every week won't see it. That's why it has to work for a first conversation: what you need for a booking and where the menu is. You can send it to everyone, only to people not in your address book, or to everyone except certain contacts (handy so your fish supplier doesn't get it).
4. The away message. You can send it always, on a custom schedule, or only outside business hours. For a restaurant or small hotel, the most practical setup is usually "outside business hours" day to day, plus a custom schedule for holidays or your closing day. That way the customer writing at 11:30pm knows you haven't ignored them and when you'll reply.
5. Quick replies. You create them under Tools > Quick replies: write the message, give it a shortcut, save. Then, in any chat, type "/" and they all pop up, including the ones the app creates with your hours and address. You can store up to 50 and they can include photos or videos, although WhatsApp Web and the desktop app don't support media in quick replies (WhatsApp help centre: quick replies).
6. The catalogue. Under Tools > Catalog > Add new item you upload photos, a name and, optionally, a price, description, link and code. The app also asks for the item's country of origin (for a dish or a tour made here, Spain). Two things to watch: every item goes through a WhatsApp review before customers can see it, so don't leave it until the day you need it; and you can hide items without deleting them, perfect for seasonal dishes or a tour you only run in summer.
7. Labels. Create a few and use them every time: "Booking pending", "Confirmed", "Group", "Allergies", "Payment pending". WhatsApp is gradually replacing labels with lists, so depending on your version you'll see one or the other; the idea is the same.
8. The short link. The app automatically creates a short link for your business (in Tools, under the three-dot menu) and lets you set a default message. It's the quickest way to get a link for Instagram or your Google profile without building anything.
Templates you can copy and adapt
Welcome auto-message:
"Hi! Thanks for messaging [Name]. To book, send me date, time and number of people. For questions, I reply within 2 hours, 10am-10pm. To see the menu: [link to your website]"
Booking confirmation:
"Booking confirmed! 🎉 [Day] at [time] for [N] people. We're at [address + Google Maps]. To change anything, just message me here. See you then!"
Reminder the day before:
"Hi [Name], reminder for your booking tomorrow at [time] at [Restaurant]. If you can't come for any reason, let me know in advance so I can free the table. See you tomorrow!"
And three more you'll usually need:
Away message, outside hours:
"Thanks for messaging [Name]. I'm closed right now and will reply tomorrow from [time]. If it's a booking, send me the date, time and number of people now, and confirming it will be the first thing I do when I open."
Quick reply /allergens:
"The menu shows the allergens for every dish: [link to your menu]. If you have an allergy or intolerance, tell me when you book and I'll let the kitchen know."
For hotels, before arrival:
"Hi [Name], your arrival is on [day]. Reception is open from [time] to [time]. If you're arriving later, message me here and I'll explain how to check in. Directions: [Google Maps]. Parking: [details]."
Write each template in your customers' languages and give them obvious shortcuts: /menu-en, /menu-de. Replying in the language the customer wrote in is half the job; why it matters so much in the Canaries is covered in multilingual websites for tourism.
Connect WhatsApp with your website
On your site you need:
- Floating button for WhatsApp in the corner (green, always visible, with the right number)
- Direct "wa.me/YOUR-NUMBER?text=Hi..." links in main CTAs — the customer opens WhatsApp with your message pre-filled
- QR for WhatsApp in every room, table or printed flyer — the customer scans and lands straight in your chat
It's what I build in as standard on the restaurant websites and hotel websites in Tenerife I make.
The wa.me link, done properly
The direct link is the piece that breaks most often. The official format is https://wa.me/ followed by your full number in international format: no plus sign, no leading zeros, no spaces, brackets or dashes (WhatsApp help centre: click to chat). For a Spanish number, that's 34 followed by your 9 digits:
- Right: https://wa.me/34XXXXXXXXX
- Wrong: https://wa.me/+34 XXX XX XX XX
- Wrong: https://wa.me/0034XXXXXXXXX
To make the message arrive already written, add ?text= and the URL-encoded text (spaces become %20, commas %2C). For example: https://wa.me/34XXXXXXXXX?text=Hi%2C%20I%27d%20like%20to%20book%20a%20table. Hardly any owner needs to encode this by hand: any free URL encoder does it, and a well-built website generates it on its own.
My recommendation: a different message per language and per button. "Hola, quiero reservar mesa" from the Spanish booking page; "Hi, I'd like to book a table" from the English version; "Hallo, ich möchte einen Tisch reservieren" from the German one. That way you know which language to reply in before reading anything, and which button they came from.
Typical mistakes with the link:
- Writing the number with + or spaces: the link doesn't work as it should.
- Using a number that isn't your WhatsApp Business one (your personal mobile, a switchboard without WhatsApp).
- Making the button an image with no text: anyone using a screen reader won't know what it is.
- Hiding the button inside the mobile menu, exactly where it's used most.
- Not testing it: open it from your own phone and from a computer before publishing.
Hypothetical example: how a booking flows
This is an invented example to illustrate the process, not a real case. A small restaurant in Los Cristianos has a WhatsApp button on its website, in three languages.
- A British couple taps the button on the English version. WhatsApp opens with "Hi, I'd like to book a table" already typed.
- Because it's their first message, the greeting goes out automatically, asking for date, time and number of people.
- The owner sees it after lunch service, types "/" and picks the English confirmation quick reply, filling in the day and time.
- They label the chat "Confirmed".
- The day before, they check that label and send the reminder. If someone cancels, the table is freed up in time.
- After dinner, they send the link to leave a Google review.
None of this needs the API or paying anyone: it's the free app, set up properly. Reviews have their own guide: how to look after your Google Business Profile.
For a small hotel or apartments, the same flow works for check-in times, directions and late arrivals. If you have a reception desk, you can link WhatsApp Web or the desktop app on the reception computer to the same account, so the phone doesn't have to change hands. And if WhatsApp brings you guests, make sure they don't end up booking through an OTA: direct booking vs OTAs.
When is the WhatsApp Business API worth it?
If the volume of messages is more than one person with one phone can handle, or several people need to reply at the same time with their own user, the regular app falls short. The API lets you:
- Connect several users to the same account
- Integrate with your CRM or booking engine
- Send legal mass messages (newsletters, promotions)
- Basic bot for FAQs
It isn't free: since 1 July 2025, Meta charges per delivered template message rather than per conversation, while ordinary replies inside the 24-hour customer service window are free (WhatsApp Business Platform pricing). Most businesses use it through a provider (Twilio, 360dialog, Wati). For most small restaurants and hotels in Tenerife, the free app is enough.
My criteria for deciding:
- Stick with the app if one person replies (or two taking turns), the messages are real conversations, and nothing needs to connect to your booking engine.
- Look at the API if several people need to reply at the same time with their own user, you want confirmations to go out automatically from your booking system, or you'll message many customers who have given you permission.
- Before signing up, ask the provider in writing what they charge on top of what Meta charges per message.
Common mistakes (and how to avoid them)
- Promising response times you don't keep. If your greeting says "I reply within 2 hours", do it. Better to promise less and deliver.
- Leaving the away message off. Whoever writes at night gets no answer and no idea when they'll get one, and may well message the restaurant next door instead.
- Old prices in the catalogue. If you change the menu, change the catalogue the same day.
- Sending promotions to people who didn't ask. It's the fastest way to get muted or blocked. If you send news, send it to customers who've said yes.
- Asking for card details in the chat. If you need a deposit for a group, use a payment link from your bank or card terminal provider, never a card number in a message.
- Not putting your WhatsApp anywhere. If it isn't on your website, your Google profile, the menu and the door, the channel won't grow.
Checklist to get it done today
- WhatsApp Business installed with a verified business number
- Full profile: category, description, address, hours and website
- Greeting message on and written for the first conversation
- Away message scheduled outside business hours
- Quick replies for bookings, hours, address, menu, allergens and payment, in your languages
- Catalogue with current prices (and seasonal items hidden when they're off)
- Labels or lists for pending and confirmed bookings
- wa.me link tested on your website, with a different message per language
- WhatsApp QR on tables, at reception or on flyers
- The same number on your Google profile and your website
Conclusion
WhatsApp is the sales channel you already have — you just need to use it properly. WhatsApp Business costs €0: the app is free to download and free to use (WhatsApp Business FAQ).
At Teide Digital, every website I deliver comes with WhatsApp integrated: floating button, direct CTA links, and a pre-filled message by visitor language. If you want to see it on a real site, have a look at the Santos Barbertop site.
If you'd rather I set it up for you (profile, catalogue, quick replies, greeting, away message and labels), that's the WhatsApp Business Pro (in Spanish) service: fixed price, delivered in 3-5 business days, no monthly fee. And if what you need is a website with one-tap WhatsApp, have a look at Plan Teide Esencial.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use my existing number?
Yes, if it's a mobile or landline you own that can receive texts or calls. What you can't do is have two numbers on the same WhatsApp Business account, so decide which one is the business number before you print it anywhere.
Can two people reply from the same account?
With the app, you can link the same account to other devices, for example WhatsApp Web on the reception computer. If several people need to work at the same time, each with their own user and history, you're into API territory.
Does the catalogue replace the menu?
No. The catalogue works well for things sold as a "product": set menus, the menu of the day, room types, tours. The full menu, with allergens and in several languages, is better as a web page you link to from WhatsApp. I explain why in why your PDF menu is losing you diners.
How much does all this cost?
The WhatsApp Business app is free. What it costs is your time: setting it up properly once and keeping the catalogue and replies up to date. The API does cost money per template message, as explained above.
