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Known limitations

Boundaries of the current release, so expectations are set before rollout. None of these block normal support-inbox use; several are deliberate product decisions.

WhatsApp connection

  • Relay connects through WhatsApp Web (via whatsapp-web.js), the same mechanism as WhatsApp on a computer. It is not the official WhatsApp Business Cloud API. When WhatsApp changes their web client, the library can transiently misbehave until it catches up; Relay compensates for the common cases, but a rare hiccup can need a number Reconnect.
  • One headless Chromium per connected number (~400–800 MB RAM each). Plan server memory around the number of connected numbers.
  • A number's session is tied to its linked device. Moving the install to a new server either carries the pairing (advanced) or needs a one-time QR re-scan per number.
  • Never open WhatsApp Web in a browser for a number connected to Relay. WhatsApp treats Relay's connection as a linked device; opening a second linked-device session for the same number (e.g. web.whatsapp.com in a browser) disrupts Relay's session — sends start failing and incoming messages can arrive blank until the number is reconnected, and in some cases the device is logged out entirely, requiring a QR re-scan. If you need to post a Status update or otherwise use WhatsApp Web features Relay doesn't expose, do it from the phone app (the primary device), never from a browser.

Messaging model

  • Reply-first. Agents work mostly within existing conversations. A manager — or an agent with the Start chat permission — can also start a new conversation with a customer from the directory. First-contacting a number that has never exchanged messages with the connected number can be unreliable (a WhatsApp Web limitation, not a Relay setting), so outbound is most dependable with customers who have written to you before.
  • Sent messages can't be edited or unsent from Relay. WhatsApp's own edit and delete-for-everyone aren't available through this connection; correct a mistake by sending a follow-up message.
  • Replies leave from the number the customer wrote to. If that number is offline, the reply is blocked (a clear "number offline" error) rather than silently routed through a different number. Reconnect the number to resume.
  • 1:1 customer chats only. Group chats, Status/broadcast, and newsletter messages are ignored.
  • No bulk messaging, number warming, or billing — Relay is a support inbox only.

Media

  • Inbound images, video, voice notes, and PDFs render inline. Other file types are offered as a download. Files larger than 16 MB are not downloaded (the agent sees a typed placeholder). Stored media is pruned after 60 days to bound disk; a pruned item falls back to its placeholder.
  • Outbound is still images only (PNG/JPEG/WebP/GIF, ≤ 8 MB) for agents with the Send images permission. Sending video, voice, or documents is not yet supported.

Privacy / masking

  • Agents cannot see customer phone numbers — only a masked alias (Customer 0007). This is a hard rule, not a setting. A real name shows only when the contact is linked to a customer-directory record. The one way to expose phone numbers is granting a trusted manager the Manage directory permission.

Interface

  • UI language is English or Turkish. A few inbound-media placeholder labels are not yet per-viewer localized.
  • Full-text search across historical messages is not provided; Reports offers date/agent/ topic filtering and transcript view.