Architecting a Multi-Agent WhatsApp Inbox
By 5MinutesAPI Engineering•
The Shared Inbox Challenge
A single WhatsApp Business App can only be used on 4 devices. A massive support team needs a custom CRM interface where hundreds of agents can reply simultaneously.Database Architecture
You need three core tables: Contacts, Messages, and Agents. When 5MinutesAPI sends an inbound webhook, your server creates a new Message record linked to a Contact.
Routing and Locking
When Agent A clicks on a chat, you update the DB to lock that conversation (assigned to Agent A). When Agent A types a reply, your backend fires it to our /send-message endpoint. Because inbound service windows are heavily subsidized by Meta and we charge zero markup, your enterprise can run a massive support operation with negligible API costs.