How to use First Time Message Webhook
Know the moment a brand new customer reaches out — and respond before anyone else does
Every business has a first conversation with every customer. That very first message is one of the most important moments — because how quickly and how well you respond can determine whether that person becomes a loyal customer or moves on.
The First Time Message webhook triggers the moment a brand new customer — someone your business has never interacted with before on WhatsApp — sends you their very first message.
This gives you the opportunity to respond instantly, personally, and at exactly the right time.
This article will help you understand:
What this webhook does
When it gets triggered
How to set it up step by step
What data you receive
How a real business uses it
What is the First Time Message Webhook?
This webhook is an automatic notification system.
When a customer who has never messaged your business before sends their first WhatsApp message, DoubleTick immediately detects that this is a new contact and sends their details to your connected system.
The key thing to understand here is: this webhook only fires for brand new customers. If someone has messaged you before, even once, this webhook will not trigger for them again.
When Does This Webhook Trigger?
This webhook triggers when:
A customer messages your WhatsApp API number for the very first time
DoubleTick has no previous conversation history with that contact
The customer is completely new to your business on WhatsApp
In short: new customer sends first WhatsApp message → webhook fires.
Step-by-Step: How to Set Up This Webhook
Step 1: Go to Webhooks
Log in to DoubleTick
Go to Settings
Click on Webhooks
Step 2: Create a New Webhook
Click New Webhook
Give it a name
Example: New Customer First Message Webhook
Step 3: Add Your Webhook URL
This is the address where DoubleTick will send the data every time a new customer messages for the first time.
You can use any of the following:
A CRM like Zoho, HubSpot, or Salesforce
An automation tool like Zapier, Pabbly, or Make
Your own backend system
Using Bot Studio for Testing
If you want to test this webhook before connecting a real system, use DoubleTick's Bot Studio. It allows you to capture and view the incoming data so you can understand exactly what is being sent.
How to get a webhook URL from Bot Studio:
Open DoubleTick in a new tab
Go to Bot Studio
Click Create New Bot
Select trigger: On Webhook
Copy the webhook URL that appears
Step 4: Fill in the Webhook Details
Go back to the Webhooks page
Paste the webhook URL you copied
Select your API Number (your WhatsApp Business number)
Click Continue
Step 5: Select the Event
Choose First Time Message
Click Create Webhook
Your webhook is now live and ready.
How to Test If It's Working
Step 1: Send a WhatsApp message to your API number from a phone number that has never messaged your business before.
Step 2: Go back to Bot Studio and open the same bot where you had copied the webhook URL. Click Capture Response.
Step 3: Click View Response Data — you will see the new customer's details that were just captured.
What Data Will You Receive?
When the webhook fires, it sends you information such as:
Customer name (if available)
Phone number
First message they sent
Date and time of the message
What Can You Do with This Data?
Once you receive the data, you can:
Automatically create a new lead or contact in your CRM
Send an instant personalised welcome message on WhatsApp
Notify your sales team about the new customer
Store the contact in Google Sheets for future follow-ups
Trigger an onboarding flow or bot sequence
Real Business Example: An Online Coaching Business
The Situation
An online coaching business promotes their courses on Instagram and Google Ads. Interested people are directed to message them on WhatsApp.
The Problem Before Automation
New enquiries came in at all hours
The team could not always respond immediately
Leads who did not hear back quickly moved on to a competitor
There was no way to automatically log new contacts into the CRM
The Solution
The business connected the First Time Message webhook to their CRM and WhatsApp automation.
Now, the moment a new customer sends their first message:
Their contact details are instantly added to the CRM as a new lead
An automated welcome message is sent immediately on WhatsApp
The sales team gets a notification to follow up
The lead is assigned to an available agent
The Result
Every new enquiry is acknowledged within seconds
No leads are lost due to delayed responses
The CRM is always updated with fresh leads automatically
The team focuses only on leads that are ready to have a conversation
Conclusion
The First Time Message webhook ensures you never miss a new customer. The moment someone reaches out to your business for the first time, your systems are notified and the right actions are triggered — automatically.
No delayed responses. No missed leads. No manual work.
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