PostDog Documentation

Quick Start Guide

Get up and running with PostDog in 5 minutes. Follow these five steps to create your account, connect your first channel, and send your first campaign message. No technical expertise required.

Core Concepts

Understanding these six building blocks will help you get the most out of PostDog. Each concept maps directly to a section of the dashboard.

WhatsApp Setup

Setting up WhatsApp Business through PostDog involves connecting your Meta Business account, verifying your business, and understanding how WhatsApp messaging works. This section of the PostDog documentation walks you through each requirement. For a deeper technical walkthrough, see our complete WhatsApp Business API guide.

Connecting Your WhatsApp Business Account

From your PostDog dashboard, navigate to Settings > Channels > WhatsApp. Click "Connect WhatsApp" to initiate the OAuth flow with Meta. You will be prompted to log in to your Facebook account and select the Meta Business Manager associated with your company. PostDog handles all API token management automatically.

Verifying Your Business with Meta

Meta requires business verification before you can send messages at scale. This involves uploading official documents such as a business registration certificate, utility bill, or tax document. Verification typically takes 2 to 5 business days, and PostDog provides a status tracker so you can monitor progress from your dashboard.

Getting a Dedicated Phone Number

PostDog can provision a new phone number for your WhatsApp Business account or migrate an existing number. New numbers are available instantly, while migrating an existing number requires a brief verification step via SMS or voice call.

Understanding Message Types

WhatsApp distinguishes between two message types. Session messages are free-form replies you can send within a 24-hour window after a customer initiates contact. Template messages are pre-approved formats required to start conversations outside that window. PostDog tracks session windows automatically, so you always know which message type to use.

Template Approval Best Practices

To maximize approval rates, keep template content specific and avoid generic promotional language. Include a clear opt-out option, use variables for personalization, and test templates with the preview tool before submission. PostDog flags common rejection reasons before you submit, helping you achieve approval on the first try. Learn more about the WhatsApp CRM features available in PostDog.

Email Marketing Setup

PostDog includes a full-featured email marketing suite alongside WhatsApp and social channels. Here is how to configure your sending domain and start building campaigns.

Connecting Your Sending Domain

Go to Settings > Channels > Email and enter your sending domain (for example, mail.yourcompany.com). PostDog generates the DNS records you need to add to your domain registrar. Once the records propagate, your domain is verified and ready to send.

SPF, DKIM, and DMARC Configuration

Email authentication is critical for deliverability. PostDog requires you to set up three DNS records: an SPF record to authorize our servers to send on your behalf, a DKIM record for cryptographic signing of outgoing emails, and a DMARC record that tells receiving servers how to handle unauthenticated mail. The dashboard provides copy-paste DNS values and a real-time verification checker.

Using the Email Builder

The drag-and-drop email builder lets you create responsive HTML emails without coding. Choose from pre-built templates or start from scratch. Add text blocks, images, buttons, dividers, and social links. Preview your email across desktop and mobile before sending. All emails are automatically optimized for dark mode.

Creating Drip Campaigns

Drip campaigns send a sequence of emails at scheduled intervals after a trigger event, such as a new signup or a purchase. Configure the delay between emails, set conditions for advancement, and personalize each step with merge fields. For more tips on landing in the inbox, read our email deliverability guide.

Social Media Setup

PostDog brings your social media scheduling into the same dashboard as your WhatsApp and email channels. Manage all your social accounts from one place.

Connecting Your Accounts

Navigate to Settings > Channels > Social Media and connect your Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and X accounts through OAuth. PostDog supports multiple accounts per platform, making it ideal for agencies managing several brands.

Using the Content Calendar

The visual content calendar gives you a month-at-a-glance view of all scheduled posts across every platform. Drag and drop posts to reschedule, color-code by channel or campaign, and collaborate with team members through inline comments.

Scheduling and Auto-Publish

Create a post once and schedule it to publish automatically across multiple platforms at the optimal time. PostDog analyzes your audience engagement patterns and suggests the best posting times.

Engagement Tracking

Monitor likes, comments, shares, and reach from a unified analytics dashboard. PostDog aggregates engagement data across all connected platforms so you can compare performance and identify top-performing content.

Flow Builder Basics

The visual flow builder is one of the most powerful features in PostDog. It lets you design automated conversation workflows without writing a single line of code.

What Is the Visual Flow Builder?

The flow builder is a drag-and-drop canvas where you connect nodes to create conversation logic. Each node represents an action, such as sending a message, waiting for a reply, checking a condition, or making an API call. Nodes are connected by arrows that define the conversation path based on user responses.

Creating Your First Chatbot Flow

Go to Automation > Flows > Create New Flow. Start by selecting a trigger, then add message nodes with the text or media you want to send. Use condition nodes to branch the conversation based on keyword matches. Save and activate your flow to make it live.

Available Triggers

Flows can be started by several trigger types: New Message fires when any message is received, Keyword fires when a message contains specific words or phrases, and Webhook fires when an external system sends an event to your PostDog webhook URL. You can also trigger flows manually from the contacts list or via the API.

Available Actions

Each flow supports multiple action types: Send Message delivers text, images, or templates; Wait pauses the flow for a specified duration; Condition branches the flow based on contact attributes or message content; and Assign Agent routes the conversation to a human team member when the bot cannot resolve the query.

Testing and Publishing

Before publishing, use the built-in simulator to test every conversation path. The simulator lets you send messages as if you were a customer and see exactly how the flow responds. Once you are satisfied, click Publish to make the flow live.

API & Integrations

PostDog offers a RESTful API for developers who want to integrate messaging capabilities into their own applications. For complete endpoint documentation, visit the full API reference.

Authentication

Generate an API key from your dashboard under Settings > Developers > API Keys. Include your API key in the Authorization header as a Bearer token with every request. API keys are scoped to a single tenant and can be revoked at any time.

Rate Limits

Rate limits depend on your plan: Starter allows 100 requests per minute, Pro allows 500 requests per minute, and Business allows 2,000 requests per minute. If you exceed your limit, the API returns a 429 status code with a Retry-After header indicating when you can resume.

Webhook Setup

Configure webhooks to receive real-time events such as message delivered, message read, and new contact created. Go to Settings > Developers > Webhooks, enter your endpoint URL, and select the events you want to subscribe to. PostDog signs every webhook payload with a secret so you can verify authenticity.

Popular Integrations

PostDog integrates with the tools you already use. Connect Shopify to send order confirmations and abandoned cart reminders via WhatsApp. Sync contacts with HubSpot for a complete CRM workflow. Use Zapier to connect PostDog with thousands of other apps. Browse all available connectors on the integrations page.

Billing & Plans

PostDog offers three plans designed to scale with your business. All plans include WhatsApp conversation costs, so there are no surprise fees. Visit the pricing page for a full feature comparison.

You can upgrade or downgrade your plan at any time from Settings > Billing. Changes take effect at the start of your next billing cycle, with prorated access for mid-cycle upgrades.

Getting Help

Stuck on something? PostDog offers multiple support channels to ensure you can always get the help you need.