General FAQs

Q: What exactly is WaDesk?

A: WaDesk is a self-hosted WhatsApp business platform built on Laravel 12. It combines a shared Team Inbox, bulk campaigns, a visual flow builder, template management, an AI suite, and a full multi-tenant admin panel with plans and billing. You install it once on your own server and own the whole stack — there are no per-message or per-seat fees charged by us.

Q: Is it self-hosted or a cloud service?

A: WaDesk is fully self-hosted. You download the source from CodeCanyon and deploy it to your own hosting or VPS. There is no central WaDesk cloud your data passes through — all conversations, contacts, and credentials live on your server. See the Installation FAQs for hosting requirements.

Q: Who develops WaDesk?

A: WaDesk is a commercial product distributed on CodeCanyon by Media City. Support and updates are delivered through your CodeCanyon purchase. WaDesk is an independent product and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by WhatsApp or Meta. See the Disclaimer for details.

Q: What are the three engines, and how do they differ?

A: Every workspace connects WhatsApp through one of three interchangeable engines. The inbox, campaigns, flows, and templates all adapt to whichever engine a workspace is on:

• Unofficial API: Connect any WhatsApp number by scanning a QR code, exactly like WhatsApp Web. Powered by the bundled Node.js bridge. Fastest to set up and needs no Meta approval, but it is unofficial and carries ban risk — see WhatsApp & Ban Safety.
• WhatsApp Cloud API (Meta): The official Meta Cloud API. Requires a verified WhatsApp Business Account and pre-approved message templates, but offers the highest trust and access to official features such as WhatsApp Forms and the verified green tick path.
• Twilio WhatsApp: Send through a Twilio WhatsApp sender using Twilio's own content templates. A good fit for teams already using Twilio for their messaging and billing.

Q: Which engine should I start with?

A: If you want to be live in minutes and are comfortable with the risk profile of an unofficial connection, start on the Unofficial API. If you are running a real business at scale, marketing to opted-in contacts, or need long-term stability, the Cloud API is the durable choice. Because engines are per-workspace, you can begin on the Unofficial API and migrate a workspace to the Cloud API later without changing how the app works.

Q: Do all features work on every engine?

A: Most do, but a few are engine-specific. For example, native WhatsApp Forms require the Cloud API engine because they rely on Meta Flows, and template approval workflows differ between Cloud API and Twilio. WaDesk hides or gates engine-specific features automatically, so operators never hit a dead end.

Q: What license do I get when I buy on CodeCanyon?

A: WaDesk is sold under the standard Envato Market licenses. The Regular License covers a single end product where end users are not charged for access. The Extended License is required when end users are charged for access — which is the case for a paid multi-tenant SaaS. Review the official terms on the Envato Market Standard Licenses page.

Q: Can I use one license on multiple domains or installations?

A: No. Each license covers one single end product (one installation). If you want to run WaDesk for several unrelated businesses on separate installations, you need a separate license for each. Note this is different from multi-tenancy — one installation serving many client workspaces is a single end product (see below).

Q: What about support and updates?

A: A purchase includes 6 months of support from Media City through CodeCanyon, extendable at checkout or later. Updates are free for the lifetime of the item — you can download every future version from your CodeCanyon downloads page regardless of whether your support window is still active.

Q: Is WaDesk multi-tenant out of the box?

A: Yes. WaDesk is multi-tenant by design. Each customer gets an isolated workspace with its own WhatsApp connection, contacts, team members, conversations, and branding. The admin panel includes subscription plans, free trials, coupons, wallet credits, and granular per-plan feature gating — everything you need to run it as a WhatsApp SaaS without writing code.

Q: Can I charge my own customers a monthly subscription?

A: Yes — that is a primary use case. You define plans in the admin panel, connect one of the 30+ supported payment gateways, and customers subscribe and self-serve. Because you are charging end users for access, this requires the Extended License from CodeCanyon.

Q: How isolated is each tenant's data?

A: Workspaces are logically separated, and team access is governed by role-based permissions (for example owner, manager, and agent roles). A user in one workspace cannot see another workspace's conversations, contacts, or settings. The platform owner (you) retains full oversight through the admin panel.

Q: Can I white-label WaDesk with my own brand?

A: Yes. You can change the application name, logo, favicon, colors, and message footers. Branding can be set at the platform level and, where enabled, per workspace — so an agency can present its own brand to clients. No WaDesk or Media City branding is forced on the front end of your installation.

Q: Can I resell WaDesk itself?

A: You can sell access to your end product (subscriptions to your hosted WaDesk-powered service) under the Extended License. You cannot resell or redistribute the WaDesk source code, repackage it as your own item, or sell it on as a script — that violates the Envato license. In short: sell the service you build with it, not the code.

Q: Can I modify the source code?

A: Yes. You have full source access and may customize WaDesk for your own end product. Keep in mind that heavy core modifications can make future updates harder to apply, and support does not cover issues introduced by custom code changes. See the Developer Guide for safe extension points.

Q: Login, Register, or Reset / Forgot Password shows an error

A: These screens send email (account verification and password-reset links), so the error appears when your mail details have not been added in the mail settings yet. Add your SMTP / mail configuration in Admin → System Settings → Mail, save, then clear the cache. Once valid mail settings are in place, login, registration, and password reset work normally.

Q: A payment gateway shows an error

A: Payment-gateway errors are almost always a configuration mismatch, not a script bug. Check each of these:

• Currency & currency code: confirm the currency and its code are set correctly in Admin → Currencies & Languages. If you use multiple currencies, verify the currency code on each one.
• Mail settings: make sure mail is configured (see above) — receipts and confirmations rely on it.
• Enable the gateway after entering the API keys: entering keys is not enough — you must also switch the gateway to Enabled in Admin → Payment Gateways.
• No $0 price: payment gateways do not accept a zero amount — every plan/product needs at least $1 (or the equivalent in your currency). All prices and coupons are created in the WaDesk admin panel.

Sandbox vs. live: once your tests pass, switch the gateway to Live mode. Sandbox-mode accounts and test prices do not work in live mode — and live keys do not work in sandbox.

Q: The site is just showing a blank white page

A: A blank white screen is often caused by a space or special character in the app name or the "mail from" name. Open your .env file and remove spaces/special characters from APP_NAME and MAIL_FROM_NAME (or wrap the value in quotes), then clear the cache:

php artisan config:clear
php artisan cache:clear

If the page is still blank, temporarily enable debug mode to see the underlying error.

Q: Mixed content error

A: A mixed-content error means the page is served over HTTPS but some assets load over HTTP. Make sure SSL is installed properly on your VPS/server and that APP_URL uses https://. If you are behind Cloudflare, set the SSL mode to Full (or Full (Strict)). SSL establishes a secure, encrypted connection between the server and the browser so data cannot be intercepted — serve every asset over HTTPS to clear the warning.

Q: How do I increase the PHP upload file-size limit? (file uploading issue)

A: Large file uploads need a higher limit than the PHP default. Edit your php.ini and raise these two values to suit your file sizes:

upload_max_filesize = 64M
post_max_size = 64M

Save and restart PHP (or your server). On shared hosting you can usually change these under Select PHP Version → Options in cPanel/Plesk; if you do not have access, ask your hosting provider.

Q: How do I create a phpinfo file to check my PHP settings?

A: phpinfo() is a built-in PHP function that outputs your PHP version, configuration, and loaded extensions — useful for troubleshooting (checking memory limits, upload limits, and enabled extensions). To create one:

1. Log in to cPanel / Plesk / FTP and open your public/ folder.
2. Create a new file named phpinfo.php and add:

<?php
phpinfo();

Save the file, then visit it in your browser, e.g. yourwebsite.com/public/phpinfo.php.

Delete it afterwards. Do not leave phpinfo.php on a live site — it reveals sensitive server details (PHP version, extensions, paths). Use it only for troubleshooting, then remove it.

Q: How do I enable proc_open?

A: proc_open is a PHP function that runs a command in a new process. To enable it, make sure the disable_functions directive in your php.ini does not list proc_open. If it is there, remove it (or comment it out by adding a semicolon in front of the line), then restart PHP. If you cannot edit php.ini, ask your hosting provider to enable it for you.

Q: Placeholder / demo images

A: Demo data is sample or placeholder content used to demonstrate how WaDesk works and to test its functionality. Any media — images, icons, or logos — shown in the preview or demo is not included in this item. If you want to use any of them in a commercial or non-commercial project, you must contact the respective authors for permission. The demo content also uses placeholder images.

Q: Why is video muted by default?

A: Autoplaying audio is intrusive, so most modern browsers block auto-playing sound by default. Video therefore starts muted; the viewer can unmute it manually. This is expected browser behaviour, not a bug.