Widget Editor: New GDPR-friendly MessengerPeople Feature!

Widget Editor

As part of our further development, but also in view of the new General Data Protection Regulations , valid from May 25 th , 2018, MessengerPeople has launched a new feature, the Widget Editor!

With the Widget Editor, you can make one or more Widgets for your channel. Just like before, the Widget can be embedded into your website or landing page with HTML, and allows users to sign up for your WhatsApp service. You can find the HTML code below on the left under β€˜Embedding code.’

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Table of Contents:

  1. Widget Editor How-To
  2. Data Protection Concerns for Widgets
  3. More Widget Tips

Widget Editor How-To

In order to post a customized Widget on your landing page, you can work step by step in the Widget Editor from the top left to the bottom right. In the middle, you’ll see your changes go live. Don’t forget to click on the save button in the bottom right after you’ve edited your Widget.

1. General

Here you can define the (internal) name for the Widget, as well as the height and width.

2. Appearance

Under β€˜Appearance’, you choose if the Widget has tabs or buttons, and whether the Widget is framed or not. You can also change the background color and the text color.

3. Header

In the header you can choose text for the headline and the sub-headline.

4. Description

Here you can add an optional description text.

5. Data Protection

This section lets you define additional information about Data Protection. You must also provide a URL which links to a valid Data Protection Statement.

Please read the topic β€˜Data Protection’ below thoroughly and carefully.

6. Menu

Here you can create a variety of Menu items with links. The user can access the Menu items by clicking on the three dots in the top right of the Widget.

7. Messenger

This allows you to define which Messengers will be shown in your Widget. Depending on which Messengers you choose, there are more specific configurations that must be set up.

a) WhatsApp

Name: You can choose how the name is shown.
Phone Number Links: Here you can choose between β€˜WhatsApp Link’ and β€˜Directly link phone number’. If you use the WhatsApp link, WhatsApp will automatically open to the selected channel. By directly linking the phone number, the channel’s phone number will simply be shown.
Start Message: This text will be sent as the start message when a user subscribes to the channel.

Please note that you need to remind the user that they must save the channel’s phone number to their contacts.

Button Text: Here you define the button text.
Text Fields : Choose what text is shown over the button. You can use variables in this text, which begin and end with the % symbol. The system will then display the variables as the according values. The following variables are available:

  • %number% telephone number for WhatsApp
  • %start% start text

Color & Text Color: Set the color for the buttons.

b) Facebook Messenger

Name: You can choose how the name is shown.
Button Text: Here you define the button text.
Textfeld: Choose what text is shown over the button. You can use variables in this text, which begin and end with the % symbol. The system will then display the variables as the according values. The following variables are available:

  • %facebook% name of the Facebook site

Please note, that to use Facebook you have to connect your Facebook page to our service. You can adjust these settings under General Settings > Messenger.

Color & Text Color: Set the color for the buttons.

c) Telegram and Insta

Name: You can choose how the name is shown.
Button Text: Here you define the button text.

Textfeld: Choose what text is shown over the button. You can use variables in this text, which begin and end with the % symbol. The system will then display the variables as the according values. The following variables are available:

  • %telegram% Telegram Bot name

Please note that for this feature you need to activate Telegram/Insta for your channel. To do this, please contact MessengerPeople Support.

Color & Text Color: Set the color for the buttons.


Data Protection Concerns for Widgets

The data collected through the WhatsApp service belongs to you as MessengerPeople clients. It falls to you and your responsibility to the end users to prepare an appropriate Data Protection Statement.

You must provide access to your Data Protection Statement with a link, as well as adding a description text in the Widget.

For your Data Protection Statement:

You can directly copy this text into your Data Protection Statement, or you can make changes depending on your needs. The passage marked in bold must be changed to reflect your company’s data!

Messaging Services

By sending a start message to company (hereinafter referred to as – Sender) I agree with respect to Art. 6 Abs.1 lit. a GDPR that Sender has my permission to use my personal data (e.g. first and last name, phone number, messenger ID, profile image, messages) for direct communication and the required data processing, based on the respective messenger. To use this service, an existing messenger account with the respective provider is required.

The possible messenger service providers are:

  • Whatsapp: WhatsApp, Inc., 1601 Willow Road, Menlo Park, California 94025, USA with its privacy policy described here
  • Facebook Messenger: Facebook Inc., 1601 S. California Ave, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA with its privacy policy described here
  • Telegram: Telegram Messenger LLP 71-75 Shelton Street, Covent Garden, London, United Kingdom with its privacy policy described here
  • Insta News: Pylba Inc., 314 27th Avenue, San Mateo, CA, 94403, USA with its privacy policy described here

I acknowledge that the respective provider might receive personal data (including communication meta data) that might be processed at servers located in countries outside of the EU (e.g. USA) that do not guarantee the same level of data protection as that practiced in the EU. Whatsapp Inc and Facebook Inc are certified under the Privacy Shield Agreement and thus guarantee compliance with European data protection regulations. Additional information is described in the above privacy policies of the respective messengers. Sender has no detailed knowledge about or influence on the respective providers.

Your agreement to this data processing can be revoked at any time by sending β€œstop” in the respective messenger.

To delete all data that is stored by our technical service provider, please send a message with β€ždelete all dataβ€œ through your messenger.

Sender uses the technical service provider MessengerPeople GmbH, Seidlstrasse 8, 80335 Munich, Germany as data processor for this messenger service.


More Widget Tips

8. Individual Widget

You can also design and program your own individual Widget! If you choose to do this, please note that your Widget must actively and noticeably display the channel telephone number. For more information, please contact our support.

In an independently designed Widget, the Data Protection measures must also be fully taken into consideration.

9. Widget Without a Website

If you don’t have a specific website or landing page in which you can embed the Widget, you can also access the Widget through a direct link.

Please note that in this case, the Data Protection Statement must be added to the description text (potentially shortened, if certain Messengers are not used).

10. Old Widget

If you are still using the older MessengerPeople Widget, we ask you to switch to the updated Widget with the accurate Data Protection Statement.

If you have already embedded the old Widget into your website, with updated information about Data Protection, you can keep using this Widget. However, it can no longer be edited over our interface.

We hope you enjoy this new feature, and happy Widget-making!


Have a great idea for customer service via messaging apps and want to talk about it? Message us!