> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.digifist.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# The setup guide

> The eight steps of the Galantis setup guide, which of them are needed, and how Galantis knows a step is done.

The setup guide is a checklist of eight steps that gets your workspace ready to sell on WhatsApp. It is not a wizard: you can do the steps in any order, and a step's button takes you to the place where you do it.

## Where to find it

* Until the four needed steps are done, a row at the bottom of the sidebar shows how many steps are done, for example Setup · 3 of 8.
* At any time, open **Help** in the top bar and choose **Setup guide**.

## The eight steps

Steps 1 to 4 are needed: they connect WhatsApp and show that a message can go out. The other four are optional: they help you sell more, and your setup is complete without them.

| # | Step | Needed? | Done when |
| - | - | - | - |
| 1 | Connect WhatsApp Business | Yes | Your WhatsApp connection is connected. A setup still in progress, or a connection that needs attention, does not count. |
| 2 | Check your connection health | Yes | A health check found your connection's access and business account both healthy. The business account reads healthy only after Meta has verified your business (see below). |
| 3 | Add your first contact | Yes | Your workspace has at least one contact that is not archived, whether you added it, imported it or it came from a message. |
| 4 | Send your first message | Yes | WhatsApp accepted a message sent from your workspace. It does not wait for delivery or a read. |
| 5 | Choose a plan | No | You picked a plan in Plan & billing, even if you did not finish the checkout. |
| 6 | Activate your first automation | No | At least one automation is running. A built-in automation you switched on counts. |
| 7 | Install the chat widget | No | The chat widget is switched on and has appeared on your storefront. |
| 8 | Connect your Shopify store | No | A Shopify store is connected. If you disconnect it, the step shows as not done again. |

For step 2, Meta has to verify the business behind your WhatsApp Business account. Until it has, **Business account** reads **Degraded** with "The business behind this account is not verified, which limits what you can send." You complete business verification in Meta, not in Galantis, and reconnecting does not change it.

For step 4, send a message in one of two ways:

* Reply in the **Inbox** to someone who messaged your WhatsApp number in the last 24 hours.
* Open a contact, select **Send a template** and send an approved template. WhatsApp only lets you start a conversation with an approved message template. You write one under **Messaging** → **Templates**, and WhatsApp reviews it before you can send it.

To connect WhatsApp, see [Connect WhatsApp](/galantis/marketing/whatsapp/connect). To choose a plan, see [Plans and billing](/galantis/marketing/billing/plans). For contacts, see [Contacts](/galantis/marketing/audience/contacts).

## How Galantis knows a step is done

Galantis checks each step against what is actually in your workspace. You cannot tick a step yourself, and a step that stops being true, such as a disconnected store, shows as not done again.

Each step shows as done or still to do. A step that is done is marked Done. A step still to do has a button that takes you to where you do it.

<Check>
  When the four needed steps are done, the guide says you're ready to send. The sidebar row goes away a few minutes later and does not come back, even if a needed step later shows as not done again. The guide stays available from **Help** → **Setup guide**.
</Check>


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