WhatsApp Messenger

A powerful Moodle block plugin developed by CentricApp LTD (https://centricapp.co.il) that enables teachers and course managers to send official WhatsApp messages directly to students using the WhatsApp Business API.

 The WhatsApp Messenger Block for Moodle is a powerful communication plugin designed to bridge the gap between Moodle courses and students’ everyday communication habits. By integrating directly with the WhatsApp Business API, this block enables teachers and course managers to send official, structured WhatsApp messages to students enrolled in their courses—quickly, securely, and at scale.

WhatsApp is one of the most widely used messaging platforms in the world, and this plugin leverages that familiarity to improve student engagement, responsiveness, and course communication, especially for announcements, reminders, and important updates.

Purpose and Use Case

In many academic and training environments, students do not regularly check email or Moodle notifications. The WhatsApp Messenger Block solves this challenge by delivering messages directly to students’ WhatsApp accounts using their phone numbers stored in Moodle profiles.

Typical use cases include:

• Course announcements and updates

• Schedule changes or urgent notices

• Assignment reminders

• Exam notifications

• Personalized messages to individual students

Messages can be sent to individual students or all enrolled students in a course with just a few clicks.

Key Features

• Direct WhatsApp Messaging from Moodle
  Send messages to students without leaving the Moodle course page.

• Individual or Bulk Messaging
  Choose a specific student or broadcast a message to all course participants.

• WhatsApp Business API Integration
  Uses the official WhatsApp Business API for reliable, compliant message delivery.

• Template-Based Messaging
  Supports WhatsApp-approved templates with dynamic placeholders for personalization.

• Dynamic Placeholders
  Automatically inject student, course, teacher, and site data into messages.

• AJAX-Based User Interface
  Smooth, responsive interface with real-time feedback during message sending.

• Automatic Phone Number Detection
  Uses the phone1 or phone2 fields from the student’s Moodle profile.

• Message Logging and Auditing
  All outgoing messages are logged in a dedicated database table for tracking and auditing.

• Multi-Language Support
  Fully supports English and Hebrew, with Moodle-standard language strings.

• Debug Mode
  Optional detailed logging for administrators and developers during setup and troubleshooting.

Technical Overview

The plugin is implemented as a standard Moodle block plugin, making it easy to add to any course. Configuration is handled at the site level, ensuring secure storage of WhatsApp API credentials and consistent behavior across all courses.

All message-sending actions are permission-controlled and logged, ensuring transparency and compliance with institutional communication policies.