How to Connect LearnDash to WhatsApp and 4+ eLearning Notification Tips

Connect LearnDash to WhatsApp and instantly send eLearning notifications to trainees and students. Learn how to set it up in minutes—no code required!

When it comes to eLearning engagement, communication is key.

From sharing course and lesson updates to helping students study for upcoming exams—or simply keeping them motivated—timely and relevant eLearning notifications are everything.

But let’s be honest—email isn’t always up to the task. Email open rates for educational and training institutions hover just below 36%. In other words, almost two-thirds of students and trainees are missing out on vital information, disconnecting them from their learning journey and ultimately lowering engagement and completion rates.

That’s where WhatsApp comes in. With sky-high open rates—98% of business messages—and instant delivery, WhatsApp is the perfect tool for keeping students engaged and on track to meet their targets.

And with Uncanny Automator, you can connect LearnDash to WhatsApp in just a few clicks and even fewer minutes—no coding, no headaches, no missed notifications.

In this guide, we’ll show you exactly how to set up a LearnDash WhatsApp integration using Automator to send real-time eLearning notifications that drive better engagement, faster course completions, and, of course, happier learners.

Let’s dive in!

Why Connect LearnDash to WhatsApp with Automator

Learners’ attention spans are short—and inboxes are even shorter. With the average inbox overflowing with promotions, newsletters, and spam, even the most important course updates can (and often do) go unseen.

That’s why connecting LearnDash to WhatsApp with Uncanny Automator is an engagement-boosing game changer.

• Unmatched open rates: WhatsApp messages boast a staggering 98% open rate, meaning your students are far more likely to see and act on important updates.
• Instant delivery: Notifications are delivered straight to students’ mobile devices, where they’re already active and engaged throughout the day.
• Personalized, action-based messages: Automate WhatsApp messages based on real learner and course activity—like reaching course milestones or getting assignments graded—so communication feels timely and relevant.
• Improved learning outcomes: Faster updates mean better engagement, higher course completion rates, and more motivated learners.
• No coding required: With Automator’s intuitive, point and click interface, you can set up powerful WhatsApp LearnDash integrations without technical headaches.

By automating timely, targeted notifications, you’ll turn your eLearning program into an experience students want to stay connected to.

Install and activate Automator for free >>>

How to Connect LearnDash to WhatsApp

Uncanny Automator is the only tool that allows you to create a seamless LearnDash WhatsApp integration with full access to the WhatsApp Cloud API with no added transaction fees.

As this is one of Automator’s most powerful integrations, the initial setup includes some additional steps. But don’t worry—if you can point and click, you can create this integration with Automator.

Below, is an abbreviated version of the steps to follow to connect Automator to WhatsApp. For a detailed walkthrough with screenshots, refer to our Knowledge Base article.

(Note: You will need to have a Facebook account.)

1. Create a Business app on developers.facebook.com
   1. You may need to register as a developer if you haven’t already. Don’t worry—it’s free and easy.
2. Add the WhatsApp product to your new Business app
   1. You will need to register a phone number that is not already associated with a WhatsApp account. To use an existing phone number with a WhatsApp account, you must first delete that account.
3. Connect Uncanny Automator to your Business app
   1. Get Automator Pro and activate your license to receive unlimited app credits. Alternatively, you can install and activate Automator on your WordPress website for free and register your account to receive a limited number of complimentary app credits.
   2. Copy and paste the WhatsApp credentials into Automator.
4. Add a Webhook to your Business app
   1. Copy and paste the webhook credentials into WhatsApp.
5. Add a phone number to your Business app

That’s it! You’ve successfully connected Automator to WhatsApp. In the next section, we’ll walk you through setting up some Automator recipes so you can automate your LearnDash notifications.

3+ eLearning Notification Automations You Need to Try

Now that you have everything set up, it’s time to start automating your eLearning notifications to better engage with your learners.

Here are three automations that you can start using right now.

(Note: For users to receive messages, they must have opted-in by responding to a message template. You can learn more about creating message templates here.)

1. Send Lesson and Course Completion Messages

What better way to recognize a learning milestone and encourage users to keep up the good work than with an automated message?

Click the button above or follow the steps below to get this recipe on your website now.

1. Create a New Recipe

From your WordPress Admin Dashboard, navigate to Automator > Add new recipe. In the modal that appears, select Logged-in users.

2. Name Your Recipe

Give your recipe a name that makes it easy to recognize at a glance. For example, we’ve named this recipe “When a user completes a LearnDash lesson, send them a WhatsApp message”.

3. Configure Your Trigger(s)

In the Trigger panel, from the menu of available integrations, select LearnDash.

From the dropdown list that appears, select A user completes a lesson.

Automator will prompt you to select a Course and Lesson. Once you’re finished, click Save.

4. Configure Your Action(s)

In the Actions panel, click Add action and select WhatsApp.

From the dropdown list that appears, select Send a WhatsApp message to a number.

Automator will prompt you to enter a phone number in the To field and to create a draft of your message in the Body field.

To enter a phone number dynamically, click the Asterisk in the To field to use tokens (dynamic data from your WordPress website and from within recipes). If you have an Automator Pro – Plus or Elite license, you can use the Custom User Fields Addon to conveniently and dynamically store and retrieve a user’s phone number. Alternatively, you can use Advanced > User meta to retrieve the phone number from the user’s metadata.

Once you’ve entered a phone number and drafted your message, click Save.

5. Go Live!

You’re just about to connect LearnDash to WhatsApp and upgrade your eLearning notifications! All you have to do now is toggle the recipe from Draft to Live.

That’s it! You’ve just created your first Automator recipe. Now, let’s take a look at some other recipes you can get started with right now.

2. Send Course and Group Enrollment Messages

Did you know that nearly two-thirds of consumers want to get more confirmation messages by text? Well, with this recipe, you can give the people what they want—and then some!

Get the conversation started on the right foot with group and course enrollment confirmation messages in WhatsApp. Let your learners know that their enrollment was successful and what they can expect as they progress through their course.

3. Send Quiz Question Feedback in Real-Time

Achievement and confirmation messages are just the tip of the iceberg of what’s possible when you connect LearnDash to WhatsApp with Automator.

Give your students the power of a real-time tutor with this Automator recipe. Elevate your eLearning notifications to serve as a study buddy, providing learners with immediate and personalized feedback.

Educators can draft informative responses to tricky quiz questions, giving learners some additional context and information so that the right answers stick. Additionally, students can always refer to their WhatsApp messages for a highly-personalized learning journey.

4 (and more). Send Updates and Reminders

Keep engagement rates high with timely reminders for learners who haven’t completed a course, lesson, or quiz as important dates approach.

Or, save your course administrators some time and headaches with automated notifications for learners when their assignments have been graded.

More Ways to Connect LearnDash to WhatsApp

Looking for more ways to automate your LearnDash notifications with WhatsApp? Apply Automator’s R.I.C.H framework to identify opportunities to boost engagement like never before.

Tasks that are ripe for automation are:

• Repetitive: Tasks, particularly unavoidable ones, that you perform over and over again. 
• Iterative: Tasks that you can and/or do perform across any measurable number of customers, products, posts, pages, etc. or a subset thereof.
• Costly: Tasks that consume significant resources, namely time and money.
• Hard: Tasks that are complex and prone to human error.

If a task satisfies one or more of these criteria, it’s a strong candidate for automation. Remember, when it comes to automation, think RICH!

Ready to create more seamless LearnDash WhatsApp integrations of your own?

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Best Practices for Connecting LearnDash to WhatsApp

Now that you’re levelling up your eLearning notifications, here are some best practices to make sure your LearnDash WhatsApp integration delivers maximum results:

• Use tokens for dynamic and personalized messages: With Automator’s Custom User Fields Addon, you can store and retrieve custom data like phone numbers, making it easier to dynamically send messages. Additionally, tokens such as a student’s first name, course title, or lesson name personalize messages to make them more engaging.
• Use filters for smarter communications: Not every update needs to go to every student. Create targeted WhatsApp messages based on course enrollment, user roles, or performance triggers to keep messages highly relevant and avoid overwhelming your learners. Automator’s User Lists Addon can also help you segment learners right in your WordPress website.
• Time your messages strategically: While instant notifications are great, not every message needs to be immediate. Use Automator’s delay and scheduling features to send messages when they matter most.
• Keep your WhatsApp notifications concise: WhatsApp is designed for quick, conversational updates. Stick to short, action-focused messages and provide links for students to get more information if needed.
• Monitor and optimize your workflows: Check your Automator recipe logs and WhatsApp message read receipts regularly. See which notifications get the best engagement and fine-tune your automations accordingly.

By following these best practices, you’ll optimize your eLearning notifications and keep learners engaged and informed.

Frequently Asked Questions

Conclusion

If you’re looking for a better way to keep your students and trainees informed and engaged as they progress towards their goals, connecting LearnDash to WhatsApp with Uncanny Automator is the answer.

In this guide, we showed you:

• what makes WhatsApp a powerful eLearning notification medium,
• how to create a Meta business app to connect LearnDash to WhatsApp with Automator,
• how to create Automator recipes that improve engagement and completion rates, and
• how to personalize the learning experience with new workflows and powerful features such as tokens.

With WhatsApp’s incredible open rates and Automator’s no-code flexibility, you can easily transform your eLearning programs into dynamic, real-time experiences that students actually look forward to engaging with.

Whether you’re sending course reminders, celebrating milestones, or giving real-time quiz feedback, Automator makes it easy to deliver the right message at the right time—without adding more manual work to your plate.

Ready to turn up your engagement rates and see your course completion numbers soar?

Install and activate Automator for free now >>>

Until next time, happy automating!

Brendan Da Costa

Brendan Da Costa is a WordPress content writer with a Shakespearean-level gift of gab (his words, not ours). He left a successful career in economics to pursue his passion for writing and discovered the wonderful world of WordPress while building his own website to showcase his work. As a self-taught enthusiast who spends more time tinkering with plugins and themes than he would care to admit, Brendan writes equally for WordPress beginners and veteran developers alike. With his unique blend of expertise and creativity, he continues to elevate the digital landscape one WordPress article at a time.

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