# FAQ

Short answers to common questions.

## Does PaalChat store message text?

Yes, encrypted, as each business's conversation history: PaalChat keeps contacts,
conversations and the content of every message sent or received. Content is emptied
after **365 days** by default (per-business retention policies are coming); the
message itself - status, times, who it was with - stays. PaalTech operators see
conversation details but never message content.

Text also passes briefly through:

| Where | What | How long |
|---|---|---|
| Send queue | Your outgoing message, until Meta accepts it | Until sent (a job that crashes is kept in the failed-job list) |
| Webhook log | Meta's delivery, including incoming text | Emptied 3 days after processing; 14 days if processing failed |
| Callback outbox | The event sent to your callback URL | Deleted 3 days after it was queued; 14 days if delivery failed |

Everything is encrypted at rest. Keep your own copy of anything you must hold longer,
under your own retention rules.

## Who pays Meta?

The business, directly, through the payment method on its WhatsApp Business Account.
Meta charges per delivered message; PaalChat never bills for Meta messages. See
[WhatsApp pricing](/docs/pricing).

## Can I create templates through the API?

Yes - [Create template](/docs/api/create-template) submits it to Meta for review, and the
decision arrives as a `template.status` callback. Templates made in WhatsApp Manager are
synced too.

## Can I download incoming images and documents?

Yes, for businesses with media enabled. PaalChat downloads each attachment from Meta and
stores it; `message.received` carries its `media_id` and `media.updated` follows with a
short-lived link. See [Media](/docs/media).

## The API accepted my text message but it failed with 131047. Why?

The 24-hour window closed between queueing and sending, or the customer's last
message reached PaalChat late. Use a template.

## Can two products share one WhatsApp number?

No. A WhatsApp account and its numbers belong to one business on PaalChat.

## What happens if Meta is down?

Sends are retried while Meta throttles; other Meta failures fail the message with
Meta's reason. Meta's webhooks are stored and processed when things recover, and
your callbacks follow.

## Is there a sandbox?

Not yet. Use a staging product and Meta's test number - see [Testing](/docs/testing).

## Where do I get a token or a callback secret?

From a PaalChat operator at PaalTech. Both are shown once.

## Is there a status page?

Yes: [/status](/status) shows the API, callbacks, WhatsApp sending and receiving, and the
console and inbox, with incidents of the last 90 days. Machines can read
[/status.json](/status.json).