How to Migrate From Respond.io to Tenashi

Respond.io is a capable platform — genuinely strong if you need to manage customer conversations across WhatsApp, Messenger, Instagram, LINE, Viber and email from a single console. But that breadth comes with setup complexity and a price point that's hard to justify if 90% of your actual conversations happen on WhatsApp.

Teams that are primarily WhatsApp-led often find themselves paying for multi-channel infrastructure they're not really using, navigating a configuration depth that takes weeks to set up properly, and still ending up without a built-in CRM or deal pipeline they can use without integrating additional tools.

If that's where you are, moving to a WhatsApp-first workspace is a meaningful simplification. Here's how to migrate from Respond.io to Tenashi.

Why WhatsApp-first teams leave Respond.io

Respond.io isn't the wrong product — it's a product built for a larger team with more channels and more automation complexity. The mismatch shows up when:

• You're mostly on WhatsApp. Every channel you don't use is configuration surface you're paying for and managing around. A WhatsApp-first product removes that overhead.
• CRM is an add-on or integration. Respond.io's CRM capabilities are limited compared to what a dedicated sales team needs — deal stages, pipeline, custom contact fields. Getting those requires integrating a separate tool.
• Setup is disproportionate to team size. Respond.io's automation builder and multi-channel config can take significant time to configure — often several days to weeks depending on how many channels and automations you set up. For a ten-person sales team that mainly answers WhatsApp questions, that investment doesn't pay off.
• The price scales faster than the value. Respond.io's pricing is aimed at larger operations. For small and mid-sized teams, the per-seat cost at scale is hard to justify against simpler tools.

What changes when you move to Tenashi

Honest trade-off: if you genuinely need Messenger, Instagram or LINE in the same inbox as WhatsApp, Respond.io is the right tool — it's built for that. Tenashi is the right choice when WhatsApp is your real channel and you want depth there, not breadth across channels you're not using.

Step-by-step: migrating from Respond.io to Tenashi

1. Export your contacts

In Respond.io, export your contacts to CSV — include all custom fields, tags and lifecycle stages so you can recreate them in Tenashi. Export any saved reply templates as a reference; you'll rebuild these as canned replies. Chat history stays on the platform but won't transfer.

2. Decide on your WhatsApp number

• Same number. If you want to continue using the number you had connected through Respond.io's WhatsApp Business API, you'll need to release it from the API first (step 3) before linking it to Tenashi. Your customers keep messaging the same number — they won't notice a thing.
• Fresh number. If you'd rather start clean, link a different existing WhatsApp number to Tenashi now and transition customers over time.

3. Release the number from the WhatsApp Business API

Respond.io connects WhatsApp through the official Business API. A number on the API can't be used as a linked device at the same time, so you need to deregister it first. Go to your Meta Business Manager, navigate to the WhatsApp account, and delete/release the number. Alternatively, contact Respond.io support to initiate the release through their platform.

Do this in a quiet window — it's the only timing-sensitive moment. The number is briefly unavailable during the transition before it's linked in Tenashi.

4. Connect to Tenashi

Start your Tenashi trial and scan the QR code with the WhatsApp app on the phone holding your number. Done in under a minute. Your WhatsApp groups now appear in the shared inbox — something the API blocked entirely.

5. Import contacts and set up your workspace

Upload the CSV, then rebuild the working structure:

• Pipeline stages — map your Respond.io lifecycle stages to Tenashi deal stages.
• Custom contact fields — recreate the fields that matter (source, plan, region, segment).
• Canned replies — your most-used templates become quick replies.
• Automations — keep it simple at first: routing by keyword, auto-assign by team.
• Tickets — set up SLA targets and support categories.

6. Move your team in

Invite agents, assign open conversations, and do a test run: reply to a message, raise a ticket, push a deal through the pipeline. Once it's working as expected, give Respond.io notice and close that account.

Where Tenashi fits

Tenashi is built for WhatsApp-first teams that want to go deep rather than broad. Instead of managing eight channels with moderate depth in each, Tenashi gives you one channel managed properly — shared inbox with claim and assign, internal notes, a full CRM with pipeline and deal stages, support tickets with SLA, a product catalog, and broadcasts with ban-protection.

For a team that spent weeks configuring Respond.io's multi-channel flows only to use the WhatsApp piece, Tenashi is a meaningful reset: same-day setup, lower cost, and a product designed around how you actually work.

Pricing: Starter $18/mo, Growth $27/mo, Scale $56/mo, 3-day Growth trial, no card.

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FAQ

Can I keep my WhatsApp number from Respond.io?

Yes. Release the number from the WhatsApp Business API through Meta Business Manager, then scan the QR code in Tenashi. Same number, same customer contact threads — no disruption on their end.

Do I need to release the number from the API?

Yes, if you're reusing the same number. Respond.io uses the official WhatsApp Business API. A number on the API can't simultaneously be a linked device, so releasing it is a required step before Tenashi can link it.

What happens to my other channels (Messenger, Instagram, etc.)?

Tenashi is WhatsApp-focused and doesn't cover other messaging channels. If you continue to need Messenger or Instagram in the same inbox, you'll want a separate solution for those channels or you may find they're manageable outside a unified inbox.

What do I lose by leaving Respond.io?

Primarily the omnichannel breadth — the ability to manage WhatsApp, Messenger, Instagram and other channels in one console with Respond.io's automation engine. If that multi-channel orchestration is genuinely central to how you work, Respond.io is the right tool. Tenashi offers more depth within WhatsApp (groups, full CRM, pipeline, tickets) at lower complexity.

Is Tenashi easier to set up than Respond.io?

For WhatsApp-only teams, significantly so. The setup is a QR scan plus a few configuration steps. Most teams are live in hours rather than the week or more that Respond.io's full configuration typically takes.

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Done paying for multi-channel overhead your team isn't using? Start a free trial, link your WhatsApp number, and run a focused sales-and-support inbox that's built around how your team actually works.