WhatsApp Number Verification Feature

I'm reaching out to propose an enhancement to our bot user creation process, specifically the addition of operational rules for phone number verification, to account for WhatsApp accounts. I've encountered, and it has become a recurring issue, our system creating duplicate bot users with the correct WhatsApp number after they respond to my message. For instance, after creating a user with a phone number and sending a WhatsApp message, the system, instead of recognizing and merging with the existing contact upon their response, creates another user. This results in duplicates and initiates a new interaction from scratch. This situation significantly impacts operations, especially with many integrations planned for the custom fields already added to the created lead. It causes discomfort for the lead. This issue is particularly challenging in Brazil due to the variation in WhatsApp number formats across different regions, where a ninth digit is added in some areas and not in others. I'm currently devising less than ideal workarounds for our team and clients to navigate this problem. Proposal: Implement operational rules at the endpoint for new user creation to check if the phone number has an associated WhatsApp account. Ensure the system recognizes and merges any responses from WhatsApp numbers with existing users, preventing duplicate user creation. This enhancement will not only streamline our operations but also significantly improve the user experience for our leads. I believe addressing this issue will greatly benefit our workflow and customer satisfaction. I'm looking forward to discussing potential solutions and implementation strategies.