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🇻🇳 Zalo

Zalo Official Account Connection Guide

Estimated time: about 10 minutes (if you already have a Zalo OA — if creating a new one, add 3~7 business days for OA verification)

Target market
Vietnam’s No. 1 messenger
Requirement
A verified Zalo Official Account
Connection method
"Connect with Zalo" button (OAuth)
Cost
Free to receive · sending requires a paid OA package
Token expiry
3 months (CRM refreshes automatically)

What you need

  • A Zalo Official Account (OA) — messaging only works on a verified OACreate + verify a Zalo OA guide →
  • A personal Zalo account with OA admin (operator) rights
  • A paid OA package for sending — receiving patient messages is free, but to reply from the CRM you need a Tăng trưởng (Growth) package or higher (zalo.cloud/oa/pricing)
  • For a new OA: a Vietnamese business license (Giấy phép kinh doanh) + the representative’s ID (CMND/CCCD)
Developer console work such as creating the app, registering the callback URL, and configuring the Webhook is all handled by Coauths. The clinic only needs to prepare the OA and complete the connection steps below.

Setup steps

1

Start the Zalo channel connection in the CRM

Est. time: 2 min

From here on, everything is done inside the CRM.

  1. Log in to the CRM → go to Settings → Channels → the “Connect channel” page
  2. Click the “Connect channel” button on the Zalo card
  3. Select the Branch to connect → the connection form opens
2

"Connect with Zalo" — select the OA + grant permissions

Est. time: 3 min
  1. In the connection form, click the “Connect with Zalo” button → a Zalo login popup opens
  2. Log in with a personal Zalo account that has OA admin rights
  3. Select the OA to connect
  4. Approve the permissions (sending and receiving messages, etc.)
💡 No developer setup such as registering a callback URL or entering an App Secret is needed. Coauths handles it.
3

Return to the CRM + confirm the connection

Est. time: 5 min
  1. Once approval is complete, you are returned to the CRM automatically and the channel card shows “Connected”
  2. On your own Zalo app, search for the OA (or scan the QR code) → follow it → send a test message
  3. When the message arrives in the CRM inbox, the integration is complete ✅
💡 Zalo access tokens expire every 3 months, but the CRM refreshes them automatically. If refresh fails and an error is shown, just reconnect using the “Reconnect” button on the channel card.

Common issues

OA verification rejected

A Vietnamese legal entity or registered business is required. Korean entities are rejected. Approval rate is higher when submitted with a medical institution license. Co-applying with a Vietnamese local partner is also an option.

OA does not appear in the “Connect with Zalo” popup

Most likely the personal Zalo account you logged in with does not have admin (operator) rights on that OA. Check permissions in OA Manager, then retry after logging in with an account that has admin rights.

Connected, but messages do not arrive in the inbox

Check that the patient has followed the OA and sent a message first. Also confirm the OA is verified — messaging only works on verified OAs. If messages still do not arrive, contact your Coauths representative (server-side setup such as webhooks is managed by Coauths).

Access token expires frequently

Zalo access tokens expire after 3 months. The CRM refreshes them automatically. If refresh fails and the channel card shows an error, use the “Reconnect” button to connect again (run the “Connect with Zalo” flow once more).

Connected and receiving, but replies fail to send (free OA)

Free OAs are blocked from sending consultation messages via the API — errors like "needs to upgrade OA Tier Package" indicate this case. Purchase a Tăng trưởng (Growth) or higher package at zalo.cloud/oa/pricing. Note: a balance top-up alone does not unlock it — you must purchase the package itself.

Message quota exceeded

Zalo OA has a daily sending limit (proportional to subscribers). Check remaining quota in OA Manager → Statistics. To increase, upgrade to a higher paid OA package (zalo.cloud/oa/pricing).

Can I connect a personal Zalo account?

Not supported. Zalo provides no official API for personal accounts, so connecting one would rely on unofficial methods that carry an account-lock risk and are unsuitable for protecting patient information. Coauths connects only Official Accounts (OA), which have an official API.

Patients cannot find OA in search

Unverified OAs have limited search visibility. Wait a few days after verification. Or distribute QR codes on business cards, website, and clinic — the fastest path to follower growth.

📄 Download the full guide PDF

For offline reference. A print-friendly PDF version of this page.