What you need
- A Facebook user that can create or manage a Meta business portfolio.
- A phone number that can receive SMS or a voice call. It must be free of the personal WhatsApp app, or already prepared for coexistence on the Business app.
- Your business name as customers should see it, plus a website or public page that matches that name.
- A payment method on the Meta business, when Meta asks for one. Template charges are billed by Meta. Our guide to the rate card is WhatsApp API pricing.
Connect the number
- Create an account or log in.
- Open Get Started and launch the WhatsApp connection. Stay on the Facebook user that should own the portfolio.
- Create a business portfolio if you do not have one, then a WhatsApp Business Account.
- Add the phone number and enter the code Meta sends.
- Set the display name and business profile. Approval can take from a few minutes to a couple of days. Rules are in display name.
- When the number shows as connected, open OneBox and WhatsApp campaigns.
If the popup closes with an error, run it once more. If Meta says the number is already registered, finish the app migration or send us the WhatsApp Manager screen before anyone deletes an account that another provider still uses.
Send the first message
- Create a utility or marketing template with sample values for every variable.
- Wait until Meta marks it approved. A rejection is fixed by editing the text, not by retrying the same name immediately.
- Message your own phone from a campaign, or reply in OneBox after you send “hi” to the business number from a different WhatsApp account.
- Inside 24 hours of that inbound message you can type freely. After that, only a template can reopen the chat. See the 24-hour window.
After go-live
- Verify the business if Meta has not already: Meta Business Verification. Higher messaging limits depend on it.
- Invite agents to the shared inbox instead of sharing one phone.
- Keep API keys on your server if a website will send OTP or alerts. The Help Center section is API keys.
FAQ
How long does connection take?
The signup screens are usually done in one sitting. Display-name review and the first template are the parts that wait on Meta, from minutes to about a day.
Can I use a landline?
Only if it can receive the verification call. Most clients use a mobile SIM. The SIM must stay able to receive codes during signup.
Do I need a company registration on day one?
You can connect and test. Business verification and some higher limits need legal documents. Government senders should read WhatsApp for government before signup.
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