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WhatsApp Business API Quick Start

Joshua Lim Updated by Joshua Lim

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WhatsApp Business API Overview

WhatsApp API is designed for medium to large companies that want to use WhatsApp with multiple users. It presents an attractive opportunity for businesses to broadcast messages to a wider audience and monitor agents’ and teams’ performances. However, WhatsApp API does not come with an interface to send and receive messages. Fortunately, respond.io solves that problem by providing you with an easy-to-use messaging platform that allows businesses to easily sign up and connect to the WhatsApp API.

WhatsApp API is not free to use and incurs charges based on the number of conversations. Learn more about WhatsApp Pricing here.
If you have a WhatsApp API account from another Business Solution Provider (BSP), you can migrate your phone number to respond.io here.

Pre-requisites to Sign Up for a WhatsApp Business API account

Here are a few things you need to prepare and understand before getting a WhatsApp Business API account:

  • Respond.io account
  • Phone Number
  • Meta Business Manager (MBM)

Respond.io account

You’ll need a respond.io account to get access to the platform for the WhatsApp API sign up process.

Phone Number

  • The phone number used for WhatsApp Business API must be valid (can send and receive SMS).
  • If you want to use a number connected to your personal WhatsApp or WhatsApp Business App, you must first delete your account. Learn how to migrate from WhatsApp personal or WhatsApp Business App here.
  • Your phone number must not be from any of these restricted countries:
    • Crimea (+7978)
    • Cuba (+53)
    • Iran (+98)
    • North Korea (+850)
    • Syria (+963)
Note that businesses in Turkey can sign up for a WhatsApp API account but is limited to communications with customers with non-Turkish phone number. More information about this limitation and alternative options here.

Meta Business Manager

What is a valid website?
- Viewable and belongs to your business
- Has a matching email domain and web address
- Features your company's name or logo.
Having a valid website in your MBM serves as a best practice to prevent any potential issues if and when you want to apply for Meta Business Verification.

How to Sign Up for WhatsApp Business API

Ensure that you have an Admin access level in your MBM.

Watch the video below for a step-by-step guide on how to sign up for a WhatsApp Business API account and connect your Channel to respond.io.

Steps to sign up for WhatsApp Business API account and connect your Channel on respond.io

  1. On the respond.io platform’s Channel Settings
  2. Click Add Channel > Select WhatsApp Business API > Next.
  3. Click Connect With Facebook and sign in using your Facebook account.
  4. Click Get Started.
  5. Click Continue to grant permissions for respond.io to manage your WhatsApp Business account and billing.
  6. Select an existing Meta Business account or create a new account. (The following steps will show you the steps to create a new Meta Business account)
  7. Fill in your Business details and make sure your website is valid > Click Next.
  8. Under Choose a WhatsApp Business account, select Create a WhatsApp Business account. Under Create or select a WhatsApp Business profile, select Create a new WhatsApp Business profile > Click Next.
  9. Fill in your business details as necessary > click Next.
  10. Add your WhatsApp phone number and choose a verification method.
  11. Verify your phone number with the 6-digit verification code > click Next.
  12. Click Finish.
  13. Select the phone number to be connected and click Done to complete the setup.
Congratulations! You have successfully signed up and connected your WhatsApp Business API Channel with respond.io.
You can edit your profile information such as adding a profile photo, address, description and other configurations. Learn more about managing your WhatsApp Business API profile here.

Send a Test Message

Once you have successfully signed up and connected your WhatsApp Business API Channel, you should receive an email from respond.io. The email provides you with a link to send test messages to your WhatsApp Business Account and reply to messages on the respond.io platform.

  • Send a test message - Click on the https://wa.me/{phoneNumber} link to start sending test messages to your WhatsApp Business account.
  • Reply to the test message - Click on the Start replying to customers now button to send a reply in the respond.io platform.
Alternatively, you can try using our WhatsApp Link Generator to generate a chat link for your phone number to send a test message.

What’s Next?

You’ve successfully signed up for a WhatsApp Business API account and connect the channel to respond.io. You are now ready to move on to the next step of your journey - Getting Ready for Inbound Conversations.

Feeling stuck? Do not fear.

Need assistance? Contact us for support. Help is here!

Getting Ready for Inbound Conversations

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