Quick Start
What is respond.io?
Setting Up an Account
Connecting Channels
Inviting Your Teammates
Getting Contacts to Message You
Automated Welcome and Away Messages
Responding to Messages
Glossary of Terms
Channels
WhatsApp Overview
WhatsApp Business API Quick Start
Getting Ready for Inbound Conversations
Getting Ready for Promotional Messaging
WhatsApp Official Business Account (Green Tick)
Grow your WhatsApp Audience by Maximizing Entry Points
WhatsApp Message Templates
WhatsApp Pricing
WhatsApp Business API Channel Configuration
WhatsApp Messaging Limits
Migrating from WhatsApp Personal or WhatsApp Business App
Phone Number Migration to respond.io WhatsApp Business API
Turn-off WhatsApp Number Two-Step Verification
WhatsApp Business API (respond.io BSP)
WhatsApp Cloud API
360dialog WhatsApp
Twilio WhatsApp
MessageBird WhatsApp
Vonage WhatsApp
Phone Number Migration to WhatsApp Cloud API
Facebook Messenger
Website Chat Widget
Website Chat Widget Overview
Install Website Chat Widget on WordPress
Install Website Chat Widget on Shopify
Install Website Chat Widget on Wix
Install Website Chat Widget on Joomla
Install Website Chat Widget on Squarespace
SMS
Channels Overview
Telegram
Viber
LINE
Google Business Messages
Custom Channel
Product
Dashboard & Reporting
Dashboard
Reports Overview
Reports: Conversations
Reports: Responses
Reports: Resolutions
Reports: Messages
Reports: Contacts
Reports: Assignments
Reports: Leaderboard
Reports: Users
Reports: Broadcasts
Messages
Contacts
Contacts Overview
Contact Details
Merge Suggestions
Contact Activity
Contact Channels
Contact Import
Segments
Broadcasts Module
Workflows
Dynamic Variables
Workspace Settings
Managing a Workspace
Workspace Settings: General
Workspace Settings: Users
Workspace Settings: Teams
Workspace Settings: Channels
Workspace Settings: Contact Fields
Workspace Settings: Integrations
Workspace Settings: Closing Notes
Workspace Settings: Snippets
Workspace Settings: Files
Workspace Settings: Data Export
Workspace Settings: Data Import
Workspace Settings: Growth Widgets
Organization Settings
Organization Overview
Organization Settings: General
Organization Settings: Users
Organization Settings: Workspaces
Organization Settings: WhatsApp Fees
Organization Settings: Billing & Usage
User Account
Mobile App
Support Use Cases
Inbound Support: Identify Contacts by Email and Phone Number
Inbound Support: Enrich Customer Data from a CRM or other Business Software
Inbound Support: Route Customers to the Right Team Automatically
Inbound Support: Auto-Assign Customers to a Team or Dedicated Agent
Send Outbound Support Messages
Support: Closing Conversations
Supervising Your Support Agents
Reporting for Support
Send CSAT to Customer and Save Data in Google Sheets or CRMs
Sales Use Cases
Inbound Sales: Collect Leads' Email and Phone Number
Inbound Sales: Enrich Contact Data and Qualify Leads
Inbound Sales: Routing Leads
Inbound Sales: Auto-Assign Leads to Sales Agents
Sending Outbound Sales Messages
Track Productivity by Closing Conversations
Supervising Sales Agents
Reporting for Sales
Broadcasts Use Cases
Sending a Simple Broadcast
Start a Workflow Based on Broadcast Response
Troubleshooting a Failed Broadcast
Integrations
Dialogflow
Dialogflow Overview
Dialogflow: Connecting to Dialogflow
Dialogflow: Creating a Chatbot
Dialogflow: Managing Intents
Dialogflow: Parameters
Dialogflow: Events
Dialogflow: Response Templates
Dialogflow: Custom Payloads
Dialogflow: Fulfillment Webhook Request
E-Commerce & CRM Integrations
E-Commerce Integration: Shopify
E-Commerce Integration: BigCommerce
E-Commerce Integration: WooCommerce
E-Commerce Integration: Magento
CRM Integration: HubSpot
CRM Integration: Salesforce
CRM Integration: Pipedrive
CRM Integration: ActiveCampaign
Zapier
Developer API
Webhooks
Partnership
We love to hear from you!
Table of Contents
WhatsApp Business API Quick Start
Updated
by Joshua Lim

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.
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)
- Turkey (+90)
Meta Business Manager
- You need a Meta Business Manager (MBM) to sign up for a WhatsApp Business API account. However, if you currently do not have one, you can create one during the embedded sign-up process.
- Ensure that your business adheres to the WhatsApp Business Messaging Policy.
- When filling out your business info in your MBM, ensure that your website is valid.
- 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
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
- On the respond.io platform’s Channel Settings
- Click Add Channel > Select WhatsApp Business API > Next.
- Click Connect With Facebook and sign in using your Facebook account.
- Click Get Started.
- Click Continue to grant permissions for respond.io to manage your WhatsApp Business account and billing.
- 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)
- Fill in your Business details and make sure your website is valid > Click Next.
- 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.
- Fill in your business details as necessary > click Next.
- Add your WhatsApp phone number and choose a verification method.
- Verify your phone number with the 6-digit verification code > click Next.
- Click Finish.
- Select the phone number to be connected and click Done to complete the setup.
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.

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.
Help is here!WhatsApp Overview
Getting Ready for Inbound Conversations
Related Articles
WhatsApp Business API Channel Configuration
Learn how to configure your WhatsApp Business API channel and manage your profile on respond.io.
WhatsApp Business API (respond.io BSP)
Connect a WhatsApp Business API account to chat with customers over WhatsApp.
Migrating from WhatsApp Personal or WhatsApp Business App
Learn what you need to do to migrate to WhatsApp Business API using an existing WhatsApp Personal or Business app phone number.