--- title: "How to Set Up WhatsApp Business API: Step-by-Step Guide" description: "How to set up WhatsApp Business API step by step: business portfolio, verification, phone number, display name, Embedded Signup, templates and go-live." canonical: "https://omnichannels.ai/blog/how-to-set-up-whatsapp-business-api/" language: "en" updated: "2026-10-09" publisher: "BroadNet Technologies" brand: "OmniChannels.ai" category: "whatsapp" primaryQuery: "how to set up whatsapp business api" keywords: ["whatsapp business api setup", "whatsapp embedded signup", "meta business verification whatsapp", "whatsapp display name approval", "whatsapp api phone number requirements", "whatsapp cloud api onboarding"] published: "2026-10-09" author: "OmniChannels.ai Editorial Team" reviewer: "BroadNet Messaging Solutions Team" readingMinutes: 9 answer: "To set up the WhatsApp Business API, create or use a Meta business portfolio, complete business verification, choose a phone number that can receive an SMS or voice call and is not active on WhatsApp, pick a display name that matches your brand, connect through your provider's Embedded Signup flow, add a payment method, register the number with a two-step verification PIN, and submit your first message templates for approval before going live." takeaways: ["A business phone number for the API must be owned by you, include a country and area code, and be able to receive an SMS or voice call; short codes are not supported, according to Meta.", "Numbers already in use on WhatsApp must be deleted from the app before registration, unless Meta's coexistence option for eligible Business App numbers is used.", "Embedded Signup lets you create or select a business portfolio, WhatsApp Business Account and phone number inside a provider's platform.", "Business verification raises the number of phone numbers you can register and is one route to higher messaging limits.", "Template approval, a valid payment method and a two-step verification PIN are the usual blockers before go-live."] faq: - q: "Can I use my existing WhatsApp number for the API?" a: "Yes, with conditions. Meta states that numbers already in use with WhatsApp must be deleted from the app before registering them on the API. For eligible WhatsApp Business App numbers, Meta also offers a coexistence option during Embedded Signup that keeps the app working on the same number. Check eligibility for your market before deciding." - q: "Is Meta business verification mandatory?" a: "You can start sending before verification, but with lower limits. According to Meta, new portfolios start with two registered numbers and a messaging limit of 250 unique users outside the service window; verifying the business is one way to raise the number cap and qualify for a higher messaging limit. Most growing businesses should verify early." - q: "What documents do I need for business verification?" a: "Meta generally asks for documents showing the legal business name, address and phone number, such as a trade licence, commercial registration or utility bill, plus a website on a domain you control. Requirements vary by country and change over time, so follow the prompts in Meta Business Suite's Security Centre for your portfolio." - q: "Why was my display name rejected?" a: "Display names are usually rejected when they do not clearly relate to the business, use generic terms only, misuse capitalisation or punctuation, or cannot be linked to your website or verified business. Use the brand name customers know, make sure your website shows it, and resubmit with consistent branding." - q: "Do I need a developer to set up the WhatsApp Business API?" a: "Not when a provider offers Embedded Signup and a ready platform with inbox, templates and campaigns. A developer is needed if you want to call the API directly, receive webhooks in your own systems or integrate WhatsApp with your CRM or order platform." sources: - title: "Phone numbers — WhatsApp Cloud API, Meta for Developers" url: "https://developers.facebook.com/docs/whatsapp/cloud-api/phone-numbers" - title: "Embedded Signup — Meta for Developers" url: "https://developers.facebook.com/docs/whatsapp/embedded-signup" - title: "Business verification — Meta for Developers" url: "https://developers.facebook.com/docs/development/release/business-verification" - title: "Message templates — Meta for Developers" url: "https://developers.facebook.com/docs/whatsapp/business-management-api/message-templates" - title: "Messaging limits — Meta for Developers" url: "https://developers.facebook.com/docs/whatsapp/messaging-limits" - title: "Error codes — WhatsApp Cloud API, Meta for Developers" url: "https://developers.facebook.com/docs/whatsapp/cloud-api/support/error-codes" --- # How to Set Up WhatsApp Business API: Step-by-Step Guide Canonical: https://omnichannels.ai/blog/how-to-set-up-whatsapp-business-api/ Language: en Publisher: OmniChannels.ai by BroadNet Technologies This guide is for the marketing, CX or IT lead who has to get a business live on the WhatsApp Business API. It walks through each onboarding step in order, explains what Meta checks at each stage, and ends with a go-live checklist and the errors teams hit most often. ## What do you need before you start? Have four things ready: admin access to your company's Meta business portfolio, your business documents, a dedicated phone number and a brand name customers recognise. Most delays come from missing one of these. | Item | Requirement | Why it matters | |---|---|---| | Meta business portfolio | Admin access; legal business name and address filled in | Owns the WhatsApp Business Account (WABA) | | Business documents | Trade licence or commercial registration, proof of address | Needed for business verification | | Website | On a domain you control, showing your business name | Supports verification and display name review | | Phone number | Owned by you, with country and area code, can receive SMS or voice call | Required for registration; short codes are not supported | | Display name | Matches your brand and website | Shown on your WhatsApp profile; reviewed by Meta | | Payment method | Card or provider credit line | Required to send paid templates | | Opt-in process | Clear consent from customers to receive WhatsApp messages | Required by WhatsApp policy | ## How do you set up the WhatsApp Business API step by step? Follow these steps in order. If you onboard through a provider, steps 3 to 6 usually happen inside its Embedded Signup flow. ### Step 1: Prepare your Meta business portfolio Log in to Meta Business Suite with a personal Facebook account that is an admin of the company's business portfolio, or create a portfolio. Use the exact legal business name and address that appear on your documents. Add at least two admins so access is not lost if one person leaves. ### Step 2: Start business verification In the Security Centre of your business portfolio, start business verification. Meta asks for documents confirming the legal name, address and phone or email, and may verify through a code or domain check. Requirements differ by country and change over time, so follow the on-screen prompts. You can begin onboarding before verification completes, but Meta applies lower limits until then: new portfolios start with two registered phone numbers and a messaging limit of 250 unique users outside the customer service window, according to Meta's documentation. ### Step 3: Choose the phone number Pick a number that will stay with the business for years, such as a landline or a dedicated mobile line. Meta requires that the number: - is owned by you and includes a country and area code; - can receive an SMS or voice call for verification; - is not a short code; - is not currently registered on WhatsApp, unless you use Meta's coexistence option for an eligible WhatsApp Business App number. If the number is on the WhatsApp or WhatsApp Business App and you do not want coexistence, back up what you need and delete the account from the app first. ### Step 4: Choose your display name The display name appears on your WhatsApp profile. Use the brand name customers know, consistent with your website and business documents. Avoid generic names ("Best Deals"), unusual capitalisation, or adding slogans. Meta reviews the name; the status shows as pending, approved or declined in WhatsApp Manager. ### Step 5: Connect through Embedded Signup Embedded Signup is Meta's flow that providers place inside their platform. You log in with Facebook, select or create the business portfolio, create or select a WhatsApp Business Account, enter the phone number and display name, and verify the number with a code by SMS or voice call. At the end, the provider receives permission to manage the WABA on your behalf, while your portfolio keeps ownership. ### Step 6: Register the number and set a two-step PIN The number must be registered for the Cloud API with a six-digit two-step verification PIN. Your provider usually does this as part of onboarding. Store the PIN securely: it is needed to change the PIN or delete the number later. ### Step 7: Add a payment method Meta charges per delivered template message, by category and recipient country. Either add a card to the WABA in WhatsApp Manager or confirm that your provider's credit line covers your account. Without valid billing, template sends fail. ### Step 8: Create your first templates Outside the 24-hour customer service window you can only send approved templates. Start with three to five you need on day one: 1. A utility template for order or booking confirmation. 2. A utility template for a status update, such as delivery or reminder. 3. An authentication template if you send one-time passwords. 4. One marketing template for your first opted-in campaign. Use variables for names and order numbers, keep promotional language out of utility templates, and create Arabic and English versions as separate languages of the same template if you serve GCC customers. ## Worked example: a Doha training institute goes live "Al Fanar Academy" (a synthetic example) wants WhatsApp for course enquiries and class reminders. - **Week 1:** The operations manager confirms admin access to the business portfolio, uploads the commercial registration, and starts verification. The academy chooses its main landline, which can receive a voice call. - **Onboarding:** Through the provider's Embedded Signup, it creates a WABA, enters the display name "Al Fanar Academy", and verifies the number by voice call. - **Templates:** It submits a class reminder (utility), an enrolment confirmation (utility) and a new-term announcement (marketing) in Arabic and English. The marketing template is rejected for a vague call to action and approved after a rewrite. - **Go-live:** It sends reminders to students who opted in on the enrolment form, and routes replies to the admissions team's inbox. The longest step was verification, not the technical setup. ## Go-live checklist Tick every item before your first campaign. 1. Business verification submitted or approved. 2. Display name approved. 3. Phone number registered and two-step PIN stored securely. 4. Payment method valid and funded. 5. Required templates approved in every language you need. 6. Opt-in recorded for every contact you will message. 7. Inbox set up, with agents assigned to reply to inbound messages. 8. Test messages sent to internal numbers and checked on Android and iOS. 9. Delivery reporting reviewed for the test sends. 10. Sending volume planned within your current messaging limit. ## What are the most common setup errors? Most errors fall into a handful of patterns. Meta's error codes documentation lists them; these are the ones onboarding teams see most. | Error code | Meaning (per Meta) | Typical fix | |---|---|---| | 133010 | Phone number not registered | Complete registration with the two-step PIN | | 131047 | Customer service window closed | Send an approved template instead of free-form text | | 132001 | Template does not exist in that language or is not approved | Check the template name, language code and approval status | | 132012 | Variable values do not match the template format | Match the number and format of variables | | 131042 | Payment method problem | Fix the card or credit line on the WABA | | 131026 | Message undeliverable | Recipient may not use WhatsApp or has an outdated app; use another channel | | 131049 | Message withheld for ecosystem health | Often marketing frequency; wait before resending and review targeting | | 368 | Account restricted for policy violation | Review policy notices in WhatsApp Manager and appeal if appropriate | Other frequent problems are not error codes: a number still active on the WhatsApp app, a display name that does not match the website, and admins without full control of the portfolio. ## How OmniChannels.ai helps OmniChannels.ai, powered by BroadNet Technologies, onboards WhatsApp Business API numbers through Meta Embedded Signup, so your business portfolio keeps ownership of the WABA. You can create marketing, utility and authentication templates, including one-tap, zero-tap and copy-code OTP, with variables, media and buttons, then check them in a phone preview and track approval. Once live, campaigns support Excel/CSV upload, preview, scheduling and duplicate filtering, with delivery reports for every send. Arabic and English are supported. See the [WhatsApp Business API](/channels/whatsapp-business-api/) page and [campaigns](/platform/campaigns/), or book a demo.