Attaching your WhatsApp number to WABA — detailed guide

In this guide we will describe how to connect your number to WhatsApp Business API (hereinafter WABA).

Here’s what you need:

  • Your personal Facebook page on whose behalf you will create Meta Business and WhatsApp Business accounts.

  • Your Meta Business account. You can create it on Facebook Business page or use your existing one.

  • The phone number which you want to attach to WABA. See note below:

Note, if you used number at WhatsApp and WhatsApp Business client apps, you have to delete the account first. After that you won’t be able to use this number as a normal WhatsApp number — but only via WABA. If you wish to use your number with a mobile messenger, we have the Android application and iOS app in development.

Here’s briefly what you’ll have to do:

  1. Sign up to 1msg.io and set up a subscription.

  2. Sign up to 360 Dialog, our partner provider, via embedded page.

  3. Authorize 360 Dialog with your Facebook account.

  4. Create or select your Meta Business and WhatsApp Business accounts.

  5. Authorize 1msg at 360 Dialog.

  6. Verify your phone number.

At this stage you do not need to verify your business with Meta—you can do it later in order to extend the options of working with your number.

Step 1. Starting with 1msg.io

Log in to your account, go to the "Channels" section. Then click "Add Channel". If you are creating a channel for the first time, you will be immediately taken to the subscription payment. If it's not your first channel, you will be taken to a window where you need to enter the name of the channel and add the phone number you want to register.

Next, you need to subscribe. Annual payment gives you additional 2+ months:

Once your subscription is set up, click the “Connect WhatsApp” button to go through 360 Dialog’s embedded onboarding process.

Step 2. Sign up to 360 Dialog

In this step, you will see a pop-up page where you need to log in to your Meta Business Manager account. First, register with 360 Dialog. You can sign up using your Facebook account, but for clarity, we'll use the sign up form. Enter your email address, name, and choose a password. After clicking "Create account", check your inbox for a verification code:

Press "Continue" and continue registering the number.

The next window will ask you for the current status of the number you want to add to WhatsApp.

The first question is "Is your number already connected to WhatsApp Business API?". If you have previously connected on a WABA number and are migrating - select "Yes, this number is connected to WhatsApp Business API", if not - select "No, this number is not connected to WhatsApp Business API".

After selecting the answer to the first question, another question will appear, "Is the number connected to WhatsApp?". If there is no WhatsApp account - select "No, this number is not connected to a personal WhatsApp account". Otherwise, you should first delete the account following whatsapp instructions and then select "No, this number is not connected to a personal WhatsApp account".

Once you have entered your number status details, click on "Confirm number details".

Step 3. Authorize 360 Dialog with your Facebook account

In this step, we will already link the account to the Facebook account. 360 Dialog here informs you in advance about the steps you need to go through to link your number to WhatsApp Business API. All these steps will be explained in detail below and we will tell you what and how to fill in. After familiarising yourself with the steps, click on Start Embedded Signup:

Step 4. Meta Business and WhatsApp Business accounts

Once your Facebook account has been linked, you can select or create accounts in Meta Business Manager and your WhatsApp Business account.

To get started, click "Start" and give 360 Dialog access to manage your WhatsApp Business account.

Choose your Meta Business account which you’ve created before, and enter the desired WhatsApp Business name:

Now let's create WhatsApp Business profile. Choose the name and the category in next two pages:

It's time to verify your number. You can get a code by SMS or incoming international call. Choose what works for you, click "Send code" and type it.

After entering the code and confirming it, your number is already considered to be connected to WABA and is already payable. The number is already ready for use and connected to 1MSG.

Step 5. Account at 1msg.io

After a successful authorization you'll be redirected and your 1msg.io account. Open you project, then your new channel's page and you'll see your API URL and API key:

Step 6. Verify your phone number

Now you're ready to go. You can send and get messages and check your number with:

Conclusion

Let's see what we have:

  • API URL and API key, which you can use with your application;

  • WABA account status. The result of your business verification to comply WhatsApp policies. This might not cause you any obstacles if your business is not about something illegal or suspicious (alcohol or tobacco selling, cryptocurrencies, drugs);

  • Message of behalf — your consent to 360 Dialog to work with your business account. You can check it at Facebook Business, following Business Settings → WhatsApp Accounts → Partners tab:

  • FB business verification. Not mandatory for the initial onboarding stage;

  • Phone number. Here's your phone number which you've linked with the channel;

  • External WABA channel. When your company's account has been submitted to Meta, the External WhatsApp Business Account (WABA Account) status will change from DRAFT (grey) to DONE (green);

  • Display name verification. It means that your business name is accepted by WhatsApp and your customers will see it even it's not in their contact list, like below (One Message is a business name in this case):

  • Number registration. 'Running' status means that everything is okay.

More about the statuses you can find out at 360 Dialog guide.

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