What are the requirements for a business to be approved for WhatsApp?
To be approved for WhatsApp, a business must comply with the platform’s policies and use cases that respect WhatsApp guidelines. WhatsApp mandates adherence to the following:
What are possible reasons why my business might not get pre-approval?
Your business may not receive pre-approval if it offers or sells any of the following:
- Illegal, prescription, or recreational drugs, including marijuana
- Tobacco products and related paraphernalia
- Unsafe supplements
- Weapons, ammunition, or explosives
- Animals
- Adult items or services
- Alcohol
- Adult health items
- Real money gambling services
- Goods, items, or posts that are fraudulent, misleading, deceptive, or offensive
- Items or products with overtly sexualised positioning
- Products or items that facilitate or encourage unauthorised access to digital media which do not comply with Facebook’s policies
Additionally, pre-approval may be denied if your target audience is younger than 16 or if you request a phone number for countries or regions where WhatsApp/Facebook do not operate. See the list below:
Phone Numbers
Can I migrate from another Business Solution Provider?
It is now possible to port (migrate) WhatsApp API-enabled numbers to Verloop.io from alternate Business Solution Providers (BSPs). Please contact our Sales team for more information.
Can I upgrade from the standard WhatsApp App or the WhatsApp Business App? Certainly! Please refer to our documentation.
Technically, we can set up existing numbers if they are linked to the WhatsApp Business App (or, with some more effort, numbers linked to a regular WhatsApp consumer App).
Can I migrate from the WhatsApp or WhatsApp Business App to the WhatsApp Business API?
Yes, you can migrate to the WhatsApp Business API. To do so, you must first fully delete the account still associated with the App. Uninstalling the app from a phone is not enough. You must entirely delete any previous WhatsApp account associated with the phone number. Here’s how you can delete your account:
- Open WhatsApp.
- Tap > Settings > Account > Delete my account.
- Enter your phone number and tap DELETE MY ACCOUNT.
- Select a reason for why you’re deleting your account in the dropdown.
- Tap DELETE MY ACCOUNT.
For more information on how to delete your account, please follow our guide.
What are the Possible Reasons for a Number Registration to Fail?
Number registration can fail if:
- The number has a WhatsApp App, or WhatsApp Business App installed on the device with the number.
- The WhatsApp or WhatsApp Business App is deleted, but the Account is not.
- The Registration is Timed Out. Facebook only permits a certain number of Registration attempts before imposing a timeout.
- Can I change my phone number?
- There is no way to “swap” or “change” a number outright. However, you can achieve the same result by setting up a new phone number and deleting the old one. Please note that new phone numbers will start again at the lowest quality tier and automatically upgrade to higher tiers as more messages are sent.
How can I distinguish between a WhatsApp Business App and a WhatsApp Business API setup?
WhatsApp doesn’t have any apparent differentiators to distinguish a WhatsApp Business App number from a WhatsApp Business API number. If you can Call or Video Call the number, it is either a WhatsApp or WhatsApp Business App. Calls are not supported on the WhatsApp API yet. The only visual way to identify a WhatsApp Business API number is the Green Badge for an Official Business Account.
Consent
Where can I obtain user opt-in for WhatsApp?
You can obtain user opt-in for WhatsApp through various methods such as during the online transaction process, while setting up user profile and preferences, via email, SMS, or within the mobile app, or via phone interactive voice response (IVR).
What’s required to get the opt-in?
To obtain the user opt-in, you must ensure that the user performs an action, such as entering a phone number or checking an “I agree” box. The explicit language used should contain “I agree to receive [noun], [logo and name], on [number], and a visual indication next to the WhatsApp name and logo, such as a checkbox. It is important to check out the WhatsApp guidelines and consider the WhatsApp branding guideline when obtaining the opt-in.
Hosting & Deployment
The WhatsApp stack consists of a message gateway representing the encrypted endpoint (WACORE), an API gateway to configure settings and send and receive messages (WAWEB), and a database to store messages and files. The default deployment will occur in Google’s Cloud Platform hosting centre in Frankfurt, Germany. However, refer to the Help and Support for more deployment options and locations.
Various
Can I access the WhatsApp user’s profile picture (=avatar)?
No, it is impossible to access the profile picture of the WhatsApp user.
Can I use location sharing?
WhatsApp Business API supports location sharing. However, real-time location sharing is currently unsupported and will result in the message type being unsupported.
Does the server need internet access through the 80/443 port?
Our servers work only in HTTP SSL connection on port 443 (standard for HTTPS).
Can my API accounts message another API account?
No, API accounts can’t message another API account. API system is a programming language, and only accounts that are connected to an APP system can message accounts that are connected to another APP system.
Human Escalation Path
What are acceptable methods of direct human escalation if a client is using automation in user-initiated messages?
Examples of direct channels supported include human agent hand-off in chat, phone number, email, web support, support form, and in-store visits. Escalation channels to social media accounts (Facebook, Messenger, Twitter, Telegram, etc.) are not supported since they require users to log in and account on another service. Furthermore, indirect channels such as a help centre webpage or a link to an app do not meet this requirement.
How to Start the Verification Process on META?
To initiate the verification process for your business, follow these steps:
- Navigate to the Security Centre within Business Manager.
- Click on the “Start verification” button.
- Provide your business information and click “Next.” Remember that the details you provide will be publicly visible if your Page has a large US audience or runs ads about social issues, elections, or politics in the US.
- Choose your business from the list provided or select “None of these match” if your business is not listed.
- Verify your business details.
- Select your preferred method of receiving a verification code via text message, phone call, or email. Note that the phone number option may not be available in all countries.
- You can request another one if you don’t receive the verification code. If you’re having issues receiving the code, refer to troubleshooting tips for phone call problems.
- If your domain is already verified, you can click on “Verify us” at step 5. Otherwise, complete the domain verification process before returning to the Security Centre and clicking “Continue.”
- Enter your verification code (not applicable if you use domain verification).
- Click “Submit.”
- If your business is successfully verified, you will receive a notification once the review process is complete. You can also check the status in the Security Centre.
- Note that if you change your business details, you must complete the verification process again. If your business is not verified, Meta may ask you to submit your ID or additional documentation to prove your business’s registration.
- Providing false or misleading information or attempting to circumvent the verification review system may result in Meta preventing your business from being verified, removing your business’s verification status, or taking further action on your account.
Blocked Countries
In some countries, WhatsApp excludes communicating with the platform for Business numbers.
Phone numbers from the following countries are blocked:
Crimea (+7978)
Cuba (+53)
Iran (+98)
North Korea (+850)
Syria (+963)
