This topic describes how to associate the WhatsApp Business App with Chat App Message Service and explains important considerations.
What is WhatsApp Business App Coexistence?
WhatsApp Business App Coexistence allows businesses to use their existing WhatsApp Business App and phone number to register through the official Meta embedded page. After registration, businesses can use both the WhatsApp Business App and the WhatsApp Cloud API to send batch messages.
Associate the WhatsApp Business App
Prerequisites
You have a registered WhatsApp Business App.
You have activated Chat App Message Service.
Procedure
Log on to Chat App Message Service.
In the navigation pane on the left, choose Channel Management. On the Channel Management page, click New Channel.
In the New Channel dialog box, set Channel Type to WhatsApp and enter a custom channel name.
Click OK. After the WhatsApp channel is created, click the Channel ID or Manage to open the channel page.
On the channel page, in the navigation pane on the left, choose .
In the Select Registration Type dialog box that appears, select WhatsApp Business App and click Next.
On the official Meta embedded page that appears, log on to your Facebook account.
Select an existing business portfolio or create a new one. For the WhatsApp Business account, select Associate WhatsApp Business App, and then click Continue.
Enter the business phone number for the WhatsApp Business App that you want to associate, and then click Continue.
NoteIf you create a new business portfolio, you must enter your business information first.
Use the WhatsApp Business App on your phone to scan the QR code on the screen.
After you scan the QR code, the WhatsApp Business App guides you through the association process.
Return to the Meta embedded page, edit the WhatsApp Business account, and click the Continue button.
Confirm the content to share with Chat App Message Service and click the Confirm button.
Wait for the association to complete. Once complete, click the Done button.
Feature comparison
Existing WhatsApp Business App features | Changes to WhatsApp Business App features after association | Feature support in Chat App Message Service |
Personal chat (1:1) | Supported. However, the message edit and revoke features are not supported. | Supported.
|
Contacts | No change. | Supported.
|
Group chat | No change. | Not supported.
|
Disappearing messages | This feature is turned off for all personal chats (1:1). | Not supported. |
View once messages | This feature is disabled for all personal chats (1:1). | Not supported. |
Live location messages | This feature is disabled for all personal chats (1:1). | Not supported. |
Broadcast lists | Broadcast lists are disabled. Businesses cannot create new broadcast lists and existing broadcast lists become read-only. | Not supported.
|
Voice and video calls | No change. | Not supported. |
Business tools (such as catalog, orders, status) | No change. | Not supported. |
Messaging tools (such as greeting messages, away messages, quick replies, labels) | No change. | Not supported.
|
Business profile (such as business name, address, website) | No change. | Not supported. |
Channels | No change. | Not supported. |
FAQ
How do I dissociate the WhatsApp Business App from Chat App Message Service?
To dissociate the app, first contact technical support to detach the WhatsApp Business App from the channel. Then, in the WhatsApp Business App, choose and follow the instructions.
How do I view synchronized history and contacts?
In the Chat App Message Service console, click Message Workbench in the navigation pane on the left. Select the number and bring it online to view the synchronized history.
You must synchronize the app within 24 hours of a successful association. Otherwise, the synchronization fails, and you must dissociate and re-associate the app.
How do I resynchronize message history and contacts?
To resynchronize, first dissociate the WhatsApp Business App from Chat App Message Service and then re-associate it.
Does WhatsApp Business App Coexistence support numbers from all countries/regions?
Business numbers from the following countries/regions are not supported: Nigeria and South Africa. This is determined by the country code of the business app's phone number.
What are the requirements for using WhatsApp Business App Coexistence?
To use WhatsApp Business App Coexistence, your WhatsApp Business App must be version 2.24.17 or later.
How are messages billed after associating the WhatsApp Business App?
After you successfully associate the WhatsApp Business App, you can continue to send messages from the WhatsApp Business App for free. However, messages sent using Chat App Message Service, including messages sent through its API, are billed as WhatsApp business messages.
For more information, see WhatsApp message sending fees.
How do I send WhatsApp business messages through Chat App Message Service?
You can send messages from the Chat App Message Service console or using an API. The rules for sending messages are the same as those for a standard WhatsApp Business Account. For more information, see Send WhatsApp messages and Send messages.
The WhatsApp Business App and Chat App Message Service share a fixed throughput of 20 mps.
Why can't I send free-form messages to end users?
The service session window between a business and an end user is activated once the business binds its WhatsApp Business application. Before binding, businesses can only reply to an end user with message templates. After binding, businesses can send free-form messages in response to a message from an end user.
In addition, you must open the WhatsApp Business App at least once every 14 days to maintain its connection.