Before you send WhatsApp business messages, create a WhatsApp send account in Chat App Message Service and bind a WhatsApp Business Account (WABA) to it. This topic describes how to create the send account, create a Business Manager (BM) account, bind a WABA through Facebook embedded signup, and complete the follow-up tasks that make the account ready to send messages.
Preparations
The following preparations apply to the WhatsApp Business API method. If your materials are incomplete, embedded signup can fail midway or BM verification can be rejected.
Alibaba Cloud account and service activation
Alibaba Cloud account registration and enterprise identity verification have been completed.
Chat App Message Service has been activated.
Facebook account
Good standing — Your Facebook account is in good standing.
Identity consistency — Your Facebook account name must match your government-issued ID.
No violation history — No prior Meta policy violations on your account.
Email domain — If you use a company email domain, the domain must have no Meta policy violations.
Facebook account registration — If you do not have an account, register on the official website.
Two-factor authentication — Enable two-factor authentication on your Facebook account.
Business information
Business name and address — Must match your business license.
Official website — Must display your business name.
Business phone number — Used for BM verification. Must receive SMS or voice calls.
Bank statement or tax bill — Used for BM verification. Must include your business name and phone number.
Verification email — The email domain must match your website domain.
Information consistency — The business information that you submit for the WABA must match the information that you used to register Alibaba Cloud Chat App Message Service.
Phone number for WABA registration
Prepare a phone number for your WABA.
Ensure that this number can receive verification codes via SMS or voice call.
For the WhatsApp Business API method, the phone number must never have been registered with WhatsApp.
Create the send account and bind a WABA
The following steps follow the console wizard: open the create send account page, select a connection method, set the sender information, create a BM account, and then complete embedded signup to bind the WABA. On every wizard page, you can click Previous to go back and change your input.
Step 1: Open the create send account page
Use either of the following entry points to open the create send account page.
From the overview page
Log on to the Chat App Message Service console.
In the Instant Message > WhatsApp section of the Overview page, find the WhatsApp service card.
On the card, click Add account.
WhatsApp service overview page
Log on to the Chat App Message Service console.
In the left-side navigation pane, choose Instant Message > WhatsApp.
Click Create send account.
Step 2: Select a connection method
On the account type page, confirm the connection method. For the criteria, see the "Connection methods" section of this topic.
Click the card for the connection method that you want to use.
At the bottom of the page, click Next.
If you select WhatsApp Business API, continue with Step 3 through Step 5 in this topic. If you select WhatsApp Business App coexistence, the subsequent steps differ. For instructions, see Best practices for WhatsApp Business App coexistence.
Step 3: Set the sender information
Provide the basic information that identifies the send account in the console.
In the Send account name field, enter a name for the account. The name identifies the send account in the console, so use a meaningful name. The name can be up to 50 characters in length.
(Optional) In the Remarks field, enter a description of up to 150 characters in length.
At the bottom of the page, click Next to go to embedded signup. To return to Step 2 and select a different connection method, click Previous.
Step 4: Create a BM account
A Business Manager (BM) account hosts your WABA and your business verification. (Recommended) Create the BM account in the Alibaba Cloud Management Console so that registration and binding run in one continuous flow. For the link-forwarding constraint and collaboration patterns, see the "Operator identity and collaboration" section of this topic. Use the Facebook website only when you need to create the BM account ahead of the registration flow.
Method 1: Create the BM account in the Alibaba Cloud console (recommended)
After you set the sender information, the console opens the embedded signup page. BM creation and WABA registration run in the same continuous flow. For instructions, see Step 5.
Method 2: Create the BM account on the Facebook website
Log on to your Facebook account.
Go to Meta Business Suite, enter your business name and website as prompted, and then submit the information.
After the submission succeeds, your BM account is created. Return to the console and continue with Step 5 to complete embedded signup.
Step 5: Complete embedded signup and bind the WABA
Complete Facebook authorization, business information, WABA creation, and phone number verification on the embedded signup page. After registration succeeds, the WABA is bound to the current send account.
Review the "Quotas and limits" section of this topic before you register the WABA. The WABA that you register in this step is bound to the send account that you created in Step 3.
On the embedded signup page in the console, click Start signup to open the Facebook embedded signup page.
If you are already logged on to Facebook with the account that you want to use for the WABA, click Continue as XX.
If you are not logged on, or the current account is not the one that you want to use, click Log in to another account, and then log on with another account or create a Facebook account.
If the page does not load for a long time, check whether your network can reach Facebook domains and whether ad blocker extensions are disabled.
On the Facebook embedded signup page, click Get started.
The following registration steps are for reference only. Meta's official website provides the latest steps.
Enter your business information as prompted, including the business name, business email address, official website or business page, and country or region. Then click Continue.
Enter complete and accurate business information. Inaccurate information can affect business verification and the Official Business Account (OBA) application.
Create the WABA. Set the WhatsApp Business account name, select a time zone, and then click Continue.
Review the permissions that Chat App Message Service requests, and then click Continue.
To allow Alibaba Cloud Singapore to manage your WhatsApp Business Account (WABA), you must grant WhatsApp Business Account access permissions and billing management permissions.
Activate the service and complete phone number verification. Facebook sends a verification code by SMS or voice call to the phone number that you register. Enter the code to verify the number.
If the embedded signup page reports that the verification code cannot be received, wait a few hours in the Alibaba Cloud Management Console and try again. You can also log on to the Meta WhatsApp Manager and try to receive the verification code there. For other remedies, see the "What should I do if I can't receive a verification code?" entry in the FAQ section of this topic.
After Facebook verifies your information, click Done.
Expected result
After registration succeeds, the page displays the following account information:
WABA ID — The unique identifier of the WhatsApp Business Account.
Account Name — The account name that you set on the Meta platform.
Bound phone number — The business phone number used to send messages.
Account status — The status of the send account, which is Bound.
If you create a new Meta business account or WhatsApp Business account, you must wait for WhatsApp approval after embedded signup before you can use the account. After approval, your WABA is bound to the send account and the WABA status changes to APPROVED. You can then go to the account details page and use WABA Management to add, sync, and configure phone numbers. For instructions, see Manage WhatsApp send accounts.
From the registration result page, you can continue as follows:
Click the send account name to open the management page of the send account, where you can view the data panel, manage the WABA, design message templates, send messages, view data reports, manage media and variables, and configure service settings.
Click Back to service list to return to the WhatsApp service overview page.
What to do next
A bound WABA is not yet ready to send messages. Add and verify the phone numbers that you need, create message templates and pass template review, and complete business verification.
Add phone numbers
To host more phone numbers under the same WABA, add them as follows. For the number of phone numbers that a WABA supports, see the "Quotas and limits" section of this topic.
Log on to the Chat App Message Service console.
In the left-side navigation pane, choose Instant Message > WhatsApp.
Find the send account that you created, and click the send account name.
Choose WABA Management > Add Phone Number.
In the dialog box that appears, set the following parameters, and then click OK.
Parameter | Description |
Phone Number Type | Select the business type for which the phone number is used. |
Name | The display name of the phone number in the console, which distinguishes one number from another. The name must be related to your brand, and we recommend that you use a distinct display name for each number. For example, if your brand is "ABC," your display names can be "ABC plus" and "ABC support." |
Country/Region | Select the country or region that the phone number belongs to. This selection determines the international calling code of the number. |
Phone Number | Enter the phone number without the country or region code. The code is determined by the preceding parameter. |
The number that you add appears in the phone number list and is unverified at first. You must complete phone number verification before you can use the number. For instructions, see Manage WhatsApp send accounts.
Create message templates
Meta requires that the first business-to-customer message uses a template, so create templates that match your business scenarios. Create the templates, submit them for review, and wait until they are approved. You can start sending messages only after a template is approved. Templates cover many scenarios. For instructions, see Template design. Contact your account manager if you have any questions.
Complete business verification
Business verification is not required to register a WABA, but complete it to avoid account issues later. Business verification also determines how many phone numbers your WABA supports and how many customers you can reach. For details, see the "Quotas and limits" section of this topic.
Submit business verification to Meta
After WABA registration is complete, submit business verification in the Security Center of Meta Business. For the full verification flow, see Start verification. The console path is as follows:
Go to the Meta business verification page.
Click Settings.
In the left-side menu bar, click Security Center. On the right, find the business entity bound to your WABA, and then click Start verification.
Complete your BM information
Business name — Must match the name on your business license.
Business address — Must match the address on your business license.
Business phone number — Must match the phone number on your bank statement or tax bill.
Submit the BM verification materials
Business license — Submit your business license.
Bank statement or tax bill — The document must include your phone number.
Email verification — Receive a code by email to verify your domain.
Phone verification — Receive a verification code and a voice call to verify your phone number and its association with your company.
BM verification usually takes 48 hours. Monitor messages from Meta. If review exceeds 48 hours, contact your account manager.
Apply for an official business account (OBA)
An Official Business Account (OBA) application is optional, but an OBA provides additional permissions and features and improves brand credibility.
Application requirements:
Your BM account has passed verification.
Your display name is in the approved state.
To submit an application:
Submit your request to your account manager.
Provide at least five brand-related websites, including articles that promote your brand name.
FAQ
What materials do I need to create a send account?
WABA API: A Facebook account, a business phone number that is not associated with another WABA, a personal WhatsApp account, or a Business App, and company information, such as the company name, address, website, and phone number.
Business App: A WhatsApp Business App account and a phone number.
What should I do if Meta authorization fails?
Check the following items:
Your Facebook account is in good standing and is not restricted.
The phone number is not used by another WABA.
Your network connectivity can reach the Meta platform.
The business information that you entered is complete and accurate.
If the issue persists, contact technical support.
How many WhatsApp send accounts can I create?
The quota for sending accounts is the same for all account types. The default maximum is 100 accounts. If you need a higher quota, contact your operations manager to request an increase.
How soon can I send messages after I create an account?
After the account is created, create message templates and submit them for review. Template review usually takes 1 to 3 business days. You can send messages after a template is approved.
Why was my WABA banned, and how can I fix it?
Possible reasons:
The name of your BM account or WABA is generic or unrelated, and does not match your company or brand name.
BM verification is not complete.
Solutions:
Make sure that your BM account and WABA names are relevant to your business and brand name.
Complete BM business verification.
For more information, see WABA unbanning and prevention guide.
How do I resolve a website link flagged as invalid because it does not allow guest access?
If Meta flags a website URL as invalid, resolve the issue in the following order:
Submit a request review.
Provide a detailed description of your website content and its relevance to your business.
If the issue persists, contact your account manager to submit a ticket with Meta.
How do I establish a valid link between my business and my website?
To avoid having your URL flagged as invalid, make sure that the following conditions are met:
Website accessibility — The website is complete, has no broken links, and is accessible to other users. When you check it with a debugger, the status code must be 200. You can use the Facebook Sharing Debugger.
Website content — The website displays your company's brand logo and clearly describes the products and services that your company provides.
Domain consistency — The website domain matches the email domain. For example, website
www.alibaba.comand emailbo*@alibaba.com.
What should I do if I can't receive a verification code?
Facebook two-factor authentication settings — Configure two-factor authentication on your Facebook account to prevent verification code delivery issues.
Phone numbers in the Chinese mainland — Delivery to numbers in the Chinese mainland can be unstable. Check with your carrier whether the message was blocked, and check whether international SMS is enabled.
Can I register a WABA without completing Meta business verification?
Yes, but with restrictions:
Submit a review request.
Describe in detail the relationship between your website content and your business.
If the issue persists, contact your account manager to submit a ticket to Meta.
Can I export the numbers that failed in bulk messaging?
No. Exporting the list of failed phone numbers is not supported.