WhatsApp Business · The install
Installing it, step by step.
Done through the WhatsApp Business Platform, the cloud version Meta runs, so there is no phone that has to stay charged and no app that logs out.
The install
The six setup steps, in order.
- 01
Choose the line
A number can only belong to one WhatsApp account at a time, and moving it off a personal account deletes that account's chats, so we check first.
My business numberWorks if it is not on a personal WhatsApp. We check first.A dedicated numberProvisioned local to your customers.Moving a number off a personal WhatsApp account deletes that account’s chats. - 02
Meta Business Manager and verification
Business created or connected, documents submitted, verification usually back within days. Until then the line can message a limited number of new customers per day; after, the limits rise with quality.
Legal business nameAddressWebsite or business listingBeforeAfter - 03
Connect the number to the Cloud API
The number is registered to the WhatsApp Business Platform, the one-time code is entered, the display name is submitted for review, and the webhook that carries incoming messages to the assistant is wired.
That is the only step that needs youOne-time codesent by text or phone callDisplay namesent to Meta for reviewSentWebhookthe address WhatsApp sends each incoming message toConnected - 04
Templates
The first message to someone who has not written in 24 hours must be an approved template. We write them in your voice, submit them, and keep the approved set current.
They write24 hWithin 24 hours of their message: a normal replyAfter 24 hours: only an approved templateTemplates for first contactWe keep several approved so there is always one that fits. - 05
Attach the assistant
The same assistant as your iMessage line, with one extra rule: WhatsApp is warm follow-up only. It goes out after a customer has replied somewhere, never as a cold first touch.
iMessageWhatsAppThe same AI assistantFollow-up onlyRefused if the person has not written to you first. - 06
Go live, keep it alive
Opt-out honoured instantly, quality rating watched, templates rotated before they tire. A number that gets rated low gets throttled; the rules above are how you avoid it.
Low quality rating: Meta limits sendingHigh quality rating: the number keeps workingOpt-outs honoured at onceQuality rating watchedTemplates replaced before people ignore them
Warm only
Why warm only?
WhatsApp is where a conversation continues, not where it starts. The assistant writes to people who have written first, on any channel.
Cold WhatsApp messages get reported, reports lower the quality rating, and a low rating throttles the number. Warm follow-up keeps the rating high and the line useful for years.
Questions
Can I use the number I already have on personal WhatsApp?
Not at the same time. A number belongs to one WhatsApp account. Moving it to the business platform deletes the personal account's chats. We check before anything is done and usually recommend a dedicated number for the business line.
Why warm only?
Cold WhatsApp messages get reported, reports lower the quality rating, and a low rating throttles the number. Warm follow-up keeps the rating high and the line useful for years.
Can customers abroad use it?
Yes; that is the point of the channel. The assistant answers in their language and Meta's fee varies by country, shown at cost.
How long does verification take?
Meta usually answers within a few business days. The line can message before verification, at a lower daily limit for new conversations.
Do I need to keep a phone on?
No. The Cloud API runs on Meta's side. There is no phone to charge and no app that logs out.
More about these lines
A WhatsApp Business account set up for you, and answered by an AI assistant.
Set up the way Meta requires, and used only to reply to people who have already written to you.
An iMessage line on the phone number your business already uses, answered by an AI assistant.
Customers text your existing business number and get iMessage replies (blue bubbles on iPhones) from an AI assistant that follows the permissions you set.
Set it up this week.
Text me the number you want to use and what the business does. I'll tell you whether it can be moved and what the first template should say.