Skip to content
Customer Pro

Getting started

Connect a WhatsApp number

Paste your Meta Cloud API credentials and point Meta's webhook at your workspace.

On this page

Connecting a number is a two-way handshake. You give Customer Pro four values from Meta so it can send; you give Meta a callback URL so it can deliver inbound messages back to you. Miss the second half and you will be able to send but never receive.

Audio
Connecting a WhatsApp number

Getting the four credentials from Meta #

  1. Open your app in Meta for Developers

    Go to developers.facebook.com, open your app, and pick WhatsApp → API Setup.
  2. Copy the phone number ID and WABA ID

    Both are shown on the API Setup screen. The phone number ID identifies the sending number; the WABA ID identifies the business account that owns it. They are different numbers — swapping them is the single most common cause of a connection that validates but never sends.
  3. Create a system user token

    In Meta Business Settings → Users → System Users, add a system user with admin access to your WABA, then generate a token with the whatsapp_business_messaging and whatsapp_business_management permissions. Choose a token that does not expire, or plan to rotate it.
  4. Note the display phone number

    The number in international format, e.g. +91 93590 23913. This is cosmetic — routing uses the phone number ID.

Connecting it here #

  1. Open Settings → WhatsApp Accounts

    Fill in the four values in the Connect a number card and press Connect.
  2. Press Validate

    This calls Meta with your token and reports back whether it is accepted. A token showing valid means sending will work.
  3. Copy the callback URL and verify token

    Both appear on the connected account's card, under Webhook setup. Each connected number gets its own verify token.
  4. Paste them into Meta

    In your Meta app, go to WhatsApp → Configuration → Webhook, paste the callback URL and verify token, and click Verify and Save. Then subscribe to the messages field — without that subscription Meta never sends you anything.
  5. Send yourself a message

    Message the number from your own phone. It should appear in the Inbox within a second or two.

Field reference #

Field What it does
Phone number required The sending number in international format. Display only.
Display name required What your team sees in account pickers. Not shown to customers — Meta controls the name customers see.
WABA ID required Your WhatsApp Business Account ID. Used for template sync and management calls.
Phone number ID required Meta's ID for this specific number. Every outbound message is sent through it.
System user access token required The credential used to authenticate to Meta. Stored encrypted and never shown again in full.
Catalog ID Only needed if you sell through the product catalog. Can be added later.
Default account The number used when a send does not name one. With several numbers connected, set this deliberately.

Where to go next #

Frequently asked

Why do I need both a WABA ID and a phone number ID?
They identify different things. The WABA ID is your WhatsApp Business Account, used for template management. The phone number ID is the specific number messages are sent through. Swapping them produces a connection that validates but never sends.
Can I use a number that is already on the WhatsApp app?
Not directly. A number registered to the consumer WhatsApp app or the WhatsApp Business app has to be migrated off it before the Cloud API can use it.
Messages send but nothing arrives inbound. Why?
Almost always the webhook. Check that the callback URL and verify token are pasted into Meta without trailing spaces, and that the messages field is subscribed in your app configuration.