Before you start

What you need to prepare

To connect a WhatsApp Business API account to SleekFlow, make sure you have:

• Access to a personal Facebook account with Full Access Rights in Meta Business Portfolio
• Two-factor authentication turned on for your personal Facebook account
• A completed Business Info page in Meta Business Portfolio
• A mobile or landline phone number that can receive calls or SMS from the United States
• A payment method for the WhatsApp Business API connection add-on, if applicable

Optional steps mentioned in this article

This article also explains a few optional steps that may apply depending on your business needs:

• Meta Business Portfolio verification (Recommended)
  If you want to increase messaging limits, send broadcast messages to more contacts per day, add more phone numbers, or apply for a WhatsApp Official Business Account later.
• WhatsApp Official Business Account application (Optional) 
  You can consider applying for OBA after connection if you want customers to recognize your WhatsApp account as your official brand account.
• MM API activation
  For eligible Meta Business Accounts, SleekFlow will automatically request MM API access during the connection process. After Meta approves the request, you still need to accept Meta’s terms in WhatsApp Manager before MM API features become available.

Applying for a WhatsApp Business API account

Unlike WhatsApp Business App and WhatsApp Personal App, WhatsApp Business API accounts can only be applied for through official Meta Business Solution Partners (BSP) like SleekFlow. To apply, you will require the following:

• Access to a personal Facebook account with "Full Access Rights" in Meta Business Portfolio. Check if you have full access rights here. 
• 2-factor authentication turned on in your Facebook Personal account. Learn how to turn on 2-factor authentication here.
• Completed Business Info page in Meta Business Portfolio.
• A mobile or landline phone number capable of receiving calls or SMS from the United States. 

Applying for Meta Business Portfolio verification

Applying for Meta Business Portfolio verification

Before connecting your number to WhatsApp Business API, we recommend preparing your Meta Business Portfolio verification documents in advance.

Meta Business Portfolio verification confirms your business identity in Meta. It may be required if you want to increase messaging limits, send broadcast messages to more contacts per day, or apply for a WhatsApp Official Business Account later.

To complete Meta Business Portfolio verification, you’ll need:

• A business website with a domain that matches your business
• Business documents with a matching business name and address, such as:
  • A valid Business Registration or Certificate of Incorporation
  • Documents issued within the last 3 months for business name and address validation

Once you have all the required materials ready, you may proceed with the application.  Learn more about verifying your Business in Meta’s documentation.

Step-by-step application guide

The application process will take approximately 10–15 minutes. To apply for a new WhatsApp Business API account: 

1. Sign in to your SleekFlow account and go to "Channels" by clicking on the icon on left sidebar
2. Go to the WhatsApp Business API channel settings page, and click "Connect" on the right side of the screen. 
   
    
3. Under "Select how would you connect", select "Connect your phone number to WhatsApp Business API”
4. Click “Continue on Meta” to proceed
   
    

4. Before connection begins, you are required to purchase a WhatsApp Business API connection add-on. A pop-up modal will appear. Click “Pay US$15.00 via Stripe” to continue
   
    
5. You will be directed to Stripe to proceed with the payment. Enter your credit card information and click "Subscribe" to complete the payment. 
   
6. Once payment is complete, return to SleekFlow and go to the “WhatsApp Business API” channel page. 
7. Click “Connect” at the top right corner
   
    
8. Select “Connect your phone number to WhatsApp Business API”, then click “Continue on Meta” to open the Embedded Signup window and continue the setup. 
   

10. You will see a separate pop up window. Please sign in to your personal Facebook account that has full access rights in Meta Business Portfolio.
    Input your password, then click "Continue". 
    
     
11. Once signed in, click "Continue as {your user name}" to proceed to the next step. If you are not on the correct account, click "Log into another account" to return to the previous step. 
    
     
12. On the “Seamlessly connect your account to SleekFlow page”, review the information about connecting your WhatsApp Business Account to SleekFlow. Click “Continue” to proceed.
    
     
13. On the Add your WhatsApp phone number page, select the option to create a new phone number. Select your country code, enter your WhatsApp phone number, and click “Next”.
    
     

13. On the “Verify your phone number” page, enter the verification code sent to your phone number. If you don't receive the code, follow the instructions on the screen to request a new code or change your verification method. Click “Next” to continue.
    
     
14. On the Select the business assets to share with SleekFlow page, select the Business Portfolio you want to connect your WhatsApp Business API account to.
    Under WhatsApp Business account, select an existing WhatsApp Business Account or click Create a WhatsApp Business account if you don't have one.
    Click “Next” to continue. 
    💡 A WhatsApp Business Account (WABA) is the container for all your WhatsApp Business Profiles in Meta Business Portfolio (previously known as Facebook Business Manager).
    
     
15. If you're creating a new WhatsApp Business Account, complete the “Enter business information for new assets” page.
    
    
    1. Name: Enter your business name. This name will be used as your WhatsApp Business Account name and WhatsApp display name.
       1. Your WhatsApp Business display name is a public name that customers can see on your WhatsApp profile. You may refer to Meta's display name guidelines to learn more about choosing a display name.
    2. Category: Select the category that best describes your business.
    3. Country: Select your business country.
    4. Website: Enter your business website or profile page. This field is optional. If your business doesn't have a website or profile page, select My business doesn't have a website or profile page. You can also click “Show more options” to view additional settings.
    5. Time zone: Select your business time zone.
16. On the Review what you'll share with SleekFlow page, review the business assets and permissions you're sharing with SleekFlow. SleekFlow will be able to manage your WhatsApp accounts, manage and access conversations in WhatsApp, and log events on your WhatsApp Business Account's behalf and send those events to Meta.
    
    Click Confirm to continue.
17. Once the connection is complete, you'll see Your account is connected to SleekFlow. Click “Continue” to feature setup. A new page will open for Meta's feature setup. Return to SleekFlow's Channels page to continue the connection process.
    
    
    1. Note: Meta may require additional business verification before you can begin messaging. Follow the instructions provided by Meta if verification is required.
18. Return to SleekFlow and wait for the Connect WhatsApp Business API page to finish loading.
    
19. Under “Connect channel”, select the WhatsApp phone number you just connected and enter a unique Channel name.
    
    
    1. The Channel name is private and can only be viewed by your internal staff and SleekFlow. Customers will only see your Display name.
    2. Click Next to proceed.
20. Under Auto top-up, choose whether to configure automatic top-ups for your WhatsApp messaging balance. You can set up auto top-up now or later. If you want to configure it now, enter the Minimum balance, which triggers an automatic top-up, and the Auto top-up value, which determines the amount to add. 
    
    Click “Next” to continue.
21. You have successfully connected your WhatsApp Business API Account and Business Profile to SleekFlow!
    
    On the “Overview” page, review your account details, including your WhatsApp Business Account, WhatsApp display name, business verification status, and daily messaging limit.
22. Click “View message in Inbox” and send a test message to your connected WhatsApp number from another WhatsApp account. Check whether the message appears in SleekFlow Inbox to confirm that the connection is working.

After connecting your WhatsApp Business API account

After your WhatsApp Business API account is connected to SleekFlow, you can review optional next steps depending on your business needs.

Apply for a WhatsApp Official Business Account

A WhatsApp Official Business Account, or OBA, is optional and not required to connect or use WhatsApp Business API in SleekFlow.

An OBA is a WhatsApp Business API account that Meta has verified as the official account for a notable business. If approved, the account displays a blue checkmark next to the business name in WhatsApp.

OBA can help your business:

• Build customer trust
   The blue checkmark helps customers recognize that they are messaging your official brand account.
• Reduce confusion with unofficial accounts
   OBA helps customers distinguish your verified business account from impersonator, reseller, or unofficial accounts.
• Increase brand credibility in conversations
   A verified account can make your business appear more reliable when customers receive messages or start conversations with you.
• Support brand consistency
   OBA helps present your WhatsApp presence as part of your official customer communication channels.

Meta Business Portfolio verification may be required if you want to apply for OBA later.

Complete MM API activation

For eligible Meta Business Accounts, SleekFlow will automatically request MM API access during the WhatsApp Business API connection process. After Meta approves the request, you still need to accept Meta’s terms in WhatsApp Manager before you can use MM API features.

To complete MM API activation:

1. Sign in to WhatsApp Manager.
2. Look for the alert banner at the top of the page.
3. Click “Accept terms to get started”.