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 Facebook 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 Facebook Business Manager
• A mobile or landline phone number capable of receiving calls or SMS from the United States 
   

If you are planning to apply for an Official WhatsApp Account (OBA) or looking to send broadcast messages to more than 250 customers per day, you are also required to complete an additional Facebook Business Verification on top of applying for a WhatsApp Business API account. To complete your Facebook Business Verification, you will need:

• A business website with a domain that begins with https:// (e.g. https://abccompany.com)
• The following documents with a matching business name and address printed on the document in the same language
  • A valid Business Registration / Certification of Incorporation
  • Documentation issued within 3 months for business name and address validation. The required documents are based on your contact method as outlined in the table below.  
     

Once you have all the required materials ready, you may proceed with the application. 

Step-by-step application guide

The application process will take ~10-15 minutes to complete. 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 Official API channel settings page, and click "Connect" on the right side of the screen
   
   
   
    
3. You will be prompted to purchase a WhatsApp Business API connection add-on via Stripe. The standard fee is your local currency value equivalent to US$15/month for each connected phone number. 
   
   Click “Pay $15.00 via Stripe” to proceed to payment.
   
   
    
4. You will be directed to Stripe to proceed with the payment. Enter your credit card information and click "Subscribe" to complete the payment.
   
   
    
5. Once payment is complete, you will be redirected back to SleekFlow's WhatsApp Official API connection page
    
6. Under "How to connect", select "Connect Cloud API using a new phone number". Click "Next" to confirm that you have understood the limitations of WhatsApp Official API and to proceed with the application. Please note that once your number is registered on WhatsApp Official API, you will NOT be able to
   
   
   1. Access the WhatsApp Group function to send messages in group chats
   2. Access this WhatsApp account outside of SleekFlow’s web & mobile app, e.g. WhatsApp Business App and WhatsApp Personal App
      
      
       
7. You will see a separate pop up window. Please sign in to your personal Facebook account that has full access rights in Facebook Business Portfolio. 
   
   Input your password, then click "Continue".
   
   
    
8. 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. 
   
   
    
9. Read the permission that you will share with SleekFlow as shown on the screen. 
   
   Click "Get started" to proceed.
   
   
    
10. You will be asked to fill in your business information. 
    
    First, select the business portfolio that you want to connect your WhatsApp Business API account to. Please note that once your WhatsApp Business API account is connected to a business portfolio, it cannot be connected to another business portfolio. 
    
    If you have completed the business portfolio info in Facebook Business Manager, the "Business name", "Business website or profile page", and "Country" fields will be pre-filled. If all details are correct, click "Next" to continue. 
    
    If the fields above are not pre-filled, we highly recommend you to fill in the business portfolio info page in Facebook Business Manager and come back to this step.
    
    
     
11. If it is your first time creating a WhatsApp Business API Account, you will see
     
    
    1. "Create a WhatsApp Business API Account" in the "Choose a WhatsApp Business API Account" field
    2. "Create a new WhatsApp Business profile" in the "Create or Select a WhatsApp Business Profile" field 
       
       You are not required to change any of the fields. After clicking "Next", we will create a WhatsApp business API account and WhatsApp Business Profile in your Facebook Business Manager.
       
       

       💡 WhatsApp Business Account (WABA) is the container for all your WhatsApp Business Profiles in Facebook Business Manager. Please refer to this article to learn more. 

        
       
       
        
12. In this step, we will be creating a WhatsApp Business profile.
    
    
    1. The "WhatsApp Business API Account Name" is a private name for your internal staff to identify the account in Facebook Business Manager
    2. The "WhatsApp Business display name" is a public name that will be exposed to the general public in your WhatsApp profile. You may refer to this article to learn more about the guidelines to choosing a display name. 
    3. "Category" indicates the industry that your business is in. Click the drop down list to choose one that best describes your business. 
       
       After completing the information, click "Next" to continue. 
       
       
        
13. Connect your phone number to the WhatsApp Business profile by choosing the correct country code and inputting your phone number. 
    
    Then, choose a method to get a verification code. You may choose either via "Text message" or "Phone call". 
    
    Click "Next" to get the verification code.
    
    
     
14. You will see a notification stating that the code is sent successfully. Once you receive the code, input it in the brackets. 
    
    Click "Next" to proceed.
    
    
    
     
15. Your application is complete! 
    
    You can now receive unlimited customer-initiated conversation and send a specific amount of business-initiated conversation in a rolling-24 hour period. 
    
    Click "Finish" to connect your WhatsApp Business account with SleekFlow. 
    
    The number of business-initiated conversations that you get depends on the Facebook Business Verification status of your Facebook Business Manager. Check out this article to learn more about the steps to complete Facebook Business Verification. 
    
    
     
16. You will be redirected to back to SleekFlow. In this page, choose the WhatsApp business profile that you just created and fill in the "Channel name". The "Channel name" is private and can only be viewed by your internal staff and SleekFlow. Customers will only see the "Display name". 
    
    Click “Next” to proceed. 
    
    
17. You have successfully connected your WhatsApp Business API Account and Business Profile to SleekFlow! Please review the details of your account, then click "Go to settings" to return to the "Channels" page.
    
    Next, head over to "Channel settings" to create a WhatsApp template!