Connecting WhatsApp
Choose how to connect, then either sign in with Facebook or add your token and WABA ID, pick your number and verify.
There are two ways to connect WhatsApp. Both end with the same working connection; they differ in who does the setup in Meta.
Choose how to connect
When you click Add connection, the wizard's first step is Choose how to connect:
| Connect with Facebook (recommended) | Enter credentials manually | |
|---|---|---|
| How it works | A Meta window walks you through it; we receive access automatically | You set up everything in Meta's tools, then paste a token and WABA ID |
| Time | About 10 minutes | 30–60 minutes the first time |
| Token | None to create, copy or rotate | You generate a system-user token |
| Creates the WABA and number for you | Yes, inside the Meta window | No, you create them first |
| You choose a PIN | Yes, if the number is new | No, you register the number in Meta |
| Best for | Most businesses | Teams that manage Meta assets themselves, or when the Facebook option is unavailable |
- Connect with Facebook: follow Connect with Facebook. The rest of this page is not needed.
- Enter credentials manually: carry on below. If you have already created your Business Manager, your WhatsApp Business Account and a system-user token, you are ready. If not, work through Getting your Meta account ready first. The steps below assume those exist.
Don't see the Facebook option?
The platform operator turns it on per environment. If the wizard only offers the manual path, use that. It is fully supported.
1. Before you begin
You need three things in place:
- A Meta Business account — Business Manager
- A WhatsApp Business Account (WABA) with a phone number — WhatsApp accounts
- A system-user access token with WhatsApp permissions — System users
Do it in one sitting
The system-user token is shown exactly once. Have this page open next to Meta's so you can paste it straight into the wizard.
2. Gather your credentials
Two values to bring, one to pick, two optional. You bring the system-user token and the WABA ID. The wizard uses them to list the numbers on your WhatsApp Business Account, and you pick yours, so there is no Phone Number ID to copy. Each card below tells you where a value lives in Meta's tools.
System-User Access Token
A permanent System-User token authorizing API calls for your account.
Where to find it
- Open Meta Business Settings → Users → System users.
- Create (or select) a System User and click "Generate new token".
- Select your app and grant whatsapp_business_messaging and whatsapp_business_management (add catalog_management for products).
- Copy the token — it is shown only once.
- The setup wizard uses this token to list the phone numbers on your WhatsApp Business Account.
Meta system-user token
WhatsApp Business Account ID (WABA ID)
The ID of the WhatsApp Business Account that owns your phone number.
Where to find it
- Open Meta Business Settings → Accounts → WhatsApp accounts.
- Select your WhatsApp Business Account.
- Copy the ID shown at the top (also visible in the API Setup page of your app).
e.g. 102290129340398
Phone Number ID
The specific phone number that sends and receives. You pick it from Meta's list in the setup wizard, so there's nothing to copy.
Where to find it
- In the setup wizard, enter your token and WABA ID, click "Find numbers", and pick your number. The ID is filled in for you.
- To enter it by hand instead: open your app at developers.facebook.com → WhatsApp → API Setup.
- Under "Send and receive messages", copy the "Phone number ID". It is not the phone number itself, and not the WABA ID.
e.g. 109534567891234
Meta Business ID
(optional)Your Business Manager ID. Optional, used for some account-level calls.
Where to find it
- Open Meta Business Settings → Business info.
- Copy the "Business ID" shown on that page.
Meta Business Manager ID
Commerce Catalog ID
(optional)The product catalog to sync. Required only if you use Products & Orders.
Where to find it
- Open Meta Commerce Manager → your catalog.
- Go to Catalog → Settings and copy the Catalog ID.
Catalog ID (required for Products & Orders)
Pick the number rather than typing its ID
The WABA ID and the Phone Number ID look alike: both are long numbers of about 15 digits. Putting one in the other's field is the most common setup mistake, so the wizard lists your numbers for you, and checks the IDs with Meta before saving.
3. Enter them in the app
Open Settings → Connections
In the app sidebar, go to Settings, then Connections.
Click Add connection
That opens the guided setup wizard. On Choose how to connect, pick Enter credentials manually.
Enter your token and WABA ID
Give the connection a name, then paste the token and the WABA ID. Every field has a ? icon with a "where to find it" hint.
Find numbers and pick yours
Click Find numbers. The wizard lists the numbers on your WhatsApp Business Account; pick the one this connection should use. If the list won't load, the message tells you whether the WABA ID or the token is wrong. You can also open Enter the Phone Number ID manually and type it.
Create & verify
Before anything is saved, the IDs are checked with Meta. If something doesn't match, the wizard says which field to fix. Once saved, the last step shows the number you connected and checks your token. A green result means you are connected.
4. Changing the number later
To move a connection to a different number:
- If the number is on a different WhatsApp Business Account, open Settings → Connections → Cloud credentials, enter that account's WABA ID, and save. The app checks the new WABA ID with Meta, and warns you about any connection whose number is not on it.
- On the connection's card, click Change next to the phone number and pick the new number from the list.
5. Webhooks
You do not need to configure a webhook. Inbound messages are delivered automatically once your number is connected — incoming chats appear in your inbox in real time.
The last step of the wizard, and every connection card, shows an Incoming messages line. Receiving messages means Meta sends this number's messages to The Rook. Anything else comes with fix steps: see Inbound messages do not appear.
The webhook is configured once, at the platform level, by the platform operator. It is not a per-customer task.
If you run the platform yourself
A platform admin will find the Callback URL and Verify Token under Settings → Connections → Webhook setup.
What to do next
Send a test message to prove the whole path works end to end — see Verify and send your first message.
If verification failed, Connection troubleshooting covers every error the wizard can show.