Quickstart
The whole path from signing up to a live conversation, on one page.
The condensed version for people who have done Meta setup before. Each step links to the detailed guide if you get stuck.
Budget about an hour
Most of it is Meta's side. The app itself takes five minutes.
Create your account
Sign up, then click the link in the confirmation email. Sending stays locked until you do. → Create your account
Create a Meta Business Manager, turn on 2FA
business.facebook.com. Two-factor authentication is required before you can create a system user later. Start business verification now — it runs in the background. → Meta Business Manager
Create an app and a WABA, add your number
developers.facebook.com → create a Business app → add the WhatsApp product → create a WhatsApp Business Account → add and verify your phone number. The number must not currently be on WhatsApp. → Create your WABA and add a phone number
Submit a display name
Use your real business name, not a category word. → Display name approval
Create a system user and generate a token
Business Settings → Users → System users → Add. Assign both the app and
the WABA as assets. Generate a token with expiry Never and the
whatsapp_business_messaging + whatsapp_business_management permissions.
Copy it — it is shown once. → System-user access token
Paste it into the app
Settings → Connections → Add connection. You need the WABA ID, the Phone Number ID and the token. → Connecting WhatsApp
Test it
Message your business number from a personal phone, then reply from the inbox. → Verify and send your first message
The three values you will be hunting for
| Value | Where it lives |
|---|---|
| WABA ID | Business Settings → Accounts → WhatsApp accounts |
| Phone Number ID | Your app → WhatsApp → API Setup |
| System-user token | Business Settings → Users → System users |
Not the phone number, not the Business ID. See the overview if those are easy to mix up.