Set up a new phone from zero

Set up

Prerequisites for set up

Before you start using the WhatsApp Business API, you will need the following:

  • A Facebook account.
  • Admin access to your Meta Business Manager account. If you don’t have a Meta Business Manager account, you can create one during the embedded sign-up process. Additionally, the Meta Business account must not be restricted (you can check here if there are any restrictions on your Meta Business account).
  • A credit card (Mastercard/Visa – no American Express!).
  • A phone number not associated with any WhatsApp or WhatsApp Business account. (if you already have WhatsApp Business see Step 2 and choose the option “Connect your existing WhatsApp Business App”)
    • This phone number must be able to receive SMS or calls.
    • If you already have a WhatsApp account, there are two options:

Instructions step by step

Step 1: Login in Facebook

To start the process, log in to the GoChat platform, navigate to the “dashboard,” click on “WhatsApp Cloud” in the left sidebar, and then click the “Connect WhatsApp Cloud” button.

In the pop-up window, log in to your Facebook account or select the account you are already logged into in your browser.

Step 2: Select or Create a Meta Business Manager Account

  • You can select an existing Meta Business Manager account where you have admin permissions or create a new one.
  • To create a new account, prepare the following details:
  • Legal business name
  • Business phone number
  • Business website
  • Business email address
  • Country
  • Business address
  • City
  • State/Province/Region

Note: Newly created business managers will initially be “unverified.” It’s highly recommended to verify your business manager as soon as possible. Follow these instructions to complete the verification.

Select the options that best suit your case

Step 3: Create a WhatsApp Business Profile (if you don’t have one already)

  1. Enter your WhatsApp Business Account (WABA) name.
  2. This information is not visible to your audience.
  3. Enter your display name for the WhatsApp Business profile.
  4. Display Name Requirements:
  5. Meta must review and approve the name.
  6. It should match external branding sources (e.g., website or marketing materials).
  7. It must align with WhatsApp’s business and commerce policies and their Display Name Guidelines.
  8. Choose a business category from the list.
  9. Add a business description (editable anytime, even after verification).

Step 4: Verify Your WhatsApp Business Number

  • Enter the phone number you wish to use as your WhatsApp Business number. This number cannot already be connected to any WhatsApp service.
    • In case you are syncing a number that is already used in another platform (like Botmaker), you must delete the current partner attached to the WABA where the number is.
  • Choose a verification method:
    • SMS
    • Voice Call

Once verified, you’ll see a confirmation screen. Click Finish to return to the GoChat platform.

Step 5: Finalize Registration in GoChat

  1. On the GoChat dashboard, click Synchronize Numbers to register the phone number.

  1. Registered numbers will appear in the platform. By default, the status is Paused. Change the status to Active.

  1. If the status in the WhatsApp Manager under Phone Numbers shows as Pending, go back to GoChat, click Settings, and register the number there. After completing registration, the status will change to Connected.

TIP: Click on “Health Check” to very that is everything okey! #health-check

Your bot is now ready for testing!

Step 6: Test Your Connection

  1. After connecting the WhatsApp number, create a simple flow by clicking Create Flow.

  1. Publish the flow and send a message from your personal WhatsApp number to the WhatsApp Cloud API number.
  2. If the bot responds, the connection is successful.

Next, go to Content > Message Templates and click Synchronize. If no errors occur, the message templates are working properly.

  • You can also create a new template directly in GoChat.

Step 7: Set Up Billing

Before sending message templates or activating your bot, connect a valid credit card in WhatsApp Manager’s Billing Section.

  • Note: If your business manager account is unverified, it is recommended to complete the verification to avoid risks of restriction.

Step 8: Advanced Configuration

GoChat provides additional settings for managing the WhatsApp API:

  • Health Check
  • Business Verification Status
  • Payment Method Verification
  • Phone Numbers
  • Message Templates
  • Catalog
  • Two-Factor Authentication
  • Unregister Number

Once the setup and testing are complete, your WhatsApp Cloud API will be fully functional!

Settings

GoChat offer a few settings that can help you manage your WhatsApp API easily, if you click the 3 dots in the WhatsApp Cloud, and you will find the settings below:

  • Health Check
  • Business Verification Status
  • Check payment method
  • Phone numbers
  • Message Templates
  • Catalog
  • Two Factor Authentication
  • De-Register number

Business verification process of BM (Optional)

If you have not completed the Business Verification process, you will be limited to associating with only two phone numbers and can have a maximum of 250 conversations per day.

If this limit is exceeded, the account will be automatically canceled after 15 days.

However, during this period, you can still test the service. Once your business has been verified, you can associate WABA with up to 20 phone numbers and the conversation limit will increase to 1000 per day.

Check payment method

The first thing when you you do is to connect a valid credit card to your WABA numbers. If you haven’t connect to a valid card, and start sending WhatsApp template message, you will see the error below:

[ { “error_code”: 141006, “error_description”: “There is an error with the payment method.”, “possible_solution”: “There was an error with your payment method. Please add a new payment method to the account.” } ]

Just just need to connect a valid credit card with your waba numbers.

You will need go to meta business manager and find WhatsApp account.

And click “Payment Settings”

You can set your payment at https://business.facebook.com/billing_hub/payment_methods and see WhatsApp Payment Method.

Health Check

If you click the health check, you will see the screenshot below:

This will give you an overview of your phone number status, WABA status, Meta Business account status.

Phone numbers

A WhatsApp Business Account (WABA) needs a valid phone number that is dedicated to using the WhatsApp Business Platform.

This guide introduces how to choose phone numbers, add them to your account, and related sending limitations.

Once you click this option, you will be redirect to “phone numbers” in your WhatsApp manager, and the status of your phone number will falls into below categories:

Status is classified as follows:

  • Connected: Sender functions normally.
  • Flagged: This status occurs when the sender quality rating reaches a low (red) state. During this state, you cannot upgrade the messaging limit tier. If the quality rating improves to either a medium or high state within 7 days from the day the sender status was moved to Flagged, the status changes to Connected. If the quality rating does not improve, the sender status returns to Connected, but the messaging limit decreases to the next lower tier. The lowest tier for verified businesses is Tier 1.
  • Restricted: This status occurs when the sender reaches the messaging limit. During the Restricted phase, you cannot send any outbound (notification) messages until the 24-hour window is reset. You can only respond to messages that end users initiate.
  • Pending: You can click “registrate numbers” to connect your phone numbers.

Add a phone number to a WABA

Currently, each Verified Meta Business Manager can have up to 20 phone numbers, regardless of the number of WABAs.

If you would like to add a new number, please add it through the embedded signup process.

Change display name

Each phone number has its display name, and this name should be related to your company name or brand name. The display name will be reviewed by Meta. You can go to Meta to change the name.

Delete phone number from a WABA

For complete removal, please follow the steps below:

  1. In the Business Manager, go to your Business Settings page.
  2. Go to Settings > Business Settings > WhatsApp Accounts > WhatsApp Manager > Phone Numbers.
  3. From the WhatsApp Manager, find the phone number that you wish to delete. Click on the trash icon under Delete in the upper right.

Some points:

  • Only a business admin for the WhatsApp Business Account can delete a phone number.
  • A number can not be deleted if the business has sent paid messages within the last 30 days using that number.
  • Once a number has been deleted from the WhatsApp Business Platform, it can be used again in the WhatsApp app, or may be registered again in the WhatsApp Business Platform. Note that different rules apply to deleted phones that had been banned by the WhatsApp Business Platform.
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