About the Platform
WhatsApp helps billions of people to connect and share with the people they care about. Currently, WhatsApp offers the following products:
Unlike the consumer app and small business app, the business platform is not an app, but a programming language interface that allows you to connect at scale. The WhatsApp Business Platform is the product being covered on the documentation you are currently browsing.
Overview
The WhatsApp Business Platform allows medium and large businesses to communicate with their customers at scale. Using our APIs, businesses can connect thousands of agents and bots to interact with customers programmatically and manually. Additionally, the APIs can be integrated with numerous backend systems, such as CRM and marketing platforms.
The WhatsApp Business Platform consists of the following APIs:
WhatsApp Business Platform Cloud API
The Cloud API allows you to send and receive messages to and from customers using cloud-based servers owned by Meta. Since we host the API, you avoid the cost of hosting your own servers and can easily scale your business messaging.
WhatsApp Business Platform On-Premises API
The On-Premises API allows you to send and receive messages to and from customers using your own servers.
WhatsApp Business Management API
The WhatsApp Business Management API allows you to manage your WhatsApp Business Account settings and assets, and get quality status updates.
Business Assets
To send messages using the WhatsApp Business Platform you will need a name to be displayed in WhatsApp messages seen by customers, a phone number associated with your business account, a WhatsApp Business Account, and a Meta Business Manager.
If you are working with one of our Solution Partners, this will be done for you by them.
Display Names
The Display Name is the name of your business that is shown to customers in WhatsApp. More information, including
how to set it up, 
the formatting guidelines, and updating it can be found in our Business Help Center.
Meta Business Manager
A Meta Business Manager allows you to create message templates, organize and manage your business assets, and more. Learn more.
Businesses must initiate Business Verification when they are ready to scale marketing, utility, and authentication conversations, add additional phone numbers, or request to become an Official Business Account.
Phone Number
All WhatsApp Business Platform accounts rely on a valid phone number. Learn more.
WhatsApp Business Account
A WhatsApp Business Account allows your business to use the WhatsApp Business Platform to communicate directly with your customers. There are two types of WhatsApp Business Accounts, the default business account, and an official business account, denoted by the green checkmark badge in the business' profile and chat thread headers.
Learn more about creating your account.
Learn more about working with a WhatsApp Solution Partner to create your account.
Messages
We support two types of messages: free-form messages and template messages. Template messages can only be sent to a user who has opted-in to allow a business to send messages to them. When using template messages, a template is required and must be approved by our review team before sending messages to customers. Learn more.
User Opt-In
In order to send a WhatsApp user a template message, you must first receive opt-in permission confirming that they wish to receive future messages from you on WhatsApp. The opt-in must (a) clearly state that the person is opting in to receive messages from you over WhatsApp and (b) clearly state your business's name. You are solely responsible for determining the method of opt-in, that you have obtained opt-in in a manner that complies with laws applicable to your communications, and that you have otherwise provided notices and obtained permissions that are required under applicable law. Learn more.
Pricing & Payment Methods
Businesses are charged per conversation, not per message, and the number of conversations that a business can open in a 24-hour period is initially limited. In order to open a conversation, businesses must have a payment method on file, or have established a line of credit (Solution Partners only).
- See Pricing to learn about conversation pricing and how to open conversations.
- See Messaging Limits to learn about messaging limits and how to increase them.
- See our Add a credit card to your WhatsApp Business Platform account help center article to learn how to add a payment method.
- See our Apply for a credit line for your WhatsApp Business account help center article to apply for a line of credit (Solution Partners only).
Terms & Policies
Businesses must comply with our Terms and Policies to remain active on our platform, so please take the time to carefully read them.
Learn more.
To get started with the platform, businesses must complete a series of requirements, including, but not limited to:
- Following WhatsApp's legal policies, including the WhatsApp Commerce Policy and the WhatsApp Business Policy.
- Going through Business Verification.
- Following our Display Name Guidelines.
If you use anything other than the official WhatsApp Business Platform or other official WhatsApp tools, we reserve the right to limit or remove your access to WhatsApp as this violates our policies. Please do not use any non-WhatsApp authorized third-party tools to communicate on WhatsApp. See Unauthorized use of automated or bulk messaging on WhatsApp for more information.
Webhooks
You can use Webhooks to get notifications whenever you have received a message from a customer, a customer's phone number has changed, your WhatsApp Business Account quality and account status updates, and more. Learn more.
Overview Dashboard
The Overview dashboard in WhatsApp Manager provides partners and end clients with more transparency and actionable feedback to better manage WhatsApp business accounts all in one place. The dashboard includes notifications and alerts to resolve account-related issues faster and more effectively, provides high level metrics to monitor account status, and is an educational hub for both partners and clients.
Next Steps
- Get Started - Determine which API is right for your business.
- Display Name – Set up the business name displayed in WhatsApp messages.
- Phone Numbers - Associate a phone number with your WhatsApp Business Account.
- Pricing - Learn about pricing and how to set up payments.
- Webhooks - Set up webhooks to receive notifications when a customer sends your business a message, updates their phone number, or performs other actions.