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Connect your business WhatsApp number through Meta’s Cloud API so your whole team shares one inbox — templates, broadcasts, AI Agents, and analytics included. Who this is for: Owners and admins setting up WhatsApp, agents asking why they can’t free-type a reply, and anyone troubleshooting connection status. Where to go: Settings → Workspace → Channels → Add Channel → WhatsApp Business, or directly Settings → Workspace → Channels → WhatsApp setup (/settings/workspace/channels/whatsapp/setup). WhatsApp
Vendschat Channel Catalog with WhatsApp Business as the first Connect Channel option.

Add WhatsApp from the catalog

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Quick reference

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Why teams connect WhatsApp

  • Official Business API — Verified business identity, approved templates, scale Meta expects
  • Shared inbox — Every agent sees the same threads in Chat
  • Automation-ready — AI Agents, broadcasts, webhooks, product catalog messages
  • One number, many agents — No more passing a single phone around the office

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Example: Metro Clinics

Metro Clinics runs three locations. Patients message one WhatsApp number for appointments. When a patient messages after hours, their AI Agent (Receptionist template) collects preferred date — human confirms next morning.

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1. Open the right workspace

WhatsApp connects to the current workspace only.
  1. Open Settings
  2. If you have multiple workspaces, use the workspace name dropdown at the top of the Workspace section
  3. Select the workspace that should own this number (e.g. Client — BloomBox)

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2. Open Channel Catalog

Click WhatsApp Business → Connect Channel.

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3. Choose use case (first-time connect only)

Page title: Connect WhatsApp (Cloud API) Pick guidance:
  • Clinics, delivery, internal help desks → Support only
  • E-commerce brands driving ad traffic to WhatsApp → Support, sales & ads
You can connect another number later with the other use case if needed. Changing use case on an existing channel: open setup without channelId and pick again at step 1. Direct links with use case pre-selected:
  • Support only: /settings/workspace/channels/whatsapp/setup?mode=messaging
  • Support, sales & ads: /settings/workspace/channels/whatsapp/setup?mode=ads

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4. Prepare

Step tab: Prepare Before continuing, confirm:
  • You use a Facebook or Meta login with admin access to your Business Portfolio or WhatsApp assets
  • In Meta’s window you will choose Connect a WhatsApp Business app, Create a WhatsApp Business account, or select an existing account
Check: “I’m authorized to connect WhatsApp for this business and I’m ready to sign in with Facebook on the next step.” Click Continue.

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5. Connect with Facebook

Step tab: Connect
  1. Optional: watch the embedded Meta onboarding video on the page
  2. Click Log in with Facebook (or Continue WhatsApp signup if already signed in)
  3. Complete Meta’s embedded signup flow in the popup/window:
    • Connect WhatsApp Business app (may require QR scan on phone)
    • Or create/select WABA and phone number
  4. Wait for “Saving this connection to your workspace…”
  5. Success banner shows: name, Phone number ID, Status
Meta signup paths: If signup stalls, use Start over on the Connect step to log out of Meta and retry. Use-case config: Support only and Support, sales & ads use different Meta embedded-signup configuration IDs (NEXT_PUBLIC_WHATSAPP_EMBEDDED_SIGNUP_CONFIG_ID vs ads config). If ads mode fails to load, Support only may still work — contact support. Tokens are stored on the server — agents never handle API keys in Chat.

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6. Verify on Channels list

Go to Settings → Workspace → Channels (/settings/workspace/channels). Your card shows:
  • Display name (or “WhatsApp Business”)
  • Channel ID: phone number ID (Meta identifier)
  • Manage button
Status should become active when Meta verification completes. pending means finish Meta Business Manager steps.
  1. Settings → Workspace → Channels
  2. Click the WhatsApp card (or Manage)
  3. Opens: /settings/workspace/channels/whatsapp/setup?channelId={id}
  4. Managing this channel banner shows:
    • Display name, Status, Connected date
    • Phone (display number), Phone number ID, WABA ID, Business Portfolio (when available)
  5. Steps: Prepare → Connect — reconnect via Facebook if disconnected or error

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What each status means

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After you’re live

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WhatsApp 24-hour messaging window

Co-Admin should explain this policy when users ask “why can’t I type?” — it’s Meta’s rule, not a Vendschat bug.

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Multiple agents on one number

Yes. Use assignments and labels so ownership is clear. All agents share the same thread in Chat.

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AI on WhatsApp

Assign an AI Agent to a thread or set a workspace default agent. Customer-facing bots follow the same channel rules (templates outside 24h). See AI Agents overview.

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Troubleshooting

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Plan & workspace notes

  • WhatsApp is included on all paid plans (Starter, Growth, Advanced)
  • Each workspace has its own WhatsApp connections — numbers don’t copy when you create a new workspace
  • Contacts billed at organization level, not per channel
  • Advanced plan: run separate workspaces per client brand, each with its own WhatsApp number