To run a WhatsApp chatbot on the Business API, you need a verified Meta business account, a phone number that can receive a verification code, and approved message templates. An agency handles the technical setup, integrations and the chatbot itself. You provide the legal documents, access to the number and the content the bot should say.
Key takeaways: The slow parts are almost never technical: they are business verification, the phone number and templates, and all three depend on things only you can provide. Gather them before the first call and the project moves much faster.
What does WhatsApp Business API approval actually require?
Approval requires a Meta business portfolio, a phone number you control, and a business that Meta can recognise as real. The API is accessed through Meta's own platform, described in the WhatsApp Business Platform documentation, and every account sits inside a business portfolio that you own. An agency can configure it for you, but the portfolio should belong to your company, not to the agency, so you keep control if you ever change provider. The practical result is that a few decisions and documents have to come from you before any chatbot work begins.
- A Meta business portfolio (formerly Business Manager) owned by your company, with you as admin.
- Your legal business name, address, website and a business email on your own domain.
- Official registration documents that match those details exactly.
- A phone number that can receive a call or SMS code and is not tied to a regular WhatsApp account.
- A website or page that shows what your business does.
If you are still deciding whether the API is the right route at all, the general WhatsApp chatbot setup guide covers the simpler options and when each one makes sense.
Why does business verification stall so many projects?
Verification stalls because the details you submit have to match your official documents, and small mismatches cause rejections. Meta explains the process in its business verification help page. Typical problems are a trading name that differs from the registered name, an address on the website that differs from the one on the registration certificate, or a domain email that does not exist yet. Each rejection restarts a review that you cannot speed up, so a typo can cost days of waiting.
The fix is boring but effective: before submitting anything, put the legal name, address and website side by side and make them identical. If your website footer says one thing and your certificate another, change the website first. An agency can submit the request and chase it, but it cannot invent documents for you, and it should not ask you to hand over passwords to do this. Adding the agency as a partner or admin with limited permissions is the cleaner approach.
Can I keep my current WhatsApp number?
You can often keep your number, but a number registered on the API cannot also be used in the regular WhatsApp or WhatsApp Business app at the same time. Meta describes the options in its developer documentation, and this is where owners are most often surprised. If your customers already write to the number your team uses on a phone, moving it to the API changes how your staff answer: they will need an inbox or a handoff tool instead of the phone app.
There are two sensible paths. Either you migrate the existing number, accepting that the phone app stops working for it and that old chat history may not move across, or you use a new dedicated number for the chatbot and slowly point customers to it. A new number is safer for a first project because nothing breaks on day one. Migration makes sense when the existing number is printed on signs, invoices and Google listings and changing it would cost you customers. Decide this early, because it affects who answers when the bot hands over.
What are message templates and the 24-hour window?
The 24-hour window is the period after a customer's last message during which you can reply freely; outside it, you can only send pre-approved message templates. The rules and categories are in Meta's message templates documentation. For a support chatbot this mostly works in your favour, since customers write first and the bot replies inside the window. It matters when you want to follow up: a reminder for tomorrow's appointment or a quote that nobody answered needs an approved template.
Templates are reviewed by Meta, and rejections usually come from vague wording, missing examples for variables or content that looks promotional in the wrong category. Write them plainly, give a realistic example for each variable, and choose the category that honestly matches the purpose. Charges depend on message type and country, so check the current WhatsApp pricing page instead of relying on a figure from an article. Ask your provider whether Meta's fees are billed to you directly or passed through, because that changes your monthly budget.
What does the agency handle and what do I provide?
The agency handles technical configuration, integration and the chatbot, while you provide ownership, documents, content and decisions. The table below shows the usual split on a project like this, though the exact scope is agreed per project. For a view of the whole engagement, see what a custom AI agent project involves.
| Task | Agency | You |
|---|---|---|
| Meta business portfolio | Guides setup, adds itself as partner | Owns it and is admin |
| Business verification | Prepares the request, fixes mismatches | Supplies legal documents and domain email |
| Phone number | Registers and connects it to the API | Chooses new or migrated number, receives the code |
| Message templates | Drafts and submits them, handles rejections | Approves wording and tone |
| Chatbot and integrations | Designs, builds and connects to CRM, calendar or store | Provides FAQs, policies and access to your tools |
| Handoff to humans | Builds the rules and notifications | Decides who answers and when |
| Testing and improvement | Measures and adjusts | Reviews real conversations |
How do I prepare before talking to an agency?
Preparation means collecting documents, deciding on the number and writing down what the bot should and should not do. This shortens the diagnosis stage and avoids the most common stalls. Follow these steps in order.
- Create or locate your Meta business portfolio and confirm you are an admin.
- Check that your legal name, address and website are identical across documents and the site.
- Set up a business email on your own domain.
- Decide whether you will migrate your current number or use a new one.
- List the ten questions customers ask most and the answers you want given, as described in training a chatbot on your business data.
- Decide who takes over when the bot cannot help, using the advice in automating customer support and handing off to a human.
- Write a short brief; the AI project brief template shows what to include.
Any provider you consider should be able to explain who owns the Meta account and number at the end, which questions are covered in how to choose an AI agent agency. If an answer to that is vague, treat it as a warning.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need business verification to start using the WhatsApp Business API?
Not always to start testing, but it is usually needed to scale up and to use the account fully. See Meta's business verification page for the current requirements, and verify early since reviews can take time.
Can the AI chatbot message customers whenever it wants?
No. Outside the 24-hour window after a customer's last message, only approved templates can be sent. See Meta's template documentation.
Who should own the Meta account and the phone number?
You should. The agency can be added as a partner or admin with limited permissions, so you can change provider later without losing your number or history.
Will my staff still be able to use WhatsApp on their phones?
Not on the same number once it is on the API. Your team will answer from a shared inbox or handoff tool, so plan this before migrating.
Does a chatbot on the API replace my team?
No. It handles repetitive questions and hands over the rest. How far to automate depends on your case; see the comparison with hiring help.
If you want help working out which of these steps applies to your business, you can contact Kuan AI through the form. We start with a diagnosis of your current setup and number, then design, build and measure what works, and we reply within 24 hours.
