WhatsApp platform3 min read
WhatsApp Business account: setup, number and API
By Shraddha Agarwal
The short answer: A WhatsApp Business account starts with the free WhatsApp Business app: register a number you own, confirm the 6-digit code and fill in your business profile.
Teams that need automation, links to their systems or several people on one number add an API account through a Meta partner.
Two kinds of business account
| Compared on | Business app account | API account |
|---|---|---|
| Suits | One-to-one chat from a phone | Teams, automation and connected systems |
| What you get | A business profile and messaging tools | A WhatsApp account and a Messaging account in your Meta business portfolio |
| How you get it | Download the app | Sign up through a Meta partner |
| What it costs | Free; paid marketing messages where offered | Meta's per-message fees |
Meta began splitting the single API "WhatsApp Business account" into these two accounts on 23 September 2026, reaching every business by mid-October. Not sure which you need? The app versus API guide decides it.
Set up the Business app
- Download WhatsApp Business from Google Play or the App Store.
- Accept the terms, choose your country and enter your number without a leading 0.
- Enter the 6-digit code from the SMS, or tap Call me to get it by phone.
- Add your business name, up to three categories, your hours and a photo.
- Add your address, website and description now or later.
Use your real brand name: no emoji, symbols or all caps, not a generic word, and never "WhatsApp".
Move your personal WhatsApp over
The app offers to take over the WhatsApp number already on your phone. Back up first, then:
- your chat history and media move with you;
- contacts saved only inside WhatsApp are lost, so save them to your phone first;
- you can move back later with your chats, but your catalog stays behind.
Which number to use
- A mobile or landline number you own that can receive a call or SMS.
- A landline works: tap Call me. An extension cannot receive the code.
- VoIP, toll-free, premium and UAN numbers are not supported.
- A number is on WhatsApp or WhatsApp Business, never both. Two apps on one phone need two numbers.
Tools to switch on first
| Tool | What it does |
|---|---|
| Catalog | Shows your items on your profile, each reviewed before customers see it |
| Quick replies | Up to 50 saved answers; type "/" in a chat |
| Greeting message | Sent on a customer's first message, or after 14 quiet days |
| Away message | Sent outside your hours, or on a schedule |
| Labels | Up to 20, to sort your chats |
| Linked devices | Up to 4 plus your phone; they log out after 14 days without it |
Then share your chat link. Make one with the free WhatsApp link generator, and see how customers message you without saving your number.
When you need the API
Move to the WhatsApp Business API when several people answer one number, when replies need your orders or bookings, or when you message at scale.
You sign up through a Meta partner, which creates the accounts in your own business portfolio, and you can message straight away.
- Use a number you own that can receive a code. A number already on WhatsApp comes off it first, unless it joins from the Business app.
- You set a display name at signup. Meta reviews it when your messaging limit rises.
- Business verification confirms a registered company and raises your number limit from 2 to 20. It adds no badge; the blue tick guide covers that.
Setup for your country: the UAE and Saudi Arabia.
Keep the app with the API
An eligible Business app number can join the API and stay on your phone. Up to six months of one-to-one chats and your contacts can sync; app messages stay free, and API messages are billed at Meta's rates.
Where Otobiz fits
Otobiz connects your WhatsApp Business number to one shared inbox with AI replies, and turns links, QR codes and ads into chats with lead capture.
