Blog

Hello Developers,

WhatsApp just made it easier to start using the WhatsApp Business API. You can now get started in less than 5 minutes!

The old process required a company to verify their business manager first, accept a request from MessengerPeople and then wait for the approval, before being able to launch. The whole process took between 2 – 14 days, in some cases even longer – before you were able to send or receive your first messages.

The new embedded onboarding changes the order of the steps by 180 degrees. You launch first, then verify your business. This helps you to start integration the WhatsApp Business API faster and do the required verification and approval steps parallel, over the next 30 days.

1. Log in to https://app.messengerpeople.dev
If you don’t have an account, you can create one

2. On the dashboard, click on:

3. To connect a WhatsApp Business API account, you must click on “Connect” below the WhatsApp Business API widget

4. A Facebook Login dialogue will open. Please use the Facebook user that has access to your Facebook Business Manager. If you don’t have a Facebook Business Manager account, you can create one in this process. Do not close the setup page that is running in the background. You will see an overlay that reminds you, that the setup is currently being continued in the Popup.

5. Follow the steps in the Facebook dialogue. There are three main steps.

a) Select your Facebook Business Manager account – or create one.

b) Select your WhatsApp Business Account – or create one

c) Verify a phone number with a voice call or SMS. You can also use land line numbers here. WhatsApp suggests to use a new phone number, that was not previously active on WhatsApp.

6. In the last step, choose the number you just verified with the 6 digit code. Click on continue and finish the wizard.

Now head back to the setup page, which is processing your data. This might take a few seconds.

After the page finished processing the data and permissions, you can choose which number(s) to install and set live.

7. The first number in each new WhatsApp Business API account can be launched in the so called Sandbox-Mode. After you click “Install” the number will be set up automatically and is live in ~3-5 minutes.

Once your number is live in Sandbox mode, you can have conversations with up to 10 people and send pre-approved message templates to up to two numbers.

When you start the verification of your Facebook Business Manager account, the limit is increased to 1.500 people and you’re in the advanced trial mode.

You have 30 days to complete the verification of your business. Once your business is verified and your WhatsApp account is approved by WhatsApp, the number automatically leaves the sandbox mode and all limitations are removed.

While your number is in Sandbox mode you use our APIs for free.