WhatsApp Self Sign-up with the Twilio Console

Twilio WhatsApp Self Sign-up, or "Embedded Sign-up", provides you with a faster way to get up and running with WhatsApp with certain restrictions until the Meta Business Manager account is verified by Meta. This process is self-service, and you can get started from the Twilio Console.

Prerequisites

Before you get started with this guide, you'll need:

• A Twilio Account. If you are new to Twilio create a free account. You can review the features and limitations of a free Twilio account here.
• A Twilio Phone Number. View instructions for purchasing a Twilio Phone Number here.
• If your business already has a Meta Business Manager account created, you'll also need
  • access to a Facebook account that has been added to the Meta Business Manager for your business
  • access to create WhatsApp Business Accounts (WABAs)

You may alternatively choose to "Bring your own number" (BYON) instead of using a Twilio number.

Let's get started!

1. Create a WhatsApp Sender

To create a WhatsApp Sender:

1. Start by logging into the Twilio Console.
2. Click here or navigate to Messaging > Senders > WhatsApp senders. This will take you to the WhatsApp Enabled Senders section of the console where you will create your WhatsApp sender.
3. View WhatsApp's Terms of Service and check the box if you agree to them. Then click Confirm.
4. Next, select the phone number you wish to connect to WhatsApp’s Business API. You may use your Twilio Number or your own phone number.

If you’re using a Twilio phone number that only has Voice capabilities, you may still register it as a WhatsApp sender, as long as you can receive the pin code sent by WhatsApp. You may do so by routing or transcribing any incoming calls.

In the Twilio Console:

1. Navigate to the Active Numbers configuration page and look for the Twilio number that you purchased before.
2. Click on the phone number and scroll down to the Voice & Fax section to configure the number.
3. In the Configure with dropdown, select the Webhook, TwiML Bin, Function, Studio Flow, Proxy Service option.
4. Change the Webhook URL and use the Forward Twimlet following this convention: http://twimlets.com/forward?PhoneNumber=+[your phone number]. For example, your twimlet can look like this: http://twimlets.com/forward?PhoneNumber=+14155553322.
5. Click the Save button.

By following steps 1-5, any incoming calls will be routed to your phone number. Once you’re done registering WhatsApp, simply remove the twimlet from the Webhook field if you want to stop getting calls to this number.

2. Link your WhatsApp Business Account with your Twilio Account

There is a one-to-one association between your WhatsApp Business account and your Twilio account. Therefore, you’ll link your WhatsApp Business account with the Twilio phone number that you chose in the previous step.

Log into Facebook if you haven't already or click Continue as [your name] if you’re already signed in. After logging in, you will be shown an overview of the process to connect your number to WhatsApp.

Facebook will then ask you to allow Twilio to manage your WhatsApp Business Account. Click Continue to proceed.

On the next screen, select your the Meta Business Account for your business from the list. If you don't have one, you may create a new one by selecting the option Create new Meta Business Account.

Next, you will be able to create your WhatsApp Business Account. The name of your WhatsApp Business Account (WABA) will not be displayed to customers and will only be shown in the Facebook UI. If you already created one for this Twilio account, be sure to select the same one. At this time, Twilio only supports one WABA per account.

3. Create your WhatsApp Business Profile

Now, you will create your WhatsApp Business Profile. You will be prompted to enter the information that will be shown to your users on WhatsApp including:

• A WhatsApp Business Display Name
• A Category for your business
• A Business Description (Optional)

Using a brand name in your WhatsApp Business Profile

You may have a brand name that you wish to use as the Display Name for your WhatsApp Business Profile that differs from the name of your company. If so, there must be a clear, externally published association between your company and the brand. This association between the brand and your business needs to be displayed on your website and on the Display Name itself.

For example, if your company is Johnny Mobile and your brand is "PizzaApp", then we would recommend using the Display Name "PizzaApp by Johnny Mobile". This association must be published on your website, so WhatsApp can verify it. This means that somewhere on the website, there must be a visible relationship between the two names. If you would like to keep the name "PizzaApp", this will generally require an appeal to WhatsApp and may extend the registration process.

For more information, you can go to the WhatsApp’s Display Name rules.

4. Verify your WhatsApp Business Number

If you are using a Twilio number, switch to the Twilio Console window you left open in step 2 and click to copy your Twilio number.

Then, paste the number into the Facebook pop up window. Keep the Text Message verification method selected and then click Send Code.

If you are not using a Twilio number, enter your number you wish to use and choose your verification method.

The verification code will then show in the Twilio console under the "Verification code" heading. Click Copy and paste it into the Facebook pop-up window.

You may then click OK on the following screen to close the pop-up window.

5. Register your number with WhatsApp

Congrats! Your WhatsApp Business Account is now linked to your Twilio account. We (Twilio) will then begin the process to register your number with WhatsApp. This process may take up to 2 minutes.

Upon successful registration, your number will be displayed. You may click Edit Sender to update the rest of your WhatsApp Business profile including your profile picture and website.

Onboarding Additional Numbers

To onboard additional numbers repeat this process, taking care to select the same Meta Business Manager account and WhatsApp Business Account. The WhatsApp Business currently linked to your Twilio account is shown in the Twilio Console. Please note that until you complete Meta business verification, these numbers will stay in a pending status and will not be live.

Troubleshooting and Frequently asked Questions

• Help! The code didn't show up in the Twilio console.
  If you are using a Twilio number, in a separate tab, go to the Programmable Messaging Logs to locate the code.
• How do I complete Meta business verification?
  See step 3 in this document, but please ignore other steps, as those do not apply to customers in this beta.
• Why am I still seeing a notice in the Twilio Console about completing verification when my Meta business verification is completed?
  Due to a bug, after completing Meta business verification, you may still see a notice directing you to complete verification. This is safe to ignore if you have already completed it. It will be automatically removed in the future.
• What happens if I do not complete Meta business verification?
  You will be limited to two WhatsApp senders, and each sender is limited to starting 50 business-initiated conversations within a 24-hour period. You also must be verified before you can apply for an Official Business Account (OBA) status (green checkmark).
• How do I submit templates?
  Please submit templates through the Twilio Console and not through the WhatsApp Business Manager. If you submit a template through the WhatsApp Business Manager, it may not stay in sync with your Twilio account and may cause messages utilizing the template to fail.
• I'm having trouble with this flow and need help - who can give assistance?
  If you reply to the email granting you access to this beta, our team will help you complete the flow. If you're still having issues, we can also remove you from the beta and onboard you through our legacy manual process.

What's Next?

Now that you've completed the Self Sign-Up process, you're ready to dive into other WhatsApp topics!

• Learn how to edit your WhatsApp Business Profile, to tweak how your business is represented to your customers.
• Learn how to send WhatsApp notification messages using templates.