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WhatsApp Self Sign-up with the Twilio Console


Twilio WhatsApp Self Sign-up, or "Embedded Sign-up", provides you with an easy way to register a WhatsApp Sender for your business / brand. This process is self-service and can be started from the Twilio Console.

Registering a WhatsApp Sender will allow you to send and receive WhatsApp messages from your company's brand using the Twilio APIs. Certain restrictions are enforced by Meta (the company that owns WhatsApp) and you will likely need to complete Meta Business Verification before moving your application into production or onboarding additional WhatsApp Senders (see below).

If you are an Independent Software Vendor (ISVs), you may only use WhatsApp Self Sign-up to register WhatsApp Senders for your own business / brand. To allow your clients to register WhatsApp Senders for their businesses / brands to use with your application, review the WhatsApp Tech Provider Program.

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Prerequisites

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

During this process, you'll have the option to either create a new Meta Business Account or select an existing Meta Business Account. We recommend using an existing Meta Business Account if you know someone in your company has already created and verified it. If so, they will need to invite you as an administrator with full access, so that you can create your WhatsApp Business account. Otherwise, it is allowed to have more than one Meta Business Account, so you can create a new one when registering your first WhatsApp sender using this process.

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Warning

Do not continue if your number is currently connected to WhatsApp.

Please refer to Can I move my approved WhatsApp Number to Twilio?(link takes you to an external page) on how to migrate your number to Twilio to use the Twilio APIs. This process will not work if your number is already connected to WhatsApp.

Let's get started!


1. Create a WhatsApp Sender

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To create a WhatsApp Sender:

  1. Start by logging into the Twilio Console.(link takes you to an external page)
  2. Click here(link takes you to an external page) or navigate to Messaging > Senders > WhatsApp senders . This will take you to the WhatsApp Senders section of the console where you will create your WhatsApp sender.
  3. Review the information on this page and click "Get Started".
  4. View WhatsApp's Terms of Service and check the box if you agree to them. Then click Confirm .
  5. 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.
Twilio Console Screenshot.

3. Verify your WhatsApp business number

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If you are using a Twilio number with SMS capabilities, 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.

Alternatively, if you are using a Twilio number with Voice capabilities, you may follow the instructions below in order to receive the code via email. Then, choose Voice Call and click Send Code. If you are not using a Twilio number, enter your number you wish to use and choose your verification method.

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Warning

Do not continue if you receive a warning message about your number being moved. Instead, please open a support ticket and note you need your number migrated from Meta or the previous company (i.e. Business Solution Provider) that you worked with.

CleanShot 2023-02-15 at 23.17.15@2x.

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.

WhatsApp Verification Code.

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

Setting up your Twilio phone number to receive the verification code via email using voicemail transcription

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If you're using a Twilio phone number with Voice capabilities, you may choose to receive the code via a voice call. However, before having WhatsApp send your code, you first need to configure your webhook so that you can receive the code via your email address.

In the Twilio Console:

  1. In a new tab , navigate to the Active Numbers configuration(link takes you to an external page) page and look for the Twilio number that you are attempting to register with WhatsApp.
  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 Voicemail Twimlet(link takes you to an external page) following this convention: http://twimlets.com/voicemail?Email=[your email address] . For example, your twimlet can look like this: http://twimlets.com/voicemail?Email=support@example.com .
  5. Click the Save button.

Now, any incoming calls will be transcribed and sent to your email. Once you're done registering WhatsApp, simply remove the twimlet from the Webhook field and restore what you had it configured to previously.


4. Register your number with WhatsApp

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Congrats! Your WhatsApp Business Account is now linked to your Twilio account. 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 use a messaging service, set your inbound message webhooks and update the rest of your WhatsApp Business profile including your profile picture.

WA Senders Page.
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If you haven't yet completed Meta business verification, your access to WhatsApp will be limited at first (see below). If you've already completed business verification, then you will have full access to WhatsApp.


Onboarding additional numbers

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To onboard additional numbers, you need to repeat this process, while taking care to select the same Meta Business Manager account and WhatsApp Business Account. The Meta Business Manager and WhatsApp Business Account currently linked to your Twilio account are shown in the Twilio Console.

Please note that until you complete Meta business verification, some numbers may stay in a pending status and cannot be used to send messages. After completing Meta business verification, you may need to delete the WhatsApp senders and go through the process again to onboard them completely.


Frequently Asked Questions

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  • Why am I still seeing a notice in the Twilio Console about completing verification when my Meta business verification is completed?
    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.
  • 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 250 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).
  • Can I submit templates through the WhatsApp Business Manager?
    No, please submit templates through the Twilio Console. If you submit a template directly through the WhatsApp Business Manager, it may not stay in sync with your Twilio account and may cause messages utilizing the template to fail.

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


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