WhatsApp Business API

‘And WhatsApp seamlessly integrates with your software system and your cloud applications…’

Surely WhatsApp had their path set from their origin but blending with Facebook monetizes it into a commercial dimension. Facebook and Google are exceptionally genius in encasing from those which others can’t even dream.

And for WhatsApp, as billions of download score, it is right to use this excellently convenient tool and network for meaningful purposes ..officially. Means who doesn’t want to integrate this marvelous facility in his business.

Timeline

Business API account offered by WhatsApp is actually what people were eagerly waiting to use in their business i.e. a rich and fast messaging platform compared to limited and expensive SMS facility. And it seamlessly integrates with your software system and your cloud applications.

How is it useful

This face of WhatsApp doesn’t have a face of its own. Instead it gives communication and connectivity hands to your application by integrating on API level and can hand all your IN and OUT messages between you and your customers.

Great!! Everyone uses Whatsapp and your business can now communicate with all those everyone who are important for your business.. in their own ecosystem. And because on both the ends, both parties gets it from a contact which is already saves in their contact book.. it bypasses trust issues.

Cleaver WhatsApp!!

So in order to do this, I picked and packed summary I gathered from World Vast Internet 😊
(A disclaimer; I gathered these information from internet’s general knowledge so I am not sure about validity of every point and we welcome addons and corrections in the information by all you smart people)

So the gateway goes through Facebook, which is the boss of bosses here. You have to create a business ID in Facebook Business section.
Second, you have to get the account verified from companies which authorized by Facebook for approval of WhatsApp Business API accounts. They are many and they are good. You can select as per your criteria.

Highlights

  • WhatsApp Business account and WhatsApp API account are different.
  • The API account doesn’t have a mobile or webs interface. Instead, it gets along with applications like CRM or ERP to send instant messages.
  • There are 2 kind of message that the API account can send.
    • Session message: a session message is when a customer contacts you (messages you) on your WhatsApp number, then you can send him messages with no limit on content, in reply to your customer’s message for 24 hours.
    • Template message: a template messages that you can send to you customer anytime you want but only using predefined message templates approved by WhatsApp.
    • In template message, you can’t use ‘promotional’ content but only transactional messages.
  • WhatsApp API account is a restricted space and you cannot avail features without approval by parent company Facebook. And then by any of WhatsApp’s business partner.
  • And important thing in all this is this has a price. Yes you get it right.. check this.
    https://developers.facebook.com/docs/whatsapp/pricing/

Steps

  • Requirements

    • A phone number: careful while choosing the contact number because WhatsApp doesn’t allow one number to be associated with another WhatsApp Business or API account.
    • Business manager ID: as WhatsApp is now owned by Facebook, you must have a FB Manager ID to use any of its business tools such as WhatsApp API.
    • Business name to be shown on the Business API account.
      (It has to be same as of your business because relevant document are being asked)
    • Supporting documents:
      • business proof
      • address proof
    • Authorized Whatsapp business partners (in India): In order to get the verification process complete and get WhatsApp Business API account, it is must to team up with any of the authorized agencies.
      (https://www.facebook.com/business/partner-directory/search?solution_type=messaging&countries=IN&platforms=whatsapp)

Registration process:

Usually the authorized partner will guide you on this. However for your knowledge, these are the steps.

  • login into your Facebook account and open ‘Business.Facebook.Com’ in another tab. It will directly take you to FB’s tools area.
    • Go to ‘Business Settings’ and then in left side menu, go to ‘Security Center’
    • Here you will see section of ’Business verification’.
    • This section will get activated once your request approve from authorized partners. This step which depends on them.

This entire process will take not more than 5 to 7 days.
Remember these authorized partners offers their applications tools because the Business API account doesn’t have any mobile or web interface so it has to be integrate with some application. These authorized WhatsApp partners are typical IT companies who have good and useful applications such as CRM or ERP or even simple WhatsApp messaging application specifically designed for API accounts.

But if you have your own custom application, you might not need those. You will only need approval/ verification from them. And you will trigger actions from your custom application on the basis of response from your customers.

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