To use the WhatsApp Business API in a production environment, your business must be verified. To complete verification, you will need an official document confirming the existence of your business. For example, a bank statement or an extract from the Commercial Register. The information in this document must match the information entered in your Business Portfolio. You can read more about supported documents on the Meta pages.
Open your Business Portfolio (business.facebook.com) and go to Settings – > Business portfolio info. In the section Business verification status, click on View details.
Then click the Start verification button and fill out the verification form step by step.
After successful verification, the status Verified. will appear in the Business verification section.
Setting up payment methods
To use the WhatsApp Business API, you must set up a payment method. Without a valid payment method, you cannot fully use the production features of the WhatsApp API. However, this process is not associated with immediate costs. Regular messaging is free. Fees may apply when using automated messages, templates, sending notifications, or for communication more than 24 hours after the last message. You can read more about WhatsApp API usage fees on the Meta pages.
Open your Business Portfolio (business.facebook.com) and in the menu click on Billing & payments.
Go to the Accounts -> WhatsApp Business accounts tab and, for the WhatsApp Business account associated with the number you added, click Add payment method.
A form for adding a payment method will open. Once you fill it out, the payment method is set up.
Integrating the WhatsApp API with CDESK
The connection to the WhatsApp API is configured in the CDESK Portal under the following sections: CDESK – > Global settings – > Omnichannel – > Chats. First, activate the module using the toggle switch. You can find all the necessary information for setting up the connection in the developer app settings (developers.facebook.com).
In the app editor, go to the WhatsApp – > API Setup tab and copy the data according to the following table or image.
Fields in CDESK | Fields in the WhatsApp Business App settings in Meta Developers |
WhatsApp Company Account ID | WhatsApp Business Account ID (API Setup tab) |
API Token (Access Token) | Enter the permanent token created using the System User (description above in the article) |
Webhook URL | The URL you enter in the Configuration tab – > Callback URL |
Webhook Token | The token you enter in the Configuration tab – > Verify token |
Company phone number ID | Phone number ID (tab, API Setup) |
Company phone number | Your added phone number (tab, API Setup) |
Second company phone number ID | Fill this out only if you have a second phone number set up |
Second company phone number | Fill this out only if you have a second phone number set up |
Then go to the Configuration, tab, where:
- in the Callback URL field, enter the address from the Webhook URL field in CDESK,
- in the Verify token field, paste the token from the Webhook token field in CDESK.
After entering the Callback URL and Verify token, a list of Webhook fields events will appear. Check the messages item. This event is required to receive messages from WhatsApp into CDESK.
After activating the module and configuring the necessary settings, go to the chat processing, tab and select the default company for creating requests. Save the settings by clicking Save.
You can then go to the following sections: CDESK – > Omnichannel – > Chats and start using the Chats module via WhatsApp. The user manual can be found in the article WhatsApp manual.
Setting up a WhatsApp Business account
To customize your account, go to the WhatsApp accounts section in Meta Business Suite (business.facebook.com).
Select the WhatsApp Business account associated with your phone number, click the three dots, and select WhatsApp Manager. A new tab will open with the WhatsApp Manager interface. In this interface, you can edit all settings related to your WhatsApp Business account—such as message templates, business information, and more.
One of the key steps is to customize your account’s appearance so that customers see it when they communicate with you. Go to the “Phone Numbers” tab, select your phone number, and go to the “Profile” tab. You can edit your profile photo, name, website, email, business address, and more… This information is displayed to customers when communicating via WhatsApp and helps create a trustworthy and professional profile.
Adding a WhatsApp link to a website
To allow customers to contact you via WhatsApp directly from your website, you can use a simple link in this format:
https://api.whatsapp.com/send?phone=421917123456
421917123456 is the phone number in international format without the “+” sign and without spaces. The phone number must be the same as the one you added to your WhatsApp Business account.
Clicking this link will open WhatsApp (mobile app or web) for the customer, where they can start a conversation with your number.