Connect WhatsApp
Set up a Meta developer app, gather three credentials from the API Setup panel, and connect your WhatsApp Business number from bot settings.
Use this guide when the flow is ready and you want to connect the WhatsApp number customers should message. Budget around 20–30 minutes for the Meta side.
What you need before starting
WhatsApp Business runs on Meta's Cloud API. Before opening the connection dialog in Meerlume, three things must be in place on the Meta side.
- Meta Business Account — create one at
business.facebook.comif you do not have one. It must be linked to a Facebook Page. - A phone number not registered on WhatsApp — the number cannot be active on any WhatsApp account, personal or Business App. If it is, you must delete the WhatsApp account from that device first (WhatsApp Settings → Account → Delete account) before proceeding.
- Business verification (recommended) — unverified accounts are limited to messaging only 5 manually pre-approved contacts. Verification unlocks production access and typically takes 2–10 business days.
Create a Meta developer app
Open Meta for Developers
Go to developers.facebook.com, log in with your Meta account, and click My Apps → Create App.
Choose the WhatsApp use case
When prompted for a use case, select "Connect with customers through WhatsApp". Meta automatically provisions a test WhatsApp Business Account (WABA) and a test phone number under your app.
Link your Meta Business Account
On the next screen, select the Business Account you created. If your business is not yet verified you can still continue — you will be limited to the test number and 5 contacts until verification completes.
Open the API Setup panel
Inside your new app, navigate to Products → WhatsApp → API Setup. This panel shows your Phone Number ID and WABA ID. It also shows a temporary access token — do not use that one. It expires within about a day and your bot will stop replying. You will create a permanent token in the next step.
Collect your credentials
Two of the three come from the API Setup panel of your Meta developer app. The access token you must create yourself — the one that panel offers is temporary.
- Phone Number ID — shown in the "From" section of the API Setup panel. Use the test number's ID while testing; switch to your real number's ID once you add it.
- WABA ID — displayed just above the access token in the same panel. It identifies your WhatsApp Business Account.
- Access Token — create a permanent System User token (see below). The token shown in the API Setup panel is temporary and will break your bot within a day.
Create a permanent token — this step is not optional
The token in the API Setup panel expires within about a day. Everything will look fine when you test it, and a day later your bot will stop replying with no error and no notification. Create a permanent one instead: Meta Business Settings → Users → System Users → Add, give it Admin access, then Assign assets and add your app and WhatsApp account with full control. Click Generate new token, select your app, set expiration to Never, and tick all three permissions: business_management, whatsapp_business_management and whatsapp_business_messaging. Copy it immediately — Meta will not show it again.
Add your real business phone number
The test number Meta provides can only reach 5 pre-approved contacts. To message real customers you must register your own number.
Open Phone Numbers
In your app, go to Products → WhatsApp → Phone Numbers and click Add Phone Number.
Enter your business display name and category
This is what customers will see in their WhatsApp chat. The name should match your registered business name — Meta may review it for policy compliance.
Enter the number and verify
Type the number and request a verification code via SMS or voice call. Meta sends the code directly to that number, so you must have access to receive it.
Copy the new Phone Number ID
After verification the number appears in the Phone Numbers list. Use its Phone Number ID (not the test number's ID) when connecting in Meerlume.
The number must not be active on WhatsApp
If the number is registered on a personal or WhatsApp Business App account, registration will fail. Remove it from WhatsApp first: open the app on the device, go to Settings → Account → Delete account, then return to Meta and proceed.
After the channel is connected
Once connected, WhatsApp becomes one of the live channels shown for the bot. Publish the latest draft before traffic starts if you still have unpublished flow changes.
Set up the webhook, then switch your app to Live
First paste the Callback URL and Verify token Meerlume shows you into WhatsApp → Configuration → Webhook, and subscribe to the messages field. Then set App Mode from Development to Live (this needs a Privacy Policy URL under App settings → Basic). While the app is in Development mode Meta's delivery of customer messages is unreliable — messages may never reach us, with nothing arriving and nothing erroring, so the bot looks dead for no visible reason.
Deploy order
A good sequence is: finish the draft, preview it, publish it, then connect or verify the live channel.
Related guides
Continue with the next part of the setup once this step is stable.
Preview drafts and publish
Test the conversation before it goes live, understand the draft/live split, and publish only when the workflow is ready.
Connect Telegram
Let Meerlume create your Telegram bot automatically in a couple of taps, or connect a bot you already have.
Triage submissions in the inbox
Read what customers sent, change status, reply or take over the chat, approve or reschedule bookings, and archive — keep follow-up moving without getting buried.