WABA registration and management

Procedure

1. Log on to the Chat App Message Service console.

2. In the left-side navigation pane, choose Channel Management > Manage > WABA ManagementWABA Registration and Binding.

3. Open the Facebook embedded signup page, and then sign in with the correct Facebook account:

   • If you are already signed in to Facebook with the account you want to register the WABA with, click Continue as XX.

   • If you are not signed in, or the current account is not the one you want to use, click Log into another account, and then sign in as needed. If you do not have a Facebook account, click Create new account during the flow to create one.

   Note

   If the page does not load after a long wait, check whether your network can reach Facebook domains. An ad-blocking browser extension might prevent the Facebook SDK from loading; disable the extension temporarily and try again. If Meta's embedded page reports that it failed to receive the verification code, wait a few hours and retry from the console, or sign in to Meta WhatsApp Manager to receive the code there.

   Important: Do not copy the embedded signup page link from the console and ask someone else to complete the flow separately. After the embedded signup flow finishes, its parameters must be returned to Alibaba Cloud to complete the WABA binding, so forwarding the link interrupts the binding flow. To collaborate, have the Facebook account administrator sign in to the console directly and complete the embedded signup, or open two windows in the same browser on the same computer—one signed in to Facebook and one signed in to the console—and complete the flow together.

4. Click Get started.

5. Follow the on-screen prompts to fill in your business information, including company name, company email address, company website or business page, and the country or region where the company is located. Then click Continue.

   Important

   Fill in the business information accurately. Inaccurate information can affect business verification and your OBA application.

6. Create the WABA. Follow the on-screen prompts to set the WhatsApp Business account name and select a time zone. Then click Continue.

7. Review the permissions requested by Chat App Message Service, and then click Continue.

   Note

   To let Alibaba Cloud Singapore manage the WABA, grant both WhatsApp Business account access and billing management permissions.

8. Wait for Facebook to finish validating your information, and then click Done.

   After you complete embedded signup, wait for WhatsApp to approve the new Meta Business Account or WhatsApp Business Account. After approval, the WABA is bound to the channel and its status changes to APPROVED. You can then go to Manage phone numbers to add, synchronize, and configure phone numbers.

Verify your business

After WABA registration completes, go to the Security Center in Meta Business Manager to complete business verification. For the verification procedure, see Start verification.

When to migrate

Migrate a phone number when you already registered and use a WhatsApp business number with another BSP, you want to switch the service to Alibaba Cloud Chat App Message Service, and you need to keep your existing number, display name, quality rating, and approved message templates. To add a brand-new number instead, see Add a phone number.

Impact of migration

• After migration, the number keeps its original display name, quality rating, messaging limits, and OBA status.

• Approved high-quality message templates are migrated to the new WABA along with the number.

• The number might be briefly unable to send or receive messages during migration. Agree on a migration window with your business stakeholders in advance.

Prerequisites

• A WhatsApp channel and a WABA are already created on Alibaba Cloud, and the WABA is APPROVED.

• The source BSP cooperates with the migration. You might need to coordinate with the source BSP to obtain a migration code or to release the number.

• You can prove ownership of the phone number through SMS or voice verification.

Procedure

1. On the WABA Management page, select the target WABA and click Phone Number Migration.

2. In the migration dialog box, configure the following parameters, and then click OK.

   Parameter	Description	Example	Required
   Country/Region Code	The country or region of the phone number to migrate. Determines the dialing code prefix.	Select from the drop-down list. Example: Singapore (+65).	Yes
   Phone Number to Be Migrated	The phone number to migrate from the source BSP. Enter the number without the country code.	Digits only, no spaces or hyphens. Example: 81234567.	Yes
   WABA ID	The WhatsApp Business Account ID of the source WABA where the number is currently registered.	Get this from the source BSP or from Meta Business Manager. Example: 123456789012345.	Yes
   Verification code	The verification code that Meta sends to the phone number to confirm ownership. Choose SMS or voice delivery.	Enter the code you receive by SMS or voice call. Example: 654321.	Yes

   After you submit the migration request, Meta processes the transfer. The number appears in your Alibaba Cloud WABA once the migration completes. For the detailed procedure, see Migrate WABA phone numbers.

Add a phone number

1. Log on to the Chat App Message Service console.

2. In the left-side navigation pane, choose Channel Management > Manage > WABA Management > Phone Number Management, and then click Add Phone Number.

3. In the Add Phone Number dialog box, configure the following parameters, and then click OK.

   Parameter	Description
   Phone Number Type	Select the business type for the number. Valid values: Business App and Business Number. If you need to receive overseas verification codes during business verification, select Business App.
   Name	The display name of the number in the console, used to distinguish one number from another.
   Country/Region	Select the country or region that the number belongs to. This determines the international dialing code.
   Phone Number	Enter the number without the country or region code, for example 1380013****. The country or region code is determined by the preceding field.

   The new number appears in the number list with an initial status of unverified. You must complete number verification before you can use it.

Verify a phone number

Verification requires a code sent by Meta, so make sure the phone number can receive messages normally.

1. On the Phone Number Management page, select the number you want to verify from the number list, and then click Verify Phone Number.

2. In the Obtain Verification Code dialog box, select the Language to use for the notification, and then click Send Verification Code or Obtain Voice Verification Code.

   Note

   If the number is a landline, choose the voice verification code. If it is a mobile number, you can receive the code by either SMS or voice call.

3. Enter the verification code you received.

   After verification passes, the status changes to Phone Number Verified, and you can use the number to send messages. If verification fails, follow the on-screen prompt and try again.

Disconnect a phone number

Disconnecting removes the association between the number and its current channel. After disconnection, the number can no longer send messages.

1. On the phone number management page, select the number you want to disconnect from the number list.

2. Click Disconnected.

3. In the confirmation dialog box, click OK.

   After disconnection, the number can no longer send messages. To enable it again, you must verify the number again.

Synchronize phone numbers

Synchronizing phone numbers aligns all numbers under a bound and approved WABA with Meta Business Manager (BM). This operation applies to the entire WABA, so you do not need to select a number first. On the Phone Number Management page, click Synchronize Phone Number.

Basic information settings

Basic information appears on your WhatsApp business profile page and shapes how customers perceive your business. On the number settings page, click Basic Information Settings and follow the on-screen prompts to fill in the following fields.

Whether a field is required, its character limit, and whether it is publicly visible are governed by what the console actually displays. Some fields cannot be modified after the number is verified.

Workbench settings

On the number settings page, click Workbench Settings and configure the message workbench and keyword triggers as needed.

After you click Enable Message Workbench, you can choose whether to enable Triggered by Keyword. After you enable Triggered by Keyword, set the Keyword that trigger it. You can set multiple keywords, separated by commas.

A keyword trigger works as follows: after your business number goes live on the message workbench, inbound messages that contain a keyword appear in the workbench, where you can then chat with the customer in real time.

Business settings

On the number settings page, click Business Settings and configure the shopping cart and category features as needed.

• Shopping Cart — Specifies whether to show the cart icon and the add-to-cart button on the product pages of your WhatsApp product catalog.

• Category — Specifies whether to add a catalog icon to your WhatsApp business profile page. Clicking the catalog icon opens the linked product catalog. To learn how to link a catalog, see Manage catalogs.

Limit sending

On the number settings page, click Limit Sending, turn the limit switch on or off as needed, and click Save to apply the setting.

When the send limit switch is on, the current number no longer sends messages to users who clicked the stop promotions button in a marketing template. The switch is off by default; turn it on as needed.

Use the opt-out user list to query the users who clicked the stop promotions button. You can filter these users out when you send messages.

Ice breakers and commands

On the number settings page, click Automatic and configure ice breakers or commands as needed to interact with users more efficiently.

• Ice Breakers — Frequently asked questions that make it easy for users to ask your business a question. You can set up to 4 ice breakers, and each one supports up to 80 characters.

• Command — Special keywords that trigger a predefined action, such as generating an image or returning specific data. A command is a text string that consists of the command itself and a prompt. You can define up to 30 commands. Each command is limited to 32 characters and each prompt to 256 characters. Emojis are not supported.

Local storage

When local storage is enabled, message content might be stored temporarily in Meta data centers outside your region while it is processed. After processing finishes (up to 90 minutes), the content is deleted from all Meta data centers outside the local storage region you selected and retained only in data centers within that region.

• After a number is verified, you cannot change its local storage region directly. To change it, first disconnect the number, then set the storage region again and complete verification.

• Select the storage region based on where your business operates. For example, a business in Singapore should select the Singapore data center.

  To set the local storage region, do the following:

1. Choose Phone Number Management > Settings > Local Storage.

2. On the local storage page, turn on the Local Storage switch and select the storage region.

3. Click Save.

Message links

On the number settings page, click Message URL to generate short links and QR codes that guide customers into a WhatsApp conversation with the current number.

Voice call settings

On the Phone Number Management page, click Settings to configure the voice call parameters for the number.

Block and unblock users

On the number settings page, click Block/Unblock to stop specific users from sending messages to the current number, or to restore the sending permissions of blocked users.

• Block users — You can enter multiple numbers, one per line. You can only block users who sent a message to the current number within the past 24 hours.

• Unblock users — You can enter multiple numbers, one per line. Before you unblock anyone, you can view the currently blocked user numbers on this page.

When registration is required

• Starting May 1, 2025, businesses that have not completed MML registration cannot create new marketing message templates.

• Starting July 1, 2025, businesses that have not completed MML registration cannot send marketing messages.

  Meta reviews each application individually, and approval can take several business days. Submit your registration well before any planned marketing campaign.

Where to register

For the procedure, see Implementation timeline for MML. Open the WABA Management page of your WhatsApp channel and submit the MML registration form. The form is available in all countries and regions where WhatsApp business messaging is supported.

What are the document and website requirements for Meta business verification?

Document requirements:

• Provide a clear PDF copy of your business license and a bill (utility bill, bank statement, and so on). The bill must include the company name and phone number, and it must exactly match the information entered in Meta Business Manager (BM).

• The business information in BM (name, address, phone number, and website) must be consistent with your business license.

Website requirements:

When you apply for a WABA through Alibaba Cloud, you must provide a publicly accessible official website domain for your business:

• Do not use a WeCom backend URL or any other internal link that is not publicly accessible.

• If you do not have a website yet, consider using an AI tool to quickly build a simple page that shows your company name and a short introduction.

What should I do if business verification fails and I cannot bind a WABA?

If incomplete documentation triggers Meta's risk controls and prevents you from binding a WABA on Alibaba Cloud, do the following:

• Sign in to Meta Business Manager (business.facebook.com), complete your business information as prompted, and submit an appeal.

• After Meta lifts the restriction, retry the binding in the console. You do not need to delete the channel you already created.

Can I verify multiple Business Manager accounts with the same documents?

The same company can use the same business documents to verify multiple BM accounts, and the verifications generally do not affect each other.

What should I do if a WABA that already has a payment method bound cannot be bound to Alibaba Cloud?

Cause: A WABA can be bound to only one payment method, and the binding cannot be changed or removed. If the WABA already has another payment method bound on the Meta side, it cannot be bound to Alibaba Cloud Chat App directly.

Solution: Create a new WABA and bind it:

1. Log on to the Alibaba Cloud Management Console and create a new WABA.

2. In Meta Business Manager, remove the phone number from the original WABA.

3. Add the phone number to the newly created Alibaba Cloud WABA and complete the registration and binding flow again.

   Binding an Alibaba Cloud payment method to a WABA is a prerequisite for using core features such as submitting message templates for review. If the current binding fails, you do not need to delete the channel you already created—just rebind by following the preceding steps.

What are the prerequisites for using the 1555 virtual number?

To send messages with the 1555 virtual number, you must meet both of the following conditions:

• Business Manager (BM) business verification is complete.

• The display name of the number has passed review.

Why has display name review been pending for a long time, and how do I resolve it?

If a display name has not passed review for a long time, the usual cause is that the BM that owns the WABA has not completed Meta business verification. Do the following:

• Sign in to Meta Business Manager (business.facebook.com), complete the BM business information, and submit a verification request.

• After business verification is approved, Meta automatically continues reviewing the display name.

  You can check both business verification status and display name review status by signing in to Meta Business Manager (business.facebook.com).

What are the Business Manager entity requirements for registering a WABA?

The Business Manager (BM) entity used to register a WABA can be a company registered in the Chinese mainland. You do not need an overseas business entity.

Which Meta account statuses must I pay attention to when creating a WhatsApp app?

When you create a WhatsApp app, you only need to make sure the specific Meta permissions you requested are approved. You do not need to pay attention to other account status categories such as verified_account or basic_account.

Can multiple business lines share one WABA?

Multiple business lines under the same legal entity (such as e-commerce and logistics) or a centralized customer service system can share one WABA. However, BM accounts belonging to different legal entities cannot share the same WABA.

Do incomplete steps on the Meta webpage affect message sending and receiving?

No. After you complete WABA binding and phone number verification in the console, some steps on the Meta Business Manager webpage might still show as incomplete. This display does not affect message sending or receiving.

The registration reports that the number is not eligible to access. What should I do?

If registration reports that the number is not eligible to access, the number typically has not passed Meta's internal review. Pause registration, use the number normally for about 30 days, and then try again.

Clicking a channel in the console produces no response. What should I do?

If clicking a channel in the console produces no response, the channel usually has no WABA bound yet, or your network cannot reach Facebook. Check network connectivity, confirm the WABA binding status, and try again.