4- WhatsApp Business Account creation - Activating the phone number

Once you have pre-qualified the brand by reviewing WhatsApp's public guidelines., you can request the WhatsApp Business API integration request to Zendesk Sunshine Conversations.

The Meta Business Manager id is mandatory as the Sunshine Conversations Team is using this id to create the WhatsApp Business Account on behalf of the business. 

Table of Contents

1) Meta Business Manager 
2) WhatsApp phone number
3) What happens after I submit the WhatsApp Business API integration request?
4) Activating the phone number
5) The phone number is connected but a new display name is needed

1) Meta Business Manager 

IMPORTANT The brand needs to have their own Meta Business Manager. If they don't have one yet, they can create it by following this documentation.
🚨A consulting/media/marketing/communication agency can't provide their own Meta Business Manager id to create their clients' WhatsApp Business Account, it is against WhatsApp policy and the brand would not be able to connect their phone number. 

1.1 Meta Business Manager verification

NEW - APRIL 2024

WhatsApp is changing the requirements for businesses to scale and display their business names in chats on the WhatsApp Business Platform. As of April 2024, businesses will be able to scale with more phone numbers and daily conversations by demonstrating a record of quality messaging. Upon meeting message quality criteria and completing display name review businesses can display their names in chats, giving them more credibility with customers. To measure effectiveness of recent changes to Display Name, this feature may not be available to a small percentage of businesses.

Here’s what you should know: 

• There is no technical lift required for businesses to participate.
• Starting in April, businesses that meet the threshold for quality messages will automatically be upgraded. Follow these tips for driving high-quality conversations.

As Zendesk owns and hosts the WhatsApp Business Account on the clients' behalf, the SunCo Advocacy Team will be able to check the status of the account and see if the restrictions are lifted. 

Current process:

The Meta Business Manager does not need to be verified anymore in order to connect a phone number with WhatsApp Business API since September 2021. If the Meta Business Manager is not verified, here are Meta's limitations:

• The display name won't be visible to the end-users on their own device

• Unlimited customer-initiated conversations (24-hour messaging windows)

• Ability to send notifications to 250 unique customers in a rolling 24-hour period

• Ability to register up to 2 phone numbers, which can both be assigned to 1 WABA or split between 2 WABAs

• Not able to request an official business account

=> If the Meta Business Manager gets verified, those limitations will disappear. 

The customer can't start the Meta Business Manager verification process, what can we do?

If the customer does not have the possibility to start the Meta Business Manager verification process, you can request the WhatsApp Business API request so that Zendesk can create the WhatsApp Business Account. The customer approves the notification they receive within their own Meta Business Manager (part of the WABA verification process) and it should unlock the situation. 

1.2 Meta Business Manager -> Business Info section

The Business Info section within the brand's Meta Business Manager has to be filled by the brand with all the necessary details, otherwise, WhatsApp will not review the account. 

Note: the website link the brand adds under their Business Info section needs to work and everyone should be able to access it. 

2) WhatsApp phone number

If the brand is already using WhatsApp app/Business app with their phone number, they will have to follow this process (it takes 3min to complete it) in order to delete their current account and then, they'll be able to connect the number with WhatsApp Business API.
Indeed, a phone number can't be in use with WhatsApp app/Business app and WhatsApp Business API at the same tine (Meta limitation).
If they want to retrieve their history, they'll have to do it on their side before connecting their number with the API. Of course, if they want to avoid a downtime on the number, you'll be able to book one of Sunshine Conversations' team member, they will provide their Calendly links in the existing conversation. 

The requirements for the phone number can be found in this documentation.

3) What happens after I submit the WhatsApp Business API integration request?

Once you have sent the WhatsApp Business API integration request, our Customer Advocacy Team will start the process of creating the WhatsApp Business Account (WABA) for you or your customer via our Meta Business Manager. This will trigger a jewel notification in the brand's Meta Business Manager, asking them to confirm that Sunshine Conversations can create a WhatsApp Business Account (WABA) on their behalf.

The brand MUST accept this notification for the approval review clock to begin and for us to be able to successfully send Template Messages from their phone number.

The customer can approve the notification here https://business.facebook.com/settings/requests 

Once the notification has been accepted, Facebook will then review the brand for approval on the API. It can take approximately 1-5 days.

If WhatsApp rejected the WhatsApp Business Account, we will inform you.

4) Activating the phone number

Once the WhatsApp Business Account (WABA) and the display name associated with the phone number are approved, the Sunshine Conversations Team will prepare the integration under your Sunshine Conversations account (under an app). 

Then, they will inform you and provide the needed link along with the namespace associated with the WhatsApp Business Account.

1 Meta Business id = 1 WABA = 1 namespace
=> it means that all the numbers under the same WABA share the exact same namespace. 

5) The phone number is connected but a new display name is needed

If the new display name is approved, you will have two choices:
- you allow us to remove the WhatsApp integration from your SunCo app and we will share a new activation link -> the phone number will be offline until you re-register it within your SunCo appId. 
or
- you meet with one of us so that you avoid a long downtime on the phone number -> Zendeks will remove the WhatsApp integration, the number will be offline and we will trigger the phone call/SMS again to re-register it. 

🔴 Important: in both scenario, the phone number needs to be deactivated in order to re-register it and the new display name will be taken into consideration.
-> Zendesk Sunshine Conversations can't bypass this process, it is Meta's policy and there is absolutely no workaround.