Connect the WhatsApp Business API

To send and receive messages, connect your WhatsApp Business API account from the Connect screen (click your business name at the top of the dashboard sidebar).

Credentials you need

• WhatsApp Phone Number
• WABA ID (WhatsApp Business Account ID)
• Phone Number ID
• A permanent access token

You will find the Phone Number ID and WABA ID in your Meta app under WhatsApp, then API Setup.

Use a permanent token, not the temporary one

This is the single most common mistake. The Temporary access token shown on the API Setup page expires in 24 hours. After it expires, every message fails with a Meta Authentication Error.

Generate a permanent token instead:

1. Go to business.facebook.com, open Business Settings, then Users, then System Users
2. Create a System User with the Admin role
3. Click Add Assets, assign your App and WhatsApp Account (WABA), and turn on Full control
4. Click Generate New Token, select your App
5. Set Token expiration to Never
6. Enable whatsapp_business_messaging and whatsapp_business_management
7. Generate and copy the token, then paste it into the Connect screen

A System User token with Never expiration does not expire, so your connection stays active.

Configure the webhook

On the Connect screen, copy the Callback URL and Verify Token into your Meta app under WhatsApp, then Configuration, then Webhook. Click Verify and Save, then subscribe to the messages field.

Check the connection

After saving, the Connect screen shows live account details from Meta, including your verified name, quality rating, and messaging limit. If you see an error, your token has likely expired, so generate a new permanent one.