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Meta Business Account Setup
sgcommand edited this page 2026-04-10 09:06:01 +02:00
Table of Contents

Meta Business Account Setup

This guide covers the end-to-end setup for using the WhatsApp Business Platform with WhatsHooked:

  1. Create or prepare a Meta Business account
  2. Create a Meta app
  3. Add the WhatsApp product
  4. Configure business verification basics
  5. Register a phone number
  6. Collect the credentials WhatsHooked needs

Prerequisites

Before starting, make sure you have:

  • A Meta/Facebook account you can use for admin access
  • A Meta Business account (or permission to create one)
  • A phone number that is not currently active in the standard WhatsApp or WhatsApp Business mobile app if you plan to register it for the Cloud API
  • Basic access to the Meta developer dashboard

Step 1: Create or access a Meta Business account

  1. Go to Meta Business Manager / Meta Business Suite.
  2. Create a new business account if you do not already have one.
  3. Fill in the business details:
    • business name
    • your name
    • business email
  4. Complete email confirmation if Meta asks for it.

Recommended follow-up

In business settings, make sure you:

  • add the correct admins
  • complete business information
  • enable two-factor authentication for admins if possible

Step 2: Create a Meta developer app

  1. Go to the Meta for Developers dashboard.
  2. Click Create App.
  3. Choose an app type that supports WhatsApp integration (the exact wording may vary over time).
  4. Enter the app name and contact email.
  5. Link the app to the correct business account when prompted.
  6. Finish app creation.

Step 3: Add the WhatsApp product

  1. Open the new app in the developer dashboard.
  2. Add the WhatsApp product.
  3. Meta will provision a starter WhatsApp configuration for testing.

At this point Meta usually gives you:

  • a temporary access token
  • a test phone number
  • a WhatsApp business account id
  • sending/receiving test controls

These are useful for initial smoke tests, but production setup normally needs your own number and a system user token strategy.

Step 4: Prepare business verification and ownership

For production use, make sure the business side is in order:

  • complete business details in Business Manager
  • start business verification if Meta requires it
  • verify your business domain if needed
  • ensure the correct business owns the app and WhatsApp assets

Meta approval and capability levels can be limited until business verification is complete.

Step 5: Register a phone number

To use your own WhatsApp Business number:

  1. In the app's WhatsApp section, choose to add or register a phone number.
  2. Enter the display name you want Meta to review.
  3. Choose the business category if prompted.
  4. Enter the phone number in international format.
  5. Choose SMS or voice call verification.
  6. Enter the verification code sent by Meta.

Important notes

  • The number must not be actively tied to a consumer WhatsApp app session you still need.
  • If the number is already in use elsewhere, migration/release steps may be required first.
  • Display name approval can be immediate or delayed depending on the business status and naming choice.

Step 6: Capture the values needed by WhatsHooked

After setup, collect and store these values:

  • Phone Number ID
  • WhatsApp Business Account ID
  • Access Token
  • App ID
  • App Secret (if your flow requires it)
  • Webhook Verify Token (your own chosen secret for webhook validation)
  • API Version if you want to pin requests to a specific Graph API version

Step 7: Configure webhook basics in Meta

If WhatsHooked is receiving inbound events from Meta:

  1. Open the WhatsApp webhook configuration in the Meta app.
  2. Enter your callback URL.
  3. Enter your verify token.
  4. Complete the webhook verification handshake.
  5. Subscribe to the WhatsApp event fields you need.

Typical events include message and status updates.

Step 8: Move from temporary to long-lived operational access

For real deployments, do not rely on temporary dashboard test tokens forever.

Recommended direction:

  • create the proper business/system-user setup in Business Manager
  • generate a token suitable for server-side integration
  • store the token securely
  • document rotation procedures

Suggested WhatsHooked documentation/config fields

A Meta account configuration in WhatsHooked will usually need some combination of:

  • account name
  • phone number id
  • business account id
  • access token
  • verify token
  • app secret (optional depending on implementation)
  • API version

Common pitfalls

  • Wrong business account linked to the app
  • Using an expired temporary access token
  • Number already attached to another WhatsApp setup
  • Webhook verify token mismatch
  • Missing business verification for production scenarios
  • Missing API version pinning when Meta changes defaults

Approval checklist before production

  • Business account created
  • App created
  • WhatsApp product enabled
  • Business details completed
  • Number registered and verified
  • Display name approved
  • Webhook verified
  • Long-lived credentials stored securely
  • Test send and receive flow confirmed