WhatsApp & Meta Developer Setup

This guide walks you through creating a Meta Developer account, setting up a WhatsApp Business app, and obtaining the API credentials required by our platform.

Before you begin

You need a personal Facebook account to create a Meta Developer account. Make sure you are logged into Facebook before proceeding.

1Create a Meta Developer Account

  1. Go to the Meta Developer Portal

    Visit developers.facebook.com and sign in with your Facebook account.

  2. Register as a Developer

    If this is your first time, click "Get Started" and follow the prompts to register as a Meta Developer. You may need to:

    • ✓ Accept the Meta Developer Terms of Service
    • ✓ Verify your email address
    • ✓ Provide your phone number for verification (if prompted)

  3. Complete Registration

    After registration, you will be redirected to the Meta Developer Dashboard. You are now ready to create your first app.

2Create a Business App

  1. Click "Create App"

    From the Meta Developer Dashboard, click the "My Apps" menu and then click "Create App".

  2. Select App Type

    Choose "Business" as the app type. This is required for WhatsApp Business API access. Click "Next".

  3. Fill in App Details

    Provide the following information:

    • ✓ App Name: Choose a name for your app (e.g., "My WhatsApp Marketing")
    • ✓ App Contact Email: Your business email address
    • ✓ Business Account: Select an existing Business Manager or create a new one

  4. Submit and Create

    Click "Create App" and complete any CAPTCHA verification. Your app will be created and you will be taken to the app dashboard.

3Add WhatsApp to Your App

  1. Find WhatsApp in Products

    On your app dashboard, scroll down to the "Add Products to Your App" section. Look for the WhatsApp card.

  2. Click "Set Up"

    Click the "Set Up" button on the WhatsApp card. This will enable the WhatsApp product for your app.

  3. Accept Terms

    Review and accept the WhatsApp Terms of Service. You will be redirected to the WhatsApp > API Setup page.

4Get Your API Credentials

On the WhatsApp > API Setup page, you will find the credentials needed by our platform. You need three values:

A. Temporary Access Token

Under the "Temporary access token" section, click "Generate" to create a new token. Copy this token. It typically starts with EAAx...

Note: Temporary tokens expire after 24 hours. For production use, you should generate a permanent System User access token from the Meta Business Manager.

B. Phone Number ID

On the same page, under the "Phone numbers" section, you will see a test phone number provided by Meta. Below it, find the "Phone Number ID" field and copy its value. It is a numeric string like 123456789012345.

C. WhatsApp Business Account ID

Navigate to WhatsApp > API Setup and look for the "WhatsApp Business Account ID" field. Alternatively, find it under Business Settings > Business Assets > WhatsApp Accounts in the Meta Business Manager. It is also a numeric string.

5Create Message Templates

WhatsApp requires all business-initiated messages to use pre-approved templates. You need to create templates in the Meta Business Manager:

  1. Navigate to Message Templates

    Go to WhatsApp > Message Templates in the Meta Developer Dashboard, or navigate to the Meta Business Manager > WhatsApp Manager > Message Templates.

  2. Click "Create Template"

    Choose a category (Marketing, Utility, or Authentication), give it a name, select a language, and compose your message body.

  3. Use Placeholders

    Use {{1}}, {{2}}, etc. as placeholders for dynamic content like customer names, order details, or promo codes.

  4. Submit for Approval

    After creating the template, Meta will review and approve it. Approval usually takes a few minutes to a few hours. Once approved, you can use the template in your campaigns.

6Set Up Webhooks (Optional for Production)

Webhooks allow our platform to receive real-time delivery status updates from WhatsApp (delivered, read, failed). This is configured by the platform administrator. For development purposes, the admin uses a tunneling service like ngrok to expose the backend.

To configure the webhook in your Meta Developer Dashboard:

  1. Navigate to WhatsApp > Configuration in your app dashboard.
  2. Click "Edit" under the Webhook section.
  3. Enter the Callback URL provided by our platform administrator.
  4. Enter the Verify Token (provided by the administrator).
  5. Subscribe to the following webhook fields: messages and message_status.

7Enter Credentials in Our Platform

Once you have all three credentials, enter them in our platform:

  1. Log in to your account

    Go to the Sign In page and log in with your credentials.

  2. Navigate to Settings

    Click on "Settings" in the sidebar menu.

  3. Fill in WhatsApp Configuration

    Scroll to the "WhatsApp Configuration" section and enter:

    • ✓ Access Token — the token you generated in Step 4A
    • ✓ Phone Number ID — the numeric ID from Step 4B
    • ✓ Business Account ID — the account ID from Step 4C

  4. Save

    Click "Save WhatsApp Config". Your credentials are now stored and you can start using the platform.

Setup Complete!

You have successfully set up your Meta Developer account and connected your WhatsApp credentials. Next, learn how to use the platform in our Getting Started Guide.