What is a WhatsApp Business account?

In more depth

The naming causes endless confusion, so it is worth separating three things. The consumer app is what most people have. The Business app is a free download that any small business can use on a phone, adding a profile with an address and opening hours, a catalogue of products, and labels for sorting chats. The Business Platform is Meta's official API, where a number is registered with Meta, messages are charged, and the number can no longer be used in any phone app. Wapito links a phone, so it works with either of the two phone apps - but the objects that only exist in the Business app only appear when the linked number is running it. Calling a catalogue or labels endpoint on a number running the consumer app returns an explicit error rather than an empty list, because an empty list would be a lie. Switching a number from consumer to Business happens on the phone and replaces the linked device, so the channel has to be paired again afterwards.

In the Wapito API

On the wire it is the field is_business:

{
  "is_business": true,
  "business_profile": {
    "category": "Retail",
    "address": "12 High Street"
  }
}

On the official Cloud API

Meta's own documentation distinguishes the WhatsApp Business app from the WhatsApp Business Platform; only the Platform is an API product, and it requires registering the number with Meta.

Wapito is an independent product. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, sponsored by or certified by WhatsApp or Meta Platforms, Inc. WhatsApp is a trademark of Meta Platforms, Inc.

Related terms

• Cloud API
• BSP
• Channel

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