What is a WhatsApp pairing code?
Definition
A pairing code is an eight-character code you request for a phone number and then type into WhatsApp on that phone to link a new device. It does the same job as scanning a QR, without a camera or a second screen, and it is the primary way to connect a number to Wapito.
In more depth
You start by telling the API which number you intend to link. The engine asks WhatsApp for a code, WhatsApp returns a short string, and the person holding the phone opens the linked-devices screen, chooses to link with a phone number instead of a QR, and types it in. The code is short-lived, so request it when the person is already looking at their phone rather than in advance. Pairing codes matter more than they used to: QR linking of genuinely new devices has been unreliable across engine libraries since mid-2026, and a code that can be read over a phone call or pasted into a chat is far easier to support remotely than a QR image that has to be photographed from another screen. Wapito treats the code path as primary and keeps the QR endpoint as a fallback. Either way the result is identical - a companion device tied to the phone - and either way the phone must come online periodically or WhatsApp will drop the device.
In the Wapito API
On the wire it is the field pairing_code:
{
"pairing_code": "ABCD-EFGH",
"expires_at": "2026-09-15T10:02:00Z"
}On the official Cloud API
There is no pairing step in the Cloud API. A number is registered with Meta through a verification flow instead, and once registered it cannot be used with the WhatsApp app on a phone.
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
Related
Endpoints that use it
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Reference
Try it on your own number
Create a channel, link a WhatsApp number by QR or pairing code, and call the API in a couple of minutes. The Sandbox plan is free and needs no card.