On Meta's WhatsApp Account Model Evolution (WAME), phone number migration isn't available. Instead, you add respond.io alongside your current WhatsApp Solution Partner (also called a Business Solution Provider, or BSP). Your number stays where it is, and respond.io gets its own Messaging account. You then choose which partner handles incoming messages in Conversation Routing.
To check if your account is on WAME, go to Meta Business Suite > Settings. If WhatsApp accounts and Messaging accounts appear as separate items under Accounts, your account is on WAME. If they don't, follow Phone Number Migration to respond.io WhatsApp Business Platform (API) instead.
Before you begin
Your account is on WAME. Go to Meta Business Suite > Settings. If WhatsApp accounts and Messaging accounts appear as separate items under Accounts, your account is on WAME.
You have admin access to your Meta Business Manager.
You can receive a verification code on the phone number by text message or phone call.
Pop-ups are allowed in your browser.
WhatsApp Coexistence numbers can be connected to only one partner, so you can't add respond.io alongside your current partner. To switch a Coexistence number to respond.io, follow these steps.
What's shared and what's separate when respond.io joins your number
Item | Shared or separate |
|---|---|
Phone number, display name, and business profile | Shared. They belong to your WhatsApp account. |
Throughput and messaging limits | Shared. Adding a partner doesn't increase them. |
Quality rating | Shared. Every partner's sending affects it. |
Message templates | Separate. Templates don't carry over to respond.io. |
Billing | Separate. Each partner bills you for the messages it sends. |
Any partner connected to your number can deregister it.
How to add respond.io to a WhatsApp number used by another partner
Follow Steps 1–5 in Connecting WhatsApp Business Platform (API) to start the sign-up and click Continue.
Under Phone number, enter the number connected to your current partner. Choose Text message or Phone call > click Next.
Enter the verification code > click Next.
Check that your Business portfolio and WhatsApp account are selected > click Next. They're selected automatically.
Review what you'll share with respond.io > click Confirm. The screen lists your WhatsApp account and a new Messaging account for respond.io.
Click Finish.
Your current partner stays connected to the number.
How to route incoming messages to respond.io
After you add respond.io, Meta keeps routing incoming messages to your current partner. Until you change Conversation Routing, respond.io receives no messages.
Follow the steps in Set respond.io as the primary responder in Conversation Routing.
Important: Sharing one number between partners is new. Your previous partner's chatbots, automations, and inbox may not work as expected.
How to set up your WhatsApp message templates in respond.io
Templates don't carry over from your previous partner. Recreate them in respond.io and submit them for review. Do this before you send Broadcasts or template messages from respond.io.
Learn how in WhatsApp message templates.
What happens to your previous partner after you add respond.io
Adding respond.io doesn't disconnect your previous partner. Both stay connected to your number:
Incoming messages: Conversation Routing decides which partner receives and replies to each type of conversation, such as new customer messages, calls, and replies to marketing messages. Choose the partner for each type in Conversation Routing.
Removing your previous partner: Your previous partner stays connected until their Messaging account is removed in Meta Business Suite. Removing it doesn't update Conversation Routing, and Meta doesn't pick a new primary responder for you.
Subscription: Your subscription with your previous partner continues until you cancel it with them.
FAQ and troubleshooting
Why can't I receive or send messages in respond.io?
Conversation Routing is likely set to another partner. Respond.io can only receive and reply to messages when it's the primary responder. Select respond.io in every dropdown in Conversation Routing.
Can I use respond.io with another BSP on the same number?
Yes. If your account is on WAME, you can add respond.io to a number that's already connected to another partner (BSP). Your current partner stays connected. This doesn't apply to WhatsApp Coexistence numbers, which can be connected to only one partner.
Will respond.io show replies sent by my other partner?
No. Messages handled by another partner don't appear in respond.io, so conversations in respond.io may be incomplete.
Does adding respond.io disconnect my current partner?
No. Your current partner stays connected until you remove their Messaging account.
Who pays for messages when two partners share my number?
Each partner bills you through its own Messaging account for the messages it sends.
Why did my previous partner stop working after I added respond.io?
Conversation Routing sends incoming messages only to the primary responder. If respond.io is the primary responder for every option, your previous partner stops receiving and replying to incoming messages. It can still send template messages, such as broadcasts.
Why am I asked to deregister my phone number during sign-up?
Your account isn't on WAME yet. Follow Phone Number Migration to respond.io WhatsApp Business Platform (API) instead.
How do I move my number to another respond.io Organization?
Connecting from the new Organization without these steps fails, because the number is still linked to the original Organization.
Delete the WhatsApp Channel in the original Organization.
In Meta Business Suite > Settings > Messaging accounts, remove respond.io's Messaging account.
Connect the Channel again from the new Organization.
Your WhatsApp balance doesn't carry over to the new Organization. To request a refund, contact our support team before deleting the Channel.
