Have you been thinking about using WhatsApp API for business but are unsure what it is or how it works? We have created this first-hand guide to answer all your WhatsApp Business API questions. Here, you’ll learn how to create an account, manage contacts and send a message successfully.
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What is WhatsApp API?
WhatsApp API, also known as WhatsApp Business Platform, is designed for medium to large companies looking to use WhatsApp for messaging at scale. Unlike the WhatsApp Business App, the API does not have a front-end interface and must be connected to a messaging software to send and receive messages.
This gives businesses the freedom to choose a software solution that fits their business needs and have access to advanced features, such as automating conversations and appointment booking, AI tools, sending broadcasts, and more to create personalized customer journeys.
If you're still deciding between WhatsApp API and WhatsApp Business App, the next section is for you. However, if you've already decided on the API and wish to learn more, feel free to skip ahead.
WhatsApp API vs WhatsApp Business App
The WhatsApp Business App is intended for micro to small businesses, as it comes with limited multiuser, broadcast and automation capabilities. This makes it difficult for you to handle high volumes of messages and contacts.
The API, on the other hand, supports unlimited users and high volumes of broadcasts. When paired with the right WhatsApp API software, businesses can manage conversations with advanced AI and automation and ensure smooth contact synchronization with e-commerce platforms and CRMs, among other advanced capabilities.
Now that you know what you can do with the API, let’s see if it's right for your business.
Is WhatsApp API Right for Your Business?
We’ve compiled a list below to help you decide if you should get WhatsApp API:
1. Business size and message volume: If you’re a medium to large company that deals with a high volume of messages, then the API is your best choice. This will allow you to manage messages efficiently by connecting it to an AI-powered customer conversation management software like respond.io.
2. Integration with e-commerce platforms: Unlike the WhatsApp Business App, you can integrate WhatsApp API with popular e-commerce platforms such as Shopify, BigCommerce, WooCommerce and Magento.
3. Use cases: WhatsApp API is the right choice if you plan to conduct marketing, sales and customer support at scale. For instance, you can create a WhatsApp drip campaign and use AI to automate lead qualification and sales and support inquiries.
4. Verticals: WhatsApp API can benefit businesses in all verticals. In our experience, it has worked well for businesses in the food and beverages (F&B), hospitality, healthcare, education, real estate and retail industries.
<call-out> By using WhatsApp API and respond.io, Qobolak doubled lead conversions. Read the full story here <call-out>
In the next section, we’ll show you the features of WhatsApp API that you need to be aware of.
5 Key Features of WhatsApp API
WhatsApp API can be used by your business to chat with leads and turn them into customers. While it doesn’t have these features natively, software like respond.io have built these features to ensure businesses can maximize WhatsApp API to increase their productivity and revenue.
1. Support for Multiple Agents
The WhatsApp API is designed to support a large number of agents . This means you can manage conversations concurrently to handle high message volumes. It also allows various team members to work on incoming inquiries without delay.
Each agent can view real-time updates, access previous conversations, and maintain continuity, ensuring that customers receive prompt, informed responses. With this multi-agent support, businesses can scale their customer service efforts, keeping up with demand and minimizing response times.
2. Respond at Scale With Automation
If your business faces a large number of inbound messages, your agents might not have the capacity to reply to all of them. To free up their time, you can automate replies to lead inquiries.
But that’s not all, you can also automatically qualify leads, route them to the right team, or even use AI agents to respond to their inquiries.
As a result, agents are free to perform more important tasks like closing sales or following up with prospects.
3. Integrate Third-Party Software
WhatsApp API also allows for integration with third-party tools such as CRM systems, e-commerce platforms, and automation software. These integrations can facilitate follow-ups, view the status of a customer in a lifecycle and automate tasks like lead capture.
It fills in the gaps to make your sales and marketing efforts holistic, ensuring that no customer falls through the cracks.
4. Gain Enhanced Analytics and Insights
Track metrics like delivery rates, read rates and response times to provide a clear picture of customer engagement. These insights help optimize communication strategies, ensuring messages effectively reach and resonate with the target audience.
More importantly, it allows you to identify underperforming agents or weak processes to improve them. This leads to higher customer satisfaction, better retention rates, and an overall improvement in brand reputation.
5. Ensure Security and Compliance
When handling sensitive customer information, there’s no room for compromise. WhatsApp API is built with strict compliance and security standards with end-to-end encryption on all messages. This ensures only sender and recipient can read the content
Furthermore, WhatsApp complies with data privacy regulations such as GDPR, helping businesses meet legal requirements for customer data protection. By maintaining high security standards, businesses using the WhatsApp API can assure customers that their information is safe, building trust and enhancing the brand’s reputation for secure communication.
Applying for WhatsApp API Access
While businesses can get WhatsApp API access directly from Meta, the more popular and convenient way is to access it through WhatsApp Business Solution Providers (BSPs) that offer messaging software. This method, however, affects the pricing and application process.
How to Apply and Requirements
It is compulsory for businesses to have a Meta Business Portfolio (formerly known as Meta Business account) and a phone number that is not tied to any WhatsApp Account when applying for WhatsApp API.
You still need one more thing before you can set up a WhatsApp API account: a WhatsApp Business Solution Provider.
Choose a WhatsApp Business Solution Provider (BSP)
Once you have a phone number and a Meta Business Portfolio account, you need to choose a WhatsApp Business Solution Provider (BSP). It is a third-party company that helps you get access to WhatsApp API.
They are approved by WhatsApp and often provide solutions to enable businesses to send messages, manage customer interactions and integrate with other business tools. So, what do you need to know to pick one?
First, consider a BSP that integrates with WhatsApp Cloud API so that you can enjoy the latest WhatsApp API updates. You’ll also avoid expensive set-up, hosting and maintenance fees. Most importantly, choose a WhatsApp partner that doesn't apply markups on messaging.
Respond.io fits these criteria and is the perfect choice as a WhatsApp BSP. Other WhatsApp BSPs include Sleekflow, Wati and Trengo.
<call-out> Respond.io is also a badged Meta Business Partner, which means it is recognized by Meta for its expertise in business messaging. <call-out>
Next, let’s look at the steps to get a WhatsApp API account.
3 Easy Steps to Set Up WhatsApp API Account
Now, it’s time to set up a WhatsApp API account. We’ll show you how easy it is to set it up on respond.io.
- Connect Your Facebook Account and WhatsApp API Account
Start by linking your Facebook account to the WhatsApp API account. - Verify Your Number
You'll need to verify your phone number via a phone call or text message. - Start Messaging
Once verified, you can begin messaging and responding to customers using the WhatsApp API.
If you need more guidance, explore our dedicated blog that explains the application process step-by-step.
WhatsApp Business API Pricing Model
WhatsApp doesn’t allow businesses to message customers anytime to prevent spam. That is why customers must message a business first, and only then can a business start conversations with customers who have previously messaged them.
WhatsApp's Conversation-Based Pricing
This leads us to the two types of conversations allowed on the API: user-initiated conversations, also known as service conversations and business-initiated conversations.
Service Conversations: User-Initiated Conversations
Service conversations are initiated by customers. When they message you, a 24-hour customer service window will open for you to reply to them. Once the 24-hour window ends, you can no longer reply to customers unless they send you a new message, which will reopen the window.
Businesses can send any type of message during the 24-hour window, provided they abide by WhatsApp’s Business Messaging Policy. To message customers outside the 24-hour window, they must use message templates.
Business-Initiated Conversations
Message templates are pre-approved messages used to reopen the 24-hour customer service window or start a new conversation. After 24 hours from the contact’s last incoming message, this is the only way businesses can initiate conversations.
However, there are limits to how many business-initiated messages you can send. If you just created your WhatsApp API account, you’ll start with 250 business-initiated conversations in a rolling 24-hour period.
Once you’ve verified your business, it’ll increase to 1,000 and can eventually reach unlimited sending capacity.
WhatsApp API Price Structure
You must pay fees to use WhatsApp API. These fees depend on factors like the type of conversation (service- and business-initiated conversations), region, the volume of messages sent and markup on WhatsApp API fees. To get an idea of the fees you’ll need to pay, you can use this WhatsApp API pricing calculator.
To avoid additional costs on top of WhatsApp’s compulsory charges, choose your BSP wisely. Respond.io offers WhatsApp API without charging any markups or additional fees. That said, let’s look at how you can get quick WhatsApp API access.
WhatsApp API Business Profile
A Business Profile provides customers with more information about your business. Businesses can optimize their profiles by updating their cover photo, description, address, email and website. However, WhatsApp API Business Profiles are not searchable.
If you have a WhatsApp Catalog, it will also be displayed in your business profile. Note that for WhatsApp API users, you need to set up your WhatsApp catalog on the Meta Commerce Manager and connect it to your messaging software, like respond.io, to display the WhatsApp Catalog.
To add credibility to your WhatsApp Business Profile, verify your business or apply for the coveted green tick, both of which we will discuss further below.
WhatsApp Display Name and WhatsApp Green Tick
Businesses can now get their Business Display name to appear in customers’ chat inboxes. To do so, verify your business in Facebook Business Manager so customers can easily identify who they’re talking to.
To further enhance business credibility on WhatsApp, verify your WhatsApp account. This will give you the status of an Official Business Account and a green tick will appear alongside your display name.
To get your API account verified, you need to fulfill WhatsApp’s requirements. This includes abiding by WhatsApp's Business Messaging Policy and being a notable business. Now that you know everything you need to set up your account, you are ready to start chatting with customers.
Getting Started with Respond.io
Respond.io is an AI-powered customer conversation management software provider that aims to help businesses generate leads and enable sales conversions through conversations. It has enabled businesses worldwide to gain more qualified leads, improve sales conversions and achieve a high degree of customer satisfaction.
It has also developed a conversation-led growth framework to help businesses maximize business results through conversations. Below are some key highlights of how you can use WhatsApp API with respond.io.
- Automate WhatsApp Ads lead qualification
- Reengage with leads and customers with WhatsApp Broadcast
- Automate conversations with an AI Chatbot
- Converse promptly and effectively with AI Assist
- Measure performance with advanced Reports
Interested in experiencing these capabilities firsthand? Try respond.io WhatsApp Business API for free and take your WhatsApp messaging to the next level.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is WhatsApp Business API free?
No, it’s not. These are the costs you can expect: A phone number, a messaging inbox to receive and send messages and WhatsApp’s conversation-based pricing charges.
What is the cheapest WhatsApp API Partner?
There are multiple partners in the market, and the count keeps going up. To avoid incurring unnecessary costs, we suggest you work with a BSP that doesn’t add markups per message sent or received. Also, avoid BSPs with account setup or maintenance fees.
Is it hard to get a WhatsApp API account?
Fortunately, it is getting easier and easier. Applying for an account through respond.io only takes a few minutes. If you face any blockers, our support team is here to help.
How many agents can share a WhatsApp API account?
This depends on your BSP’s plan. If you are a respond.io user, you can choose between three types of plans and pay only for what you need.
Can I use chatbots with WhatsApp API?
Indeed! Respond.io users can access Respond AI, which consists of an AI chatbot builder, AI Assist and AI prompts, which are a set of tools to help agents reply promptly, professionally and accurately.
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Further Reading
We hope you found this ultimate guide useful. Check out these articles if you want to learn more about business messaging.
- Using WhatsApp Business for Multiple Users
- How to Generate More WhatsApp Leads
- Conversation-Led Growth: Where Conversations Drive Business Results
