WhatsApp Business API & Integration API | 360dialog (2024)

The WhatsApp Business API is an application programming interface that enables the exchange of data between WhatsApp and any other application or platform of the user’s choice. For example, a business can use the API (also referred to as On-premise API or Cloud-API) to transfer contact information such as name and phone number from WhatsApp to a CRM such as HubSpot. The API can also be used to connect your chatbot or multiple agents to your WhatsApp inbox. Any connection that requires importing and exporting data from WhatsApp is possible thanks to the API.

For example, if you have an application or a website for booking appointments, and you want users to be able to book appointments on your application through WhatsApp, the API might come in handy. You can connect your booking system to WhatsApp and enable users to book appointments through interactive messages.

On the 12th of September 2021, we implemented the Embedded Signup process which doesn’t require Facebook Business verification and would take 5 to 15 mins to complete and get access to the API. However, this approximation assumes that:

1. The phone number you are using is not connected to any other WhatsApp account.
2. You have a Meta (Formerly known as Facebook) business account.
3. You have a verified Meta business manager account.
4. If you have a phone number with an IVR system it should be temporarily disabled during the signup process.
5. You have access to the phone number and you can verify it through SMS or Voice call during the signup process.

If you don’t meet the requirements/prerequisites listed above, the signup process might take longer especially if the support team would have to interfere to grant you access.

Please read the documentation regarding the signup process carefully before proceeding.

There are different messaging limits tiers that are enforced by WhatsApp to ensure that businesses don’t send too many spam and promotional messages and make sure that WhatsApp users always have a good user experience.

Therefore, the limits on messages are imposed based on your quality rating which is calculated based on how users received your messages in the past seven days. If you make sure to comply with WhatsApp commerce policy and maintain a high-quality rating you move up the messaging tiers and send more messages per day.

Here are the messaging tiers as specified by WhatsApp and Meta:

• Level 1: 1,000 business-initiated conversations (with 1,000 unique customers) in a rolling 24-hour period.

• Level 2: 10,000 business-initiated conversations (with 10,000 unique customers) in a rolling 24-hour period.

• Level 3: 100,000 business-initiated conversations (with 100,000 unique customers) in a rolling 24-hour period.

• Level 4: unlimited business-initiated conversations in a rolling 24-hour period.

You can read more about WhatsApp’s messaging limits here.

Using the WhatsApp On-Premises API, 360dialog ensures legal and privacy-compliant use of WhatsApp in customer communications. When starting communication with a business, the customer submits consent before using the WhatsApp service. The customer also proactively contacts customer service via WhatsApp and confirms the privacy policy. Also, the customer can unsubscribe at any time with a simple word or command and request that their data be deleted.

WhatsApp messages between the 360dialog API and customers are end-to-end encrypted. WhatsApp cannot read them. Therefore this solution is more secure than email or many other messengers, that is not encrypted. Our hosting servers (where encryption and decryption happen) are located in certified data centers where our customers need them to be hosted.

What is also to be mentioned for customers using our API: We do not store any message data after messages are retrieved.

We deliver a solution, that has little technical effort on your side. Our API is very much based on the WhatsApp On-Premises API, so your developers do not need any extra documentation.

Our service is solving all the problems you would have to solve as an on-premise customer, but the API is based on the original WhatsApp API, so you will have all new features without delay and the UX of the original API.

The process is very simple. All you have to do is to make sure that you meet all the requirements that can be found in Meta’s documentation. Then you can create an account with 360dialog in 5 to 15 mins by following the instructions.
Keep in mind that WhatsApp and Meta have applied a strict business and commerce policy that businesses that want to get access to the API should abide by. The WhatsApp API is not made to send thousands of promotional and spammy messages to strangers. Therefore, it is not a suitable tool to contact cold leads. In a matter of fact, Meta might penalize you by limiting the number of messages you can send or completely blocking your number.

Moreover, the API is not a messaging interface like the WhatsApp Business App. This means that any number that is used for the API cannot be used with another WhatsApp account and if businesses want to send and receive messages through the API, they should develop their own messaging solution or get it from an independent software vendor.