WhatsApp Business for companies, explained

What is the difference between WhatsApp, WhatsApp Business and the WhatsApp Business API?

WhatsApp exists in three forms. The regular WhatsApp app is meant for personal use; WhatsApp's terms do not allow using it for business. The WhatsApp Business app is free and built for small businesses. You get a business profile, quick replies and labels, but it remains an app on a phone with a limited number of linked devices.

The WhatsApp Business Platform, usually called the WhatsApp Business API, is the third form. The API has no app or screen of its own. You always use it through software, for example a shared inbox like stipt. That lets a whole team work on one number, connects WhatsApp to your customer data and makes automated messages possible.

When do you need the WhatsApp Business API?

There are three clear signals. One: several colleagues need to answer on the same number. In the Business app you work with a limited number of devices and cannot see who picks up what. Two: you want to connect WhatsApp to a system, so conversations belong to the right customer and the history lives in one place. Three: you want to send automated messages, such as an appointment confirmation or a reminder.

All three require the API. If one person answers the occasional message, the free Business app is often enough. As the volume of conversations or the team grows, you run into the app's limits.

How does the 24-hour window work?

When a customer sends you a message, you can reply freely for 24 hours: plain text, photos, documents. Every new message from the customer restarts those 24 hours. Once the window has expired, you may only send an approved template. If the customer replies to it, a new window opens.

Meta introduced this rule to stop companies from messaging people unprompted. In practice you barely notice it while a conversation is active. The window mainly matters when you reach out to a customer again, for example a week after sending a quote.

What are approved templates?

A template is a pre-written message that Meta has approved. You write the text once, with variables for things like a name or a date, and submit it to Meta. Meta reviews the template and approves or rejects it. Templates fall into categories, such as service updates, marketing and verification codes.

You use a template in two situations: to start a conversation yourself and to reply outside the 24-hour window. Once the customer responds, you can reply freely again. A rejected template can be adjusted and resubmitted. Keep templates factual and concrete; that improves the chance of approval and matches how people use WhatsApp.

What does Meta approval involve?

Meta approval works on two levels. First there is business verification: Meta checks that your company really exists and that the business name is correct. Customers see that name next to your number. Separately, Meta reviews each template on its content and its chosen category.

The connection itself runs through embedded signup, Meta's official onboarding flow. You log in with your company's Facebook account, pick or register a number and grant access to the software you use. No technical knowledge is needed. Rejections are not final: you can add missing details or adjust a template and submit again.

How does WhatsApp work in stipt?

You connect your own number through embedded signup, straight from the settings in stipt. If you already have a number in the WhatsApp Business app, you can connect it and that app keeps working alongside stipt. For a step-by-step walkthrough of the connection, see the guide on connecting WhatsApp.

After connecting, all WhatsApp conversations arrive in the shared inbox. Every colleague sees the same conversations and the full history, and a conversation can be assigned to a colleague. Each message shows the familiar ticks: sent, delivered and read. Conversations are attached to the customer record, so you have context without searching. Multiple numbers are possible, for example one per team or per location; each number is its own channel in stipt.

How do you build templates in stipt and get them approved?

In stipt you build templates yourself: you write the text, add variables and pick a category. From stipt you submit the template directly to Meta. The status, in review, approved or rejected, updates automatically as soon as Meta decides.

Approved templates are then available in conversations and in automations, for example a confirmation after an appointment is scheduled. If a template is rejected, you adjust it and submit it again. There is no need to work in Meta's own systems outside stipt.

What should you watch out for with business WhatsApp?

Two things decide whether business WhatsApp lands well: consent and tone. Only message people who have agreed to it, for example through a form or during an order. Record when and how that consent was given and offer a clear way to opt out. Meta also measures the quality of your number: many blocks or reports restrict what you can send.

On tone: WhatsApp is a personal channel. Keep messages short and concrete, only send something when it is useful to the recipient and keep the frequency low. A WhatsApp message feels different from an email; what is normal in a newsletter can feel intrusive on WhatsApp.

Frequently asked questions