Kristina Margulets
A WhatsApp Business account gives your company its own name, profile and business tools on WhatsApp, separate from your personal chats. There are two ways to create one, and the right one depends on how many messages you get and who answers them:
- In Chatfuel, on the WhatsApp Business Platform. You create the account in Meta's signup window without leaving Chatfuel. An AI Agent answers every chat 24/7, and your team replies from a shared inbox.
- In the free WhatsApp Business app. You register a number on your phone and answer customers yourself.
This guide walks you through both, step by step. Then it covers your business profile, verification and the setup errors people run into most often.
See also: WhatsApp vs WhatsApp Business: Key Differences
Which WhatsApp Business account do you need?
| Chatfuel (WhatsApp Business Platform) | WhatsApp Business app | |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Businesses with many chats, or that want answers at night too | Owners who answer every message themselves |
| Phone number | A new number, or your WhatsApp Business app number (it keeps working in the app) | A mobile or landline number |
| Who replies | The AI Agent first, then your team, each with their own login | You, from one phone and up to 4 linked devices |
| Automation | The AI Agent answers questions, books appointments and hands chats to people | Greeting and away messages, quick replies |
| Price | Plan from $20/month with $20 in credits, plus Meta's fees per message | Free; Meta Verified and business broadcasts cost extra |
| Where you set it up | Chatfuel Settings, in Meta's signup window | On your phone |
Both are official WhatsApp Business accounts. The app lives on one phone. The WhatsApp Business Platform, often called the WhatsApp Business API, connects your number to software such as Chatfuel. More on the difference: WhatsApp Business API: what it is and how to get it.
What you need before you start
- A phone number you own that can receive a text message or a call. Mobile and landline numbers both work. VoIP numbers, toll-free numbers and extensions don't.
- A number that isn't in use elsewhere. It can't be on personal WhatsApp or connected to another WhatsApp provider. To keep a personal number, move it to the WhatsApp Business app first (steps below).
- For Chatfuel: a Facebook login, a Meta business portfolio where you have Full control (you can also create one during signup), and the Admin or Editor role in Chatfuel.
- For the app: an Android phone with Android 6.0 or newer, or an iPhone with iOS 15.1 or newer. From November 30, 2026, WhatsApp needs iOS 15.5. Wi-Fi-only devices can't register a new account (supported devices).
How to create a WhatsApp Business account with Chatfuel
Chatfuel is an official Meta Business Partner, so the whole account is created in Meta's own signup window, opened from Chatfuel. There's nothing to install and no code to write.
With a new number
Use this path if the number isn't on WhatsApp yet.
- In Chatfuel, open Settings and click Add number in the WhatsApp section. Meta's signup window opens, and Chatfuel shows a step-by-step guide next to it.
- Log in to Facebook and click Continue twice to let Chatfuel connect to your WhatsApp Business account.
- Select your business portfolio, or create a new one and fill in your business details.
- Select Create a WhatsApp Business account and click Next. Newer versions of Meta's window may call it a WhatsApp account.
- Enter your display name, the name customers see at the top of the chat. Meta reviews it, so use your real business name (rules below).
- Choose Add a new number, enter the number and pick how to get the code: text message or phone call. Click Next.
- Enter the code and click Next.
- Review what Chatfuel will be able to do, click Confirm, then Finish.
You don't add a card in Meta. Chatfuel attaches its own credit line to your new WhatsApp Business account, and Meta's message fees come out of your Chatfuel balance. For that, the account's currency has to be USD.
The AI Co-pilot can't connect the number for you, because only you can log in to Meta, but it can take you straight to the right page: just ask. Step-by-step guide with every screen: How to connect a new phone number.
With your WhatsApp Business app number
Already answer customers in the WhatsApp Business app? Keep the number. With Coexistence, it works in the app on your phone and in Chatfuel at the same time:
- In the same signup window, select Connect a WhatsApp Business App instead of creating an account, and enter your number.
- In the app, go to Settings → Account → Business Platform and scan the QR code.
- Choose whether to share your chats. Sharing imports up to 6 months of chat history and your contacts. You can't change this choice later.
A few things change in the app, for example linked devices are logged out and broadcast lists become read-only. Details: WhatsApp vs WhatsApp Business and the guide Connect a WhatsApp Business app number.
What happens after you connect
Your number appears in Settings › WhatsApp with the Online status, the display name and the phone number. From here you can verify your business, sync your account data after changes in Meta, or change the number.
Meta reviews your display name
Meta checks every display name. If it breaks the rules, Chatfuel shows a "Display name was rejected" banner, and automation stops until Meta approves a new name. Change the name in WhatsApp Manager and click Sync account data in Chatfuel.
Verify your business portfolio
Meta limits how many people a business can message first, outside the 24-hour window after a customer writes. These are template messages such as reminders and offers. Replies to customers who write to you aren't counted. According to Meta's messaging limits, a new business portfolio can reach 250 people a day. The limit grows to 2,000, then 10,000, 100,000 and unlimited.
To move up from 250, verify your business. In Chatfuel, click Verify on the Verify your Meta business portfolio card, upload a document such as a business registration or tax document, and add a WhatsApp number where you can be reached. The legal business name must match your Meta business info exactly. The status changes from Documents saved to Pending review to Verified, usually within 2–3 hours. After that, Meta raises the limit automatically while your message quality stays high and you use at least half of your current limit within 7 days.
Guide: Verify your Meta business account.
Turn on the AI Agent
Go to AI Agent → Automations, open WhatsApp Incoming messages and turn it on. The AI Agent answers from your AI Knowledge Base: services, prices, opening hours and policies. In Switch to human agents, choose when it should pass a chat to your team. Click Test automation to try it before customers write.
Every conversation lands in Chats, where your team can step in at any moment. See what else the AI Agent does on WhatsApp: Chatfuel for WhatsApp.
How to create an account in the WhatsApp Business app
- Download WhatsApp Business from Google Play or the App Store. It's free.
- Open the app and tap Agree and continue.
- Enter your number and the 6-digit code from the text message. On a landline, tap Call me to get the code by phone.
- Enter your business name and tap Next (Android) or Continue (iPhone).
- Choose up to three business categories.
- Add your business hours, profile photo, address, website and description, or skip them and fill them in later.
Source: WhatsApp Help Center.
Already use this number on personal WhatsApp? Install WhatsApp Business on the same phone. It detects your number: tap Continue, then Allow to bring over your chat history and media. Save your customers to your phone's address book first, because contacts stored only in WhatsApp are lost in the move. More: How to switch from WhatsApp to WhatsApp Business.
To keep personal WhatsApp too, use two numbers, for example with two SIM cards. One number can't be on both apps at once.
How to set up your business profile
In the WhatsApp Business app
Go to Tools → Profile. On older versions of the app, it's under Settings → Business tools. Fill in:
- Name and categories: your real business name and up to three categories.
- Description: what you sell and what makes you different.
- Address and business hours.
- Email and website.
- Profile photo: your logo or a clear photo of your shop or product.
Add products in Tools → Catalog. To invite customers to chat, make a link with a pre-filled message in our free WhatsApp link generator.
On the WhatsApp Business Platform
Your display name has to pass Meta's review. Follow Meta's display name guidelines:
- Use your real business name, the same as on your website or documents. Generic words like "Fashion" or another company's brand get rejected.
- Capitalize each word, use single spaces and at least 4 characters. No ALL CAPS, emoji or symbols such as @ and $.
- Leave out "WhatsApp", "Meta", "Official", "Verified" and "Bot", unless they're part of your registered business name.
You change the display name and the profile photo in WhatsApp Manager. The link is at the bottom of Settings › WhatsApp in Chatfuel. The photo should be square, at least 640×640 pixels, PNG or JPG, up to 5 MB. Then click Sync account data in Chatfuel. Guides: change your display name, add a profile photo.
Verified badge: Official Business Account or Meta Verified
A verified badge next to your name doesn't come with a new account:
- WhatsApp Business Platform: well-known brands can request an Official Business Account in WhatsApp Manager. You need business verification, two-step verification on the number and proof that your brand is notable, such as press coverage. Meta reviews the request in 1–2 business days. After a rejection, you can apply again in 30 days. Guide: How to get an Official Business Account.
- WhatsApp Business app: subscribe to Meta Verified in Tools → Meta Verified. It's a paid subscription. It isn't sold through Chatfuel, and a new number connected through Chatfuel isn't eligible. A Business app number connected through Coexistence can still subscribe in the app.
Troubleshooting
The verification code doesn't arrive
Check the country code and the number. On a landline, choose the phone call instead of the text message. After too many attempts, Meta blocks new codes for a while: Chatfuel shows "Too many attempts connecting this number. Try to connect it again in 72 hours."
The number is already in use
A number on personal WhatsApp can't be connected as it is. Move it to the WhatsApp Business app and connect it through Coexistence, or delete that WhatsApp account first. A number can work with only one WhatsApp provider. If it's with 360dialog, Twilio or another provider, ask them to release it before you connect it to Chatfuel. Guides: Can I use 360dialog with Chatfuel? and check whether a number is released.
Your business portfolio isn't in the list
You need Full control of the portfolio. Ask its admin to change your access in Meta's business settings, then start again. More fixes: Troubleshooting phone connection issues.
Your display name was rejected
Rename it in WhatsApp Manager following the rules above and click Sync account data in Chatfuel. Automation resumes once Meta approves the new name.
Your account was banned
In the WhatsApp Business app, the ban screen offers Request review, and most reviews are done within 24 hours. No third-party service can lift a ban. On the WhatsApp Business Platform, Chatfuel shows a banner when Meta disables the account. To avoid bans in the first place, message only people who agreed to hear from you and make it easy to opt out: WhatsApp rules, or how to avoid bans.
WhatsApp no longer takes support requests by email. In the app, go to Settings → Help and feedback to contact WhatsApp support.
Summary
The fastest way to a WhatsApp Business account that answers customers around the clock is Chatfuel. Open Settings, click Add number and follow Meta's signup window. Use a new number, or keep your WhatsApp Business app number with Coexistence. Then verify your business portfolio to raise your messaging limit, and turn on the AI Agent. If you answer every chat yourself, the free WhatsApp Business app takes a few minutes to set up on your phone, and you can connect the same number to Chatfuel later.
See also: What Is WhatsApp Business and How to Use It
FAQs
How do I create a WhatsApp Business account?
The quickest way with automation built in is Chatfuel. Go to Settings, click Add number, log in to Facebook, select your business portfolio, create a WhatsApp Business account, enter your display name and verify your number with a code. To answer chats yourself on one phone, download the free WhatsApp Business app and register your number there.
Can I create a WhatsApp Business account with my current number?
Yes. If the number is on the WhatsApp Business app, connect it to Chatfuel with Coexistence and keep using the app. If it's on personal WhatsApp, move it to the WhatsApp Business app first. Your chats come with it.
Can I use a landline number?
Yes. In the WhatsApp Business app, tap Call me to get the code by phone. When you connect a new number in Chatfuel, choose a phone call as the verification method.
Is a WhatsApp Business account free?
The WhatsApp Business app is free. Meta Verified and business broadcasts are paid extras. On the WhatsApp Business Platform, Meta charges for delivered messages. With Chatfuel, a plan starts at $20 a month with $20 in credits, and Meta's fees come out of the same balance. Details: WhatsApp Business pricing.
Do I need a Facebook account to create a WhatsApp Business account?
Not for the WhatsApp Business app. For the WhatsApp Business Platform, yes: you log in with Facebook and pick a Meta business portfolio during signup.
How long does business verification take?
Usually 2–3 hours after you upload your documents in Chatfuel. If Meta rejects them, fix the legal business name or the documents and submit again.
Can I keep using the WhatsApp Business app after connecting to Chatfuel?
Yes, with Coexistence. Messages arrive both in the app and in Chatfuel. When you reply from the app on your phone, the AI Agent stops answering in that chat, so you and the AI don't talk over each other.
