--- title: "Connect the client's WhatsApp" description: "This is the activation step that turns a signed contract into a live channel." canonical_url: https://chatfuel.com/docs/for-agencies/connect-the-clients-whatsapp markdown_url: https://chatfuel.com/docs/for-agencies/connect-the-clients-whatsapp.md last_updated: 2026-08-12 lang: en site: https://chatfuel.com/docs llms_txt: https://chatfuel.com/llms.txt --- # Connect the client's WhatsApp This is the activation step that turns a signed contract into a live channel. This is the activation step that turns a signed contract into a live channel. Everything before it — access collection, creating the client's company — was preparation; everything after it — the bot, the ads, the leads — runs through the number you're about to connect. There are two routes, depending on what the client walks in with: a brand-new number, or a number they already use in the WhatsApp Business app. Both start in the same place and take about fifteen minutes. ## Before you click anything [#before-you-click-anything] Two permission checks decide whether this goes smoothly or dies on the authorization screen: * **In Chatfuel:** you need an **Admin** or **Editor** role in the client's company. Check in **Settings**. * **In Meta:** the Facebook account that clicks **Connect** must have **Full control** of the *client's* business portfolio — verify at `business.facebook.com/settings/people`. Partner access to run ads is not enough for this step; the two ways agencies handle it (a screen-share with the client, or getting one person added with Full control) are covered in [Partner access to the client's portfolio](https://chatfuel.com/docs/for-agencies/meta-partner-access). If you're doing this on a screen-share with the client — the most common setup for a first connection — have them log in to Facebook before the call starts. Half the delays are password resets. > **Note:** connecting a number requires authorizing with Meta in a real Facebook account, so the AI Co-Worker can't complete this step for you — it's one of the few hands-on steps in the product. It *can* take you straight to the right screen: ask it to open the WhatsApp connection settings. ## Which number does the client have? [#which-number-does-the-client-have] ### New number [#new-number] Use this route when the client is dedicating a fresh number to the bot — nothing to migrate, cleanest setup. 1. **Start the connection.** In the client's company, open **Settings** in the left sidebar and click **Add number** in the WhatsApp section. Log in to Facebook and authorize Chatfuel. 2. **Pick the client's portfolio.** Select the client's existing **business portfolio** (or create one — if you're building the client's Meta presence from scratch, follow [When the client has no Business Manager](https://chatfuel.com/docs/for-agencies/when-the-client-has-no-business-manager) first). Then choose **Create a WhatsApp Business account** and click **Next**. 3. **Set the display name.** Fill in the business info and the **display name** — what customers see in the chat header. Meta reviews it: use the client's real business name, skip decorative punctuation, and never include "WhatsApp" or "Meta" in it. A rejected name stalls the whole connection. 4. **Verify the number.** Choose **Add a new number**, enter it, and pick verification by text or call. Enter the code, review what Chatfuel will access, and click **Confirm**. You'll see **"Your account is connected to Chatfuel"** — the number now appears in Settings. ### Existing WhatsApp Business App number [#existing-whatsapp-business-app-number] Use this route when the client already runs their business through the WhatsApp Business app and wants to keep the number. Nothing is lost: contacts, chat history, and their product catalog all survive, and the client keeps using the app exactly as before — Chatfuel layers on top. 1. **Start the connection.** Same entry point: **Settings → Add number**, log in to Facebook, authorize Chatfuel. 2. **Pick the portfolio and route.** Select the client's business portfolio, then choose **Connect a WhatsApp Business app**. Enter the client's active WhatsApp Business number. 3. **Scan the QR code.** A QR code appears on the computer screen. On the client's phone, in the WhatsApp Business app, a message from **Facebook Business** arrives with a **Connect** button (if it doesn't, go to **Settings → Account → Business Platform → Connect to the Business Platform**). Scan the QR code from there — this is why the client, or their phone, needs to be on the call. 4. **Decide on chat history.** Meta asks whether to **Share chats** with Chatfuel — importing up to 6 months of history and contacts — or start clean. Share it: your bot and the [leads pipeline](https://chatfuel.com/docs/for-agencies/how-the-agency-funnel-works) are better with the client's existing contacts in them, and imported contacts are tagged with their source. 5. **Confirm and finish.** Check the timezone (it drives scheduled messages), review the permissions, and click **Confirm**. **Important:** the chat-history choice is permanent. "Share chats" vs. "Don't share chats" cannot be changed after connection. Decide it with the client *before* the call, not while the QR code is on screen. ## After the connection [#after-the-connection] The number shows up in **Settings**, and the client's company is live. Two follow-ups, in this order: 1. **Start [business verification](https://chatfuel.com/docs/for-agencies/whatsapp-phone-number-verification) today.** Until the client's Meta business is verified, the number is capped at 250 conversations a day — a cap you want lifted before ads start driving traffic, not after. 2. **Feed the AI.** A connected number with an empty brain answers nothing — [upload the client's business info](https://chatfuel.com/docs/for-agencies/uploading-client-business-info) so the bot has something to say. Once messages start flowing, keep [the 24-hour rule](https://chatfuel.com/docs/for-agencies/the-24-hour-rule-explained) in mind — it shapes everything you'll send on this number. If the connection failed somewhere along the way — QR code errors, "number not associated with the selected business", the portfolio missing from the popup — every known failure and its fix is in [Common Meta access errors](https://chatfuel.com/docs/for-agencies/common-meta-access-errors).