What is the WhatsApp Business API?
MRBy Mitesh Rao, Founder, CloudFigma· Updated
The short answer
The WhatsApp Business API, which Meta now calls the WhatsApp Business Platform, lets a business send and receive WhatsApp messages through software instead of a phone. It adds a shared team inbox, automatic replies, approved templates for confirmations and offers, and sending at scale from one verified number, billed per message by Meta.
What it lets a business do
The WhatsApp Business app is built for one person on one phone. The API is built for a business with customers to keep up with.
- One number shared by a whole team, each chat assigned to the right person.
- Messages started by the business, such as booking confirmations, reminders and order updates, using templates Meta has approved.
- Automatic replies to common questions, in the customer’s language, at any hour.
- Offers sent to every customer who opted in, with delivery and read status for each person.
- Connections to your own software, so your app or store sends order updates and one-time passwords by itself.
Who needs it
Any business whose customers write to it on WhatsApp faster than one phone can answer: clinics, salons, stores, restaurants, coaching centres, real estate firms, travel companies and agencies running WhatsApp for their clients.
If you send booking confirmations, reminders or order updates, or want more than one person replying from the business number, the API is the right tool.
How you get it
Meta does not sell the API with an app of its own. Businesses reach it through a provider such as Pulse, which supplies the inbox, templates and automation. The business is verified by Meta, its number is registered on the platform, and its first templates are approved; with Pulse, CloudFigma does these steps for you, usually within a week.
What it costs in India
Two parts: Meta’s per-message rate, from ₹0.115 for a utility message to ₹0.8631 for a marketing message before GST, and the provider’s fee. Pulse charges ₹9,999 a year including GST and adds nothing per message.
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Questions people ask
Is the WhatsApp Business API the same as the WhatsApp Business app?
No. The app is free and runs on one phone. The API is used through software, supports a whole team on one number, automatic replies and approved templates, and is billed per message by Meta.
Can I use my existing WhatsApp number?
Yes, if it is moved off the WhatsApp or WhatsApp Business app first: a number can be active in only one place. A new number avoids any interruption.
Do I need a developer?
Not with Pulse. CloudFigma completes Meta’s verification and setup, and the inbox, templates and automation work without code. A developer is only needed to connect your own software through the API.
Is it allowed to send offers on the WhatsApp Business API?
Yes, to customers who agreed to hear from you, using marketing templates Meta has approved. Customers can opt out at any time, and Pulse stops messaging anyone who replies STOP.
Read next
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- How to get the WhatsApp Business API in India
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