FAQ - Documentation

Business Approval
What are the requirements for a business to be approved for WhatsApp?
Compliance with WhatsApp policies and use cases that respect the WhatsApp guidelines. WhatsApp requires compliance with the following:
​WhatsApp Business Solution Terms​
​WhatsApp Business Solution Policy​
​Commerce Policy​
What are possible reasons why my business might not get pre-approval?
a) You offer or sell
Illegal, prescription, or recreational drugs, including marijuana
Tobacco products and related paraphernalia
Unsafe supplements
Weapons, ammunition, or explosives
Animals
Adult items or services
Alcohol
Adult health items
Real money gambling services
Goods, items, or posts that we determine may be or are fraudulent, misleading, deceptive, or offensive
Items or products with overtly sexualized positioning
Products or items that facilitate or encourage unauthorized access to digital media which do not comply with Facebook's policies
b) Your audience might be younger than 16.
c) You request a phone number for countries or regions where WhatsApp/Facebook do not operate. See the Blocked Countries list below. 
Phone numbers
Can I migrate from another Business Solution Provider?
Yes. It is now possible to port (migrate) WhatsApp API enabled numbers to 360dialog from alternate BSPs. Contact our Sales team for more information.
Can I upgrade from the standard WhatsApp App or the WhatsApp Business App ?
Yes, sure! Just read our blog article.
Technically we can set up existing numbers if they are linked to the WhatsApp Business App (or, with some more effort, numbers linked to a regular WhatsApp consumer App).
Can I migrate from the WhatsApp or WhatsApp Business App to the WhatsApp Business API?
Yes, and, in order to do so, first you need to fully delete the account that is still associated with the App. 
Uninstalling the app from a phone is not enough, it is necessary to fully delete any previous WhatsApp account you have associated with to the phone number. 
How to delete your account - You can delete your account from within WhatsApp
1.Open WhatsApp.
2.Tap More options > Settings > Account > Delete my account.
3.Enter your phone number in full international format and tap DELETE MY ACCOUNT.
4.Select a reason for why you're deleting your account in the dropdown.
5.Tap DELETE MY ACCOUNT.

For more information on how to delete your account, please follow this guide. 
What are possible reasons for a number registration to fail?
The number has a WhatsApp App or WhatsApp Business App installed on the device with the number. 

The WhatsApp App or WhatsApp Business App is deleted but the Account is not fully deleted. 

The Registration is Timed Out. Facebook only permits a certain number of Registration attempts before imposing a timeout. 
 
Can I change my phone number?
There is no way to "swap" or "change" a number outright. However, you can achieve the same result by setting up a new phone number and then deleting the old one. Be aware that new phone numbers will start again at the lowest quality tier and will be automatically upgraded to higher tiers as more messages are sent.
How can I tell the difference between a WhatsApp Business App and a WhatsApp Business API setup?
WhatsApp doesn't have any obvious differentiators to distinguish a WhatsApp Business App number from a WhatsApp Business API number. If you can Call or Video Call the number - then it is either a WhatsApp App or WhatsApp Business App. Calls are not supported on the WhatsApp API yet. The only visual way to identify a WhatsApp Business API number is the Green Badge for an Official Business Account.

Consent
Where can I obtain user opt-in for WhatsApp?
During the online transaction process
While setting up user profile and preferences
Via email, SMS, or within the mobile app
Via phone interactive voice response (IVR)
What's required to get the opt-in?
In short:
User action, such as entering a phone number, checking an "I agree" box
Explicit language containing "I agree to receive [noun], [logo and name], on [number]
Visual indication next to the WhatsApp name and log, such as a checkbox
Check out the WhatsApp guidelines and consider the WhatsApp branding guideline.
Hosting & Deployment
The WhatsApp stack consists of
a message gateway that represents the encrypted endpoint (WACORE)
an API-gateway that is used to configure settings and to send and receive messages and (WAWEB)
a database to store messages and files.
Default deployment will happen to Google's Cloud Platform hosting centre in Frankfurt, Germany.
Please go to Help and Support for more deployment options and locations.

Various
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Can I access the profile picture (=avatar) of the WhatsApp user?
No, there is no such feature.
Can I use location sharing?
WhatsApp Business API supports location sharing, but real-time location sharing is currently unsupported and will result in “Message type is unsupported”.

Does the server need to access the internet through 80/443 port?
Our servers are working only in HTTP SSL connection on port 443 (standard for HTTPS).
Can my API accounts message another API account?
No, that is not possible. Since the API system is a programming language, accounts that are connected to an API system can only message accounts that are connected to an APP system, and not to another API system.
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Human Escalation Path
What are acceptable methods of direct human escalation if a client is using automation in user-initiated messages?
Examples of direct channels supported include: human agent hand-off in chat, phone number, email, web support, support form and in-store visits. Escalation channels to social media accounts (Facebook, Messenger, Twitter, Telegram, etc.) are not supported because they require a user to have a login and account on another service. Furthermore, indirect channels such as a help center webpage or a link to an app do not meet this requirement.
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Blocked Countries
There are some countries that WhatsApp excludes from communicating with WhatsApp for Business numbers. Phone numbers from the following countries are blocked:
Crimea (+7978)
Cuba (+53)
Iran (+98)
North Korea (+850)
Syria (+963)