How to get your WhatsApp number ready for a chatbot
· 5 min read
Which number can I use?
You don't need a special "business number". A regular mobile number, a new SIM or even a landline works, as long as it can receive a verification code by SMS or phone call.
Use a number that belongs to your business and that you'll keep, because it becomes the number your customers message.
Why can't the number stay on the WhatsApp app?
A WhatsApp number can be registered in one place at a time: the WhatsApp or WhatsApp Business app on a phone, or the WhatsApp Business Platform that a chatbot uses. While the number is active in the app, Meta won't add it to the platform.
Option 1: Move your current number to the chatbot
Best if you want to start now and are happy to reply from your chatbot's inbox instead of the WhatsApp app.
- Back up your chats in WhatsApp: Settings → Chats → Chat backup
- Delete the WhatsApp account on that phone: Settings → Account → Delete my account
- Connect the number to your chatbot and verify it with the code you receive
- Reply to customers from the chatbot's inbox; your old chats aren't moved over
Option 2: Keep the WhatsApp Business app (where available)
Meta lets some numbers use the WhatsApp Business app and the platform together, often called coexistence. You keep replying from the app, the chatbot answers too, and recent chats are copied over. It only works with the WhatsApp Business app, not regular WhatsApp, and availability depends on your country.
If you're on regular WhatsApp today, install the free WhatsApp Business app on the same phone and move your number into it. It keeps your chats and contacts.
Option 3: Use a new number for the chatbot
Best if you want to keep your current WhatsApp exactly as it is. Get a new SIM or number for the business, connect it to the chatbot, and share it with your customers.
What you'll need when you connect
After you connect, Meta checks your display name, usually within a day or two. Until then, you can message only a limited number of new customers first.
- A Facebook account, because WhatsApp for business is managed through Meta
- Your business name, as customers should see it on WhatsApp
- The phone with the number nearby, to receive the verification code
Not ready yet?
In ChatFlow you can set up and publish your chatbot without WhatsApp. It works in your website's chat right away, and you can connect WhatsApp whenever your number is ready. If you're stuck, choose "I need help" on the WhatsApp page and our team will help you.
Common questions
Can I use my personal number?
Yes, any number that can receive a code works. Remember it becomes the number customers message, and it can't stay on the regular WhatsApp app at the same time.
Will I lose my chats?
If you move the number to the chatbot, old chats stay only in your backup. With the WhatsApp Business app and coexistence, recent chats are copied over.
Can I use a landline?
Yes. Choose to receive the verification code by phone call instead of SMS.
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