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WhatsApp Coexistence - FAQs


WhatsApp Coexistence allows a business to continue using its existing WhatsApp Business App while connecting the same phone number to the WhatsApp Business Platform Cloud API.

Previously, businesses generally had to choose between using the WhatsApp Business App or moving their number to the WhatsApp Business Platform.

With Coexistence, both can work together using the same business phone number.

This means your team can continue using the familiar WhatsApp Business App while your connected business platform can also send and receive supported WhatsApp messages through the API.


Coexistence is useful when a business already has an active WhatsApp Business number and does not want to stop using the WhatsApp Business App.


No.

The main purpose of Coexistence is to allow your existing WhatsApp Business App number to also connect to the WhatsApp Business Platform.

You should be a WhatsApp Business App user and should use the same business phone number during the Coexistence onboarding process.


No.

After successful Coexistence onboarding, the WhatsApp Business App remains available.

You can continue using the app while the connected business platform also communicates through the same WhatsApp number.

This is one of the main differences between Coexistence and a traditional migration to the WhatsApp Business Platform.


No.

Your existing conversations remain available in your WhatsApp Business App.


Yes.

Coexistence should not be considered a complete replication of every WhatsApp Business App feature inside an API based platform.

Important points include:

  1. Only supported conversations and message events are synchronized through the Cloud API.
  2. Some functionality available inside the WhatsApp Business App may not be available through the API.
  3. Historical message synchronization can be limited.
  4. Some activity from companion devices may not generate the same API events as activity from the primary WhatsApp Business App.
  5. API initiated messaging must follow WhatsApp Business Platform messaging rules.
  6. Business initiated conversations outside the customer service window require approved message templates.
  7. Meta may change Coexistence capabilities and restrictions over time.

The WhatsApp Business App should therefore continue to be used for app specific functionality, while the connected platform can handle automation, CRM workflows, customer management and API based messaging.

02 — After Onboarding

Verify, then trust the connection.


During onboarding, you will normally be taken through Meta's official WhatsApp onboarding process.

You will typically:

  1. Log in using your Facebook account.
  2. Select or create the correct Meta Business Portfolio.
  3. Select or create the appropriate WhatsApp Business Account.
  4. Choose to connect your existing WhatsApp Business App number.
  5. Confirm the business phone number.
  6. Follow the instructions shown inside your WhatsApp Business App.
  7. Authorize the connection.
  8. Complete any requested conversation synchronization.

Once completed, the same phone number can operate through both the WhatsApp Business App and the WhatsApp Business Platform.


Yes.

After onboarding, complete the steps by checking your Meta Business Portfolio.

Go to:

Meta Business Settingshttps://business.facebook.com/settings/latest

OR

Security Centerhttps://business.facebook.com/latest/settings/security_center/

to verify their business, it may take some days to get your business verified — keep check for status on the same link https://business.facebook.com/settings/latest

Make sure you are viewing the same Business Portfolio that was selected during WhatsApp onboarding.

You should review:

  1. Business information
  2. Business verification status
  3. Business phone number
  4. WhatsApp Business Account
  5. WhatsApp phone number
  6. Users and permissions
  7. Billing information where applicable

Ensure billing is setup:

Billing Hubhttps://business.facebook.com/latest/billing_hub/accounts/details/ — add a credit card to activate payment (Master and Visa only)

If your Business Portfolio is not already verified and Meta makes verification available, complete the Business Verification process.

From Meta Business Settings, look for:

Security Center → Business Verification

Meta may request information such as:

  1. Legal business name
  2. Registered business address
  3. Business telephone number
  4. Business website
  5. Business email
  6. Company registration information
  7. Supporting business documents

The information submitted should match your official company records as closely as possible.


Business Verification helps Meta establish the identity of the organization operating the Business Portfolio.

Verification may also be required for certain Meta products, account capabilities, increased messaging usage or additional business features.

A business should therefore complete verification when Meta makes the process available.

If the verification option is not currently visible, that does not necessarily indicate a problem.


Yes.

After onboarding, go to:

Meta Business Settingshttps://business.facebook.com/settings/latest

Then review your Business Info.

Make sure the official company phone number is present and correct.

Also verify:

  1. Legal business name
  2. Registered address
  3. Business website
  4. Business email
  5. Business telephone number

Where possible, these details should match the information appearing on your company registration documents and website.

This is separate from the WhatsApp number itself.

The Business Portfolio should contain the company's official business information, while WhatsApp Manager contains the WhatsApp Business Platform phone number.


Open WhatsApp Manager from your Meta Business Portfolio.

Then open the section containing your WhatsApp phone numbers.

Your connected WhatsApp Business number should appear there.

Check that:

  1. The correct phone number is displayed.
  2. The correct WhatsApp Business Account owns the number.
  3. The business display name is correct.
  4. The number shows as connected or active.
  5. There are no warnings requiring action.

The WhatsApp display name is the business name customers see in association with your WhatsApp Business number.

Meta has specific requirements for WhatsApp Business display names.

Your display name should accurately represent your company, business or brand.

You can review the display name from WhatsApp Manager by selecting the relevant phone number.

If Meta requires approval of the display name, allow the review process to complete before assuming there is an account problem.


The display name can be reviewed from WhatsApp Manager by selecting the relevant phone number. Any change is subject to Meta's review process and display name requirements.

If Meta requires approval of the display name, allow the review process to complete before assuming there is an account problem.

Where a change is needed, submit the new display name from WhatsApp Manager and allow the review process to complete.

03 — Disconnecting

Reversible, but not without consequence.


Yes.

Connecting through Coexistence does not mean the number is permanently tied to the API connection.

The WhatsApp Business Platform connection can be disconnected later.

However, disconnecting should be done carefully because any CRM, automation, AI assistant, support platform or API workflow using the number may stop functioning.


When the API connection is disconnected:

  1. The connected CRM or customer engagement platform may no longer receive new WhatsApp conversations.
  2. API based outbound messages will stop.
  3. WhatsApp automations using the Cloud API will stop.
  4. Message templates sent through the API will stop.
  5. Integrations connected to WhatsApp may stop receiving message events.

Your WhatsApp Business App may continue to operate depending on how the disconnection was performed.

Before disconnecting, confirm which systems currently depend on the API connection.


The exact interface can change as Meta updates WhatsApp Business App and WhatsApp Manager.

Coexistence users can be managed through the WhatsApp Business App, WhatsApp Manager or the platform through which Coexistence was originally connected.

You can review your WhatsApp account from:

Meta Business Settings → Accounts → WhatsApp Accounts

and from:

WhatsApp Manager → Phone Numbers

04 — Reconnecting

A disconnected number can usually return.


Yes.

A WhatsApp Business App number that has been disconnected can generally be connected again through the supported Coexistence onboarding process, provided that the account and phone number remain eligible.

You should normally reconnect using the same Business Portfolio and WhatsApp Business Account that previously owned the number.


The safest approach is to start the WhatsApp Coexistence onboarding process again from the connected business platform.

You will normally:

  1. Start the WhatsApp connection process.
  2. Log in to Facebook.
  3. Select the correct Meta Business Portfolio.
  4. Select the appropriate WhatsApp Business Account.
  5. Select your existing WhatsApp Business App number.
  6. Authorize the connection.
  7. Complete any confirmation requested inside the WhatsApp Business App.
  8. Allow conversation synchronization where available.
  9. Confirm that the phone number appears correctly in WhatsApp Manager.
  10. Test sending and receiving messages from both sides.

Do not immediately remove the WhatsApp Business Account or phone number from Meta.

First complete the normal WhatsApp Business App registration process on the new or reinstalled device.

After registration, check whether your Coexistence connection is still active.

Then test:

  1. Receiving a WhatsApp message.
  2. Replying from the WhatsApp Business App.
  3. Confirming that the message reaches your connected platform.
  4. Replying from the connected platform.
  5. Confirming that the response appears correctly in WhatsApp Business App.

If the API connection has been disconnected, complete the Coexistence onboarding process again.


Usually, no.

Deleting the WhatsApp number should not be the first troubleshooting step.

First check:

  1. Whether the WhatsApp Business App is working.
  2. Whether the phone number still appears in WhatsApp Manager.
  3. Whether your connected platform shows the WhatsApp connection as active.
  4. Whether the correct Meta Business Portfolio is being used.
  5. Whether permissions are still active.
  6. Whether billing is active where required.
  7. Whether there are any restrictions or warnings in WhatsApp Manager.

Deleting a phone number can turn a relatively simple integration issue into a more complicated onboarding or migration problem.


Yes, in many cases, but moving the number to another provider should be treated differently from simply disconnecting Coexistence.

A provider change may involve:

  1. Changing the integration.
  2. Changing the application connected to the WhatsApp Business Account.
  3. Migrating platform configuration.
  4. Reconfiguring webhooks.
  5. Reconfiguring templates or system integrations.
  6. In some cases, changing WhatsApp Business Account ownership.

Do not delete the number before confirming the correct migration process with the new provider.

06 — API Messaging

Speed is a function of correctness.


To ensure your API messages are delivered as quickly and reliably as possible, you need to make sure you are sending them under the correct WhatsApp messaging conditions and that your WhatsApp Business Platform account is fully set up for sending.

1. Use the correct messaging window

Messages are normally delivered immediately when you are inside the 24 hour customer service window after a customer messages you.

Outside this window, you must use an approved WhatsApp message template.

If an approved template is correctly used, it can be delivered immediately even when the 24 hour customer service window is closed.

2. Payment method and billing requirements

Meta may require a valid payment method for continued or increased usage.

Billing problems can result in:

  1. Message delivery failures
  2. Sending restrictions
  3. Account limitations
  4. Payment related API errors

A missing payment method therefore does not necessarily block every message immediately, but billing should be configured correctly to ensure reliable business messaging.

3. Ensure your billing setup is correctly configured

To avoid unnecessary sending failures:

  1. Add a valid payment method where Meta requires one.
  2. Ensure the WhatsApp Business Account is not in a restricted or unpaid billing state.
  3. Check your payment status.
  4. Check for billing warnings in Meta.
  5. Monitor any account usage or messaging limits.

If billing is not correctly configured, messages may fail or be rejected by the API.

4. Use approved templates for outbound messages

For messages sent outside the 24 hour customer service window:

  1. Use only approved WhatsApp message templates.
  2. Make sure the template is not pending approval.
  3. Make sure the template has not been rejected.
  4. Make sure you are using the correct approved template name and language.
  5. Ensure all required template variables are supplied correctly.

A payment method does not override WhatsApp messaging rules.

An unapproved or incorrectly constructed template can still fail.

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