This page covers the business and document prerequisites. For the technical setup — Meta Business Manager, display name rules, and the embedded signup flow — see Prerequisites.
Quick checklist
Facebook account with admin access to your Business Manager
Company website that’s live and shows your business name, services, and contact details
Company registration certificate (Certificate of Incorporation, Business Registration, or equivalent)
GST or VAT certificate in the same legal name as your registration
Business phone number that is not currently active on WhatsApp or WhatsApp Business
Payment method — Visa or Mastercard, preferably credit, for Meta’s WhatsApp billing
1. Facebook account
A personal Facebook account with admin access to your business’s Meta Business Manager. Meta’s design requires a real person — not a business — to own the Business Manager. Why Meta needs it: the embedded signup flow runs inside Facebook Login. Meta uses your personal account as the human owner of record for the WhatsApp Business Account (WABA). Requirements:- Active, in-good-standing Facebook account (not locked, not under security review)
- Listed as an Admin of your company’s Business Manager
- Two-factor authentication enabled (Meta strongly recommends this; some flows now require it)
2. Company website
A live, publicly accessible website for your business. Meta opens your website during review to confirm the business exists and matches the documents you submit. Why Meta needs it: Meta cross-references your Business Manager name, the display name you request, and the documents you upload against the business shown on your site. No site, no verification. Requirements:- Live URL on your own domain (not a Facebook Page, not a Linktree, not a coming-soon page)
- Shows your legal or trading business name prominently
- Lists the products or services you offer
- Includes contact details — a working email address (ideally on your domain), and a phone number or contact form
- A privacy policy page is strongly recommended
3. Company registration certificate
A government-issued document proving your business is legally registered. Acceptable documents vary by country but the most common are:- Certificate of Incorporation (limited companies)
- Business Registration License (sole proprietorships, LLPs)
- Trade License or Commercial Registration (Middle East, parts of Asia)
- Articles of Association or equivalent founding document
- Issued by a government authority (not a third-party service)
- Shows the full legal name of the business
- Currently valid — not expired, not from a dissolved entity
- Clear, legible scan or PDF — every line readable
4. GST / VAT details
A tax registration certificate in the same legal name as your company registration. Why Meta needs it: confirms the business is operationally active (paying taxes), and provides a second independent government document supporting the business identity. Requirements:- India: GST Registration Certificate (Form GST REG-06) showing your 15-digit GSTIN
- UK: VAT Registration Certificate from HMRC, showing your 9-digit VAT number
- EU: VAT certificate from your member-state tax authority
- US: EIN confirmation letter from the IRS (Form CP 575) or a state-level sales tax registration
- Other regions: the equivalent national tax registration document
5. Business WhatsApp number
The phone number you’ll connect to Xobito. This is the number your customers will see and reply to. Why Meta needs it: every WABA is tied to one verified phone number per line. Meta verifies ownership by sending an SMS or voice OTP during signup. Requirements:- A real, reachable mobile, landline, or VoIP number
- Not currently registered on the consumer WhatsApp or WhatsApp Business app — if it is, you must delete it from those apps first
- Not banned by WhatsApp previously
- Used exclusively for the WhatsApp Business API going forward — once connected, the same number cannot also run the consumer app
- Capable of receiving at least one SMS or voice call during signup (no SIM required afterwards for VoIP)
- A number that has been active for 1–2 years under your business often gets faster display name approval and a higher starting messaging tier
- A brand-new number also works fine — you’ll start at the entry messaging tier and scale up based on quality
6. Payment method
A credit or debit card to add to your Meta Business Manager for WhatsApp messaging billing. Why Meta needs it: WhatsApp Business API conversations are billed by Meta directly to your business. Xobito does not charge for messages — you pay Meta per conversation according to their conversation-based pricing. Requirements:- Visa or Mastercard (American Express is accepted in some regions; check Meta’s payment page)
- Credit card preferred — significantly higher acceptance rate than debit
- Issued in the same country as your registered business where possible
- Sufficient available limit to cover monthly conversation costs (most small businesses spend USD 20–200/month to start)
Document quality standards
Meta’s document reviewers reject low-quality uploads. Follow these standards for every document:| Requirement | Detail |
|---|---|
| Format | PDF, JPG, or PNG |
| Size | Maximum 8 MB per file |
| Quality | Color scans, not phone photos. All four corners visible, no glare, all text legible. |
| Language | English preferred. Non-English documents accepted with a notarized English translation attached. |
| Currency | Documents must be currently valid — not expired |
| Consistency | Business name identical across registration, GST/VAT, website, Business Manager, and your requested display name |
What happens after submission
Once you submit your documents through Meta Business Manager’s Security Center, the review process runs on Meta’s side. Xobito has no control over Meta’s review queue.Automated checks (minutes to hours)
Meta runs automated document quality and consistency checks. Obvious issues (unreadable scans, name mismatches) get flagged here.
Manual review (1 to 14 days)
A human reviewer at Meta verifies your business against the documents and your website. Most reviews complete within 3–5 business days; some take up to two weeks during peak periods.
Decision
Meta emails the Business Manager admin with the result — Verified, More info needed, or Rejected.
Country-specific notes
India
India
- Registration document: Certificate of Incorporation (private limited), Partnership Deed (partnerships), Udyam Registration Certificate (proprietorships and MSMEs)
- Tax document: GST Registration Certificate (Form GST REG-06) with your 15-digit GSTIN
- Common gotcha: the trading name on your website often differs from the legal name on your incorporation document. Use the legal name in Business Manager and add the trading name only as a display name if it’s a registered DBA.
- MCA verification: Meta cross-checks against the Ministry of Corporate Affairs registry. Make sure your company’s filing status is “Active” at mca.gov.in.
United Kingdom
United Kingdom
- Registration document: Certificate of Incorporation from Companies House
- Tax document: VAT Registration Certificate from HMRC (if registered). If turnover is below the VAT threshold, use a recent HMRC letter, business bank statement, or utility bill in the business name.
- Companies House cross-check: Meta verifies against find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk. Confirm your company status is “Active” and your registered address matches what you submit.
- Sole traders: upload your HMRC self-employment registration confirmation plus a utility bill at your trading address.
United States
United States
- Registration document: Articles of Incorporation or Articles of Organization filed with your state’s Secretary of State
- Tax document: IRS EIN Confirmation Letter (Form CP 575), or a state sales tax registration certificate
- Common gotcha: US LLCs and S-corps often operate under DBAs that differ from the legal name. Use the legal name on the Articles, and register the DBA with your state if you need to use the trading name as your display name.
- No federal business registry: Meta typically relies on your state filing plus the EIN letter. Make sure both show identical business names.
European Union
European Union
- Registration document: the registry extract from your member state’s commercial registry (e.g. Handelsregister in Germany, Registro Mercantil in Spain, Registre du Commerce in France)
- Tax document: VAT certificate showing your country-prefixed VAT ID (e.g. DE123456789, FR12345678901)
- VIES cross-check: Meta validates EU VAT IDs against ec.europa.eu/taxation_customs/vies. If your VAT ID isn’t searchable there, contact your tax authority before submitting.
- GDPR note: Meta’s data processing addendum is auto-applied for EU-based WABAs. No extra action needed at signup, but review it in Business Manager before going live.
Other regions
Other regions
Meta accepts equivalent government-issued documents for most jurisdictions — trade licenses, commercial registrations, chamber of commerce extracts. The two principles are constant:
- The document must be issued by a government authority in your country.
- The legal name on every document must match exactly.
Ready to connect
Once all six items above are in hand and your documents are submitted to Meta, you’re cleared to start the actual connection flow.Technical prerequisites
Meta Business Manager setup, display name rules, and phone number cleanup.
Connect Meta Business
The step-by-step walkthrough through Meta’s embedded signup.
Verification approval is at Meta’s sole discretion and follows their published Business Verification policy. Xobito cannot influence the review queue or override rejections — but our support team can help you diagnose what Meta is asking for if you get stuck.