> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://documents.xobito.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Prerequisites

> Technical setup required before connecting WhatsApp to Xobito — Meta Business Manager, display name, phone number, and Facebook admin access.

This page covers the technical setup inside Meta — Business Manager, display name, phone number cleanup, and admin access. Most "stuck connecting" support tickets trace back to a missed item here.

<Note>
  Before you start, make sure your **business documents and payment method** are ready. See the [Onboarding checklist](/whatsapp/onboarding-checklist) for the upstream business prerequisites.
</Note>

## Checklist

<Check>A **Meta Business Manager** account</Check>
<Check>**Meta business verification** submitted (you can connect before it completes)</Check>
<Check>A **phone number** not currently active on WhatsApp or WhatsApp Business</Check>
<Check>A **display name** that complies with Meta's rules</Check>
<Check>**Admin access** to the Business Manager via your Facebook login</Check>
<Check>**SMS or voice reachability** on the number you're connecting</Check>
<Check>A **website and business email** matching your display name</Check>

***

## 1. Meta Business Manager

Meta Business Manager — also called Business Suite — is the free Meta workspace that holds your Pages, ad accounts, Instagram accounts, and WhatsApp Business Accounts (WABAs). You need exactly one for your business.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open business.facebook.com">
    Sign in with your personal Facebook account.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Create or open your Business Manager">
    If you already run Facebook/Instagram ads, you have one — check at [business.facebook.com/overview](https://business.facebook.com/overview). Otherwise click **Create Account** in the top-right.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Use your legal business name">
    The Business Manager name must match the **legal name** on your registration certificate. Mismatches block verification later.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Confirm your email">
    Click the link Meta sends to the admin email address.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Warning>
  Do not create multiple Business Managers for the same business. Meta enforces a strict one-business-one-Manager rule and will reject duplicates.
</Warning>

***

## 2. Business verification

Verification is Meta's review of your business documents. It unlocks higher messaging tiers and removes the trial cap.

| Status              | Messaging limit                          | Display name     |
| ------------------- | ---------------------------------------- | ---------------- |
| Un-verified (trial) | **250 unique contacts / 24h**            | Restricted       |
| Verified            | 1K → 10K → 100K → unlimited (tier-based) | Full flexibility |

<Note>
  You can **connect Xobito and start sending** before verification completes — the 250-contact trial is more than enough to test. Verification is required to scale.
</Note>

**Start verification at Business Manager → Settings → Security Center → Start Verification.** The documents you'll need are listed in the [Onboarding checklist](/whatsapp/onboarding-checklist#3-company-registration-certificate). Review takes hours to two weeks depending on region and queue depth.

***

## 3. Phone number cleanup

This is the technical step that trips up the most users. The number you connect must satisfy **all** of:

<Check>Real, reachable number that can receive SMS or international voice OTP</Check>
<Check>**Not** currently active on the consumer WhatsApp app or WhatsApp Business app</Check>
<Check>**Not** used on another WhatsApp Business Platform account in the last 60 days (unless reconnecting your own)</Check>
<Check>**Not** previously banned by WhatsApp</Check>

### Removing a number from the consumer WhatsApp app

If the number is currently on WhatsApp or WhatsApp Business, you must delete the account from the app before Meta will let you register it for the API.

<Warning>
  **Deletion is irreversible.** All chat history tied to this number on the consumer apps is permanently lost. Back up first if any of it matters.
</Warning>

<Steps>
  <Step title="Back up chats">
    On the phone with the number: **Settings → Chats → Chat Backup → Back Up Now**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Delete the WhatsApp account">
    **Settings → Account → Delete My Account**. Enter the number in full international format.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Wait 15–30 minutes">
    Give Meta's systems time to release the number from the consumer pool.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Proceed to the Xobito connect flow">
    The number is now eligible for the Business API.
  </Step>
</Steps>

### Using a fresh or VoIP number

A brand-new SIM or VoIP line (Twilio, Plivo, Vonage) works equally well as long as it can receive at least one OTP.

<Info>
  After Meta verifies the number once, you don't need a SIM in a physical phone. VoIP numbers run on the API indefinitely. Keep access to the number though — Meta occasionally re-verifies.
</Info>

***

## 4. Display name

Your display name is what appears in your customer's WhatsApp chat list — e.g. `Acme Store` or `Acme Support`. Meta reviews every requested name against their [display name guidelines](https://developers.facebook.com/docs/whatsapp/overview/business-accounts#display-name-guidelines).

**Rules:**

<Check>Must relate to your **actual business name** in Business Manager and on your website</Check>
<Check>Must not be misleading — no "Official \[Brand]" if you're not the brand owner</Check>
<Check>Must not be a generic word alone — "Support" or "Team" needs your business name attached</Check>
<Check>No slogans, emoji, or ALL-CAPS marketing phrases</Check>
<Check>3 to 25 characters</Check>

| Acceptable      | Rejected                                      |
| --------------- | --------------------------------------------- |
| `Acme Store`    | `Best Deals Ever`                             |
| `Acme Support`  | `SUPPORT`                                     |
| `Acme Bookings` | `🔥 Acme 🔥`                                  |
| `Acme — India`  | `Official Apple Reseller` (if not authorized) |

<Warning>
  Repeated display name rejections can trigger a **30-day cooldown** on that WABA before you can submit again. Review the guidelines carefully and only submit a name you're confident in.
</Warning>

***

## 5. Facebook admin access

The connect flow opens Meta's embedded signup inside a Facebook Login dialog. The personal Facebook account you log in with must:

<Check>Be an **Admin** of the Business Manager (not Employee, not Analyst)</Check>
<Check>Have **WhatsApp Business Account** permissions (auto-granted to Admins)</Check>
<Check>Not be locked, restricted, or under security review</Check>
<Check>Have two-factor authentication enabled</Check>

<Tip>
  Verify your role at [business.facebook.com/settings/people](https://business.facebook.com/settings/people) under **Users → People**. If you only see "Employee" next to your name, ask an existing admin to upgrade your role before starting the connect flow.
</Tip>

If you'd rather not use your personal Facebook profile, create a dedicated work-only account, add it as a Business Manager admin, and use that one for the connect flow. Meta requires a personal account to anchor every Business Manager — this is Meta's design, not Xobito's.

***

## 6. Website and business email

Meta opens your website during display name and verification review. A weak or absent web presence is one of the top reasons display names get rejected.

**Strongly recommended:**

* A **live website** on your own domain showing business name, services, contact details, and a privacy policy
* A **business email on your own domain** (e.g. `contact@acme.com`) — generic `@gmail.com` addresses lower the trust signal Meta uses for fast-track approval

<Info>
  Without a domain-matching website and email, expect display name reviews to take longer and your initial messaging quality rating to start lower. Connection itself will still work.
</Info>

***

## Troubleshooting

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="I'm not registered as a business yet">
    Meta accepts sole proprietors and freelancers, but you must provide documentation tying you to the trading activity — tax registration, professional license, or equivalent. If you have no business documentation at all, the WhatsApp Business API is not yet appropriate for you. Meta requires business use.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Verification has been pending for over two weeks">
    Open **Business Manager → Settings → Security Center**. Look for any "More info needed" banner — Meta sometimes requests additional documents without sending an email. If there's no banner and it's been over 14 days, open a support case through the Business Manager Help Center.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="OTP never arrives at my number">
    Switch from SMS to **Call me** in the Meta dialog — some carriers block automated SMS from Meta gateways. Confirm the number is entered in full international format with country code (no leading zeros). VoIP numbers occasionally need the voice option specifically.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Error: 'This phone number is already registered'">
    The number is still active on the consumer WhatsApp or Business app, or Meta hasn't released it after deletion yet. Delete it from the app (see [section 3](#3-phone-number-cleanup)), wait 15–30 minutes, then retry.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="My display name keeps getting rejected">
    The most common cause is a name that doesn't appear on your website. Add the exact name to your site header and footer, wait 24 hours for Meta to re-crawl, then resubmit. If you've been rejected twice, wait the full cooldown before the third attempt to avoid a 30-day lockout.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="I don't want to use my personal Facebook to log in">
    Create a separate Facebook account for work, add it as an Admin of the Business Manager, and log in with that. Meta requires a personal Facebook profile to own each Business Manager — there is no workaround.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

***

## Ready to connect

When every checkbox above is ticked, you're set.

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Onboarding checklist" icon="clipboard-list" href="/whatsapp/onboarding-checklist">
    The upstream business and document prerequisites.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Connect Meta Business" icon="facebook" href="/whatsapp/connect-meta-business">
    Walk through the embedded signup with screenshots.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>