How to Connect WhatsApp Business to Converge

Before connecting WhatsApp to Converge, make sure you have a WhatsApp Business account linked to a Facebook Business Manager. Personal WhatsApp accounts cannot be connected — you need the Business API version.

What you'll need:

• A WhatsApp Business number (can be your existing business number or a new one)
• Facebook Business Manager access with admin permissions
• The WhatsApp Business app installed on your phone (for initial setup)

How to get WhatsApp Business: If you don't have it yet, download the WhatsApp Business app from the App Store or Google Play. Follow the setup process to verify your phone number with SMS. Then, link it to your Facebook Business Manager through Meta Business Suite.

Important: Converge uses WhatsApp's official Cloud API, which means you don't need to host a WhatsApp Business API server yourself. We handle all the technical complexity for you.

In Converge, go to Settings → Platforms and click WhatsApp. You'll see a description of the integration and a Connect WhatsApp button.

When you click Connect WhatsApp, Converge will redirect you to Meta's official OAuth authorization page. This is the same secure login flow used by all Meta integrations.

What you'll see: The Meta login page with the Converge logo and a description of the permissions we request. These permissions include reading incoming messages and sending replies on your behalf. We never access your personal conversations or data outside of WhatsApp Business.

Why OAuth is better: Unlike older methods that required you to manually configure webhooks and API keys, OAuth handles everything automatically. If you ever need to disconnect, just click "Disconnect" in Converge and access is revoked immediately from Meta's side too.

On the Meta authorization page, log in with the Facebook account that has admin access to your WhatsApp Business. If you manage multiple Facebook accounts, make sure you choose the right one.

Select your WhatsApp Business account: After logging in, you'll see a list of WhatsApp Business accounts linked to your Facebook Business Manager. Choose the one you want to connect to Converge.

Choose your phone number: Each WhatsApp Business account can have multiple phone numbers. Select the specific number you want to use for customer support. If you only have one number, it will be selected automatically.

Review permissions: You'll see a summary of the permissions Converge requests. These include:

• Messages — Read and respond to customer messages
• Webhooks — Receive real-time message notifications
• Message Templates — Use pre-approved message templates for business-initiated messages

Click Continue or Authorize to grant these permissions. You can always revoke them later from Meta Business Suite.

You'll be redirected back to Converge, and you should see a success message confirming that WhatsApp is now connected. The platform status will update to show "Connected" with your phone number displayed.

Test the connection: The best way to verify everything works is to have someone send a WhatsApp message to your business number. Ask a colleague or friend to message you from their WhatsApp, or send a message to yourself from a different phone.

What you should see:

• The message appears in your Converge inbox within 5-10 seconds
• The customer profile shows their name and WhatsApp profile photo (if they have one)
• You can reply directly from Converge

Important limitation: WhatsApp Business API is reply-only. This means you can only respond to customer-initiated conversations. You cannot send outbound marketing messages or initiate new conversations first. This is a WhatsApp policy, not a Converge limitation. To message customers first, you'll need to use message templates which require pre-approval from Meta.

Common connection issues:

• "Access denied" error: Make sure you're logging in with a Facebook account that has admin permissions on the WhatsApp Business account. Regular contributors cannot authorize new integrations.
• Account not appearing: If your WhatsApp Business account doesn't show in the list, it might not be properly linked to Facebook Business Manager. Go to Meta Business Suite and verify the connection.
• Messages not syncing: After connecting, it can take up to 24 hours for WhatsApp to fully activate webhook delivery for new integrations. If messages don't appear after a few minutes, try disconnecting and reconnecting.

Success indicator: When you receive a customer's WhatsApp message in Converge and can reply to it — and the customer receives your reply in their WhatsApp app — your connection is fully working. WhatsApp is now part of your unified inbox alongside Telegram, Messenger, and all other channels.