Connect WhatsApp (Meta)

Chatlane connects to WhatsApp through Meta's official WhatsApp Business Platform (Cloud API). You connect a number once through Meta's secure sign-up window, and from then on WhatsApp conversations land in your inbox alongside email, SMS, and your other channels.

There are two ways to connect, and picking the right one saves a lot of friction:

• Keep using the WhatsApp Business app (Coexistence) — connect a number you already use in the green WhatsApp Business app, without deleting anything. You keep the app and get Chatlane on the same number, and your chat history comes with you.
• Set up a new number — create a brand-new WhatsApp Business number, or bring a number that isn't on the WhatsApp Business app.

If your number is already active in the WhatsApp Business app, use the Coexistence path. It avoids the most common onboarding error and preserves your chats.

Before you start

• You must be an Owner or Admin of the inbox (channel setup is admin-only — see Roles and permissions).
• Have the phone that runs your WhatsApp Business app handy if you're using Coexistence (you'll scan a QR code).
• To send messages from Chatlane you'll need a payment method on your WhatsApp Business account (added in Meta's WhatsApp Manager). Receiving messages and history sync work without it.

Connect a number you already use (Coexistence)

This is the path for a number that's currently in the WhatsApp Business app. You keep the app and use Chatlane at the same time, on the same number.

Eligibility

Meta only offers Coexistence when the number meets all of these:

• The WhatsApp Business app is version 2.24.17 or higher on the phone.
• The number has been actively used in the WhatsApp Business app for at least 7 days.
• The number has not previously been connected to the Cloud API (a number that was connected before enters a cooldown and must rebuild activity for a while).
• The number can receive an SMS or call for verification.

All countries are supported.

Steps

1. Go to Inbox → Settings → Channels and choose Connect WhatsApp (Meta).
2. Click Continue with Meta. A Meta window opens.
3. Sign in with your Meta/Facebook account and pick your Business portfolio.
4. On the WhatsApp Business account step, open the dropdown and choose "Connect a WhatsApp Business app".
   • This is the Coexistence option. (The other entries — "Create a WhatsApp Business account" or an existing account — are for the new-number path.)
5. A QR code appears. On the phone, open the WhatsApp Business app → Settings → Linked devices, and scan the code.
6. When prompted, choose to share your chat history so your past conversations come across.
7. Finish the flow. The window closes and the number appears as a channel on your inbox.

Keep the WhatsApp Business app open for a few minutes after connecting — syncing your contacts and history happens in the background and can take a little while depending on how much history you have.

What works after connecting

• You can keep using the WhatsApp Business app as normal — Status, Calls, Catalog, Labels, and groups all stay in the app.
• Messages you send from the app are mirrored into Chatlane, and messages you send from Chatlane reach the customer as usual.
• Up to 6 months of past 1:1 chat history is imported into the relevant conversations.

What changes or isn't supported

These are Meta's platform rules for Coexistence numbers, not Chatlane limits:

• Group chats are not synced to Chatlane.
• Broadcast lists become read-only (you can't create new ones).
• Disappearing messages, view-once, and live location are turned off for 1:1 chats.
• Messages sent from the app stay free; messages sent via Chatlane (Cloud API) are billed at Cloud API rates.
• Coexistence numbers have a fixed throughput of 20 messages per second.

Set up a new number

Use this if you want a brand-new WhatsApp Business number, or you're bringing a number that isn't on the WhatsApp Business app.

1. Go to Inbox → Settings → Channels → Connect WhatsApp (Meta).
2. If the connect popup is blocked, or you specifically want the new-number flow, use the "Use the standard flow" link in the dialog.
3. In the Meta window, choose "Create a WhatsApp Business account" (or select an existing WhatsApp Business account), then add and verify your number by SMS or call and set your display name.
4. Finish the flow — Chatlane registers the number automatically and attaches it to the inbox.

After connecting, add a payment method in WhatsApp Manager so you can send messages.

Add a payment method

As a new WhatsApp Business Platform customer, you must add a payment method before you can send messages:

1. Open WhatsApp Manager → Overview at business.facebook.com/wa/manage/home.
2. Click Add payment method and complete the steps.

Receiving messages and history sync work without this; sending requires it.

Troubleshooting

"This number is registered to an existing WhatsApp account."
You're on the new-number path with a number that's already in the WhatsApp Business app. Go back and choose "Connect a WhatsApp Business app" (Coexistence) instead — that's the path that keeps your existing account. If you'd rather move the number completely, delete it from the WhatsApp Business app first (back up your chats), wait a few minutes, and try again.

The "Connect a WhatsApp Business app" option isn't showing.
The number doesn't currently meet Coexistence eligibility. Check that the WhatsApp Business app is updated to 2.24.17+, the number has been active in the app for 7+ days, and it hasn't been connected to the Cloud API before. A brand-new or freshly reset number won't be offered Coexistence.

The Meta popup was blocked.
Allow popups for Chatlane in your browser and try again, or use the "Use the standard flow" link in the connect dialog, which opens in the same tab instead of a popup.

My old chats didn't appear / appeared slowly.
History sync runs in the background and only includes the last 6 months of 1:1 chats (no groups). Make sure you chose to share history during the QR step and keep the WhatsApp Business app open while it syncs.

Related

• Connect your channels
• WhatsApp calling
• Roles and permissions