Using a Number in the WhatsApp Business API (with ZNICRM): The Complete Guide

Audience: founders, ops leads, and CRM admins who want to move a WhatsApp number from the WhatsApp app to the API—specifically to ZNICRM—without breaking messaging, getting stuck in Meta Business Suite, or running afoul of policies and billing.

TL;DR (Executive Summary)

  • What you need before you start: a Meta Business account, a phone number that can receive SMS or voice calls, a payment method in Meta’s Billing & payments, and alignment with WhatsApp Business/Commerce policies. WhatsApp Business
  • If your number is already in the app: you have two supported paths:
    (A) Coexistence (Business App and API on the same number—where available), or (B) Classic migration (delete the app account, then register the number on the API). Facebook for Developers
  • Moving to ZNICRM from another provider: unshare your WABA from the old provider, complete Embedded Signup in ZNICRM, and attach a credit line / card in Meta billing. Expect temporary sending downtime until billing is reattached. ZNICRM
  • Don’t get rate‑limited or banned: watch your quality rating, respect the 24‑hour service window, use approved templates for messages outside the window, and keep billing active. Note: Pricing changed to per‑message on July 1, 2025; messaging limit rules are also evolving. WhatsApp Business

Table of Contents

  1. Vocabulary & moving pieces
  2. The phone‑number checklist (what’s allowed, what’s not)
  3. The business & billing checklist (Meta Business, verification, card/credit line)
  4. Decide your migration path (flowchart + pros/cons)
  5. Step‑by‑step: App → API on ZNICRM (Coexistence)
  6. Step‑by‑step: App → API on ZNICRM (Classic migration)
  7. Step‑by‑step: From another provider → ZNICRM
  8. After onboarding: templates, limits, quality, compliance
  9. Troubleshooting playbook
  10. Quick checklists you can copy/paste to your runbook

1) Vocabulary & Moving Pieces

  • Meta Business account / Business Portfolio: your organization container in Meta. You’ll use this to manage WhatsApp Business Accounts (WABAs), billing, people, and permissions. Create it at business.facebook.com. Facebook
  • WABA: WhatsApp Business Account—holds your phone numbers, templates, and messaging limits. Managed in WhatsApp Manager inside Meta Business Suite. Facebook for Developers
  • Embedded Signup: a guided Meta flow (invoked from ZNICRM) that creates/links your WABA, number, permissions, and webhooks. It also supports onboarding existing Business App numbers via Coexistence. Facebook for Developers
  • Coexistence: run the WhatsApp Business App and the API (Cloud API) on the same phone number in parallel (regional availability applies). Facebook for Developers
  • Official Business Account (OBA / “green tick”): an elevated trust badge you can request in WhatsApp Manager after verification and activity thresholds; approvals aren’t guaranteed. Facebook

2) The Phone‑Number Checklist

Your number must:

  • Be a real, reachable number (mobile or landline) with country/area code. Able to receive SMS or voice calls for OTP during registration. Not a short code. Not previously registered on the API (unless you migrate it). Facebook for Developers
  • If it’s a landline, don’t use extension numbers; WhatsApp can’t deliver OTP to an extension. Use voice call verification to the base number. WhatsApp Help Center
  • If your number is already in WhatsApp Business App, you can either delete that app account before API registration or use Coexistence via Embedded Signup (when available). Facebook for Developers

Tip: If OTP calls are caught by an IVR, temporarily bypass IVR or forward calls so you can answer the verification call. (This is a frequent onboarding failure.)

3) The Business & Billing Checklist

  1. Create a Meta Business account
    Go to business.facebook.com → Create account. This is where you will later see Accounts → WhatsApp accounts. Facebook
  2. (Optional but recommended) Verify your business
    In Security Center → Start verification, provide legal name, address, phone, and documents if requested. Verification unlocks higher number and messaging limits. Facebook
  3. Add a payment method (or request monthly invoicing)
    In Billing & payments → Payment settings → Add payment method to attach a card. Larger spenders can apply for a credit line (monthly invoicing) in Credit lines → Apply. Facebook
  4. Know the policy & pricing guardrails
    • Respect WhatsApp Business Messaging & Commerce Policies; templates outside the 24‑hour window must be pre‑approved. WhatsApp Business
    • Pricing changed from conversation‑based to per‑message on July 1, 2025 (with updated tiers). Factor this into your ROI and routing strategy. WhatsApp Business

4) Decide Your Migration Path

If your number is already in use:

A) Coexistence (Recommended where available)

  • What it is: keep using the WhatsApp Business App on your phone and connect the same number to the Cloud API (through ZNICRM) so your team can automate and scale. Facebook for Developers
  • Caveats: Not yet available everywhere; some providers list regional limitations. Make Apps

B) Classic migration (Delete → Re‑register)

  • What it is: delete the app account, then register that number to the API. You’ll lose mobile‑app chat history and you cannot keep using the app on that number afterward. Back up if needed. Facebook for Developers

If your number is not in use:

Register it fresh during Embedded Signup (the simplest path). Facebook for Developers

If you’re coming from another BSP/provider:

Use WABA unshare → Embedded Signup with ZNICRM → reattach billing. Templates and numbers can follow, but expect temporary send downtime until billing is attached. ZNICRM

5) Step‑by‑Step: App → API on ZNICRM (Coexistence)

Use this if you want to keep the WhatsApp Business App on your phone and add the API via ZNICRM.

  1. Meta prerequisites
    • Ensure you have a Meta Business account and an admin login.
    • Have a payment method ready in Billing & payments (card or credit line). Facebook
  2. Start Embedded Signup from ZNICRM
    • In ZNICRM: Admin Settings → Integrations → WhatsApp → “Signup with Facebook”. This opens the official Meta flow. ZNICRM
  3. Choose “Onboard using existing Business App number” (Coexistence)
    • Meta’s Embedded Signup supports onboarding Business App users—that’s the Coexistence flow. Follow prompts to pick your Business App number and grant permissions. Facebook for Developers
  4. (If prompted) Two‑step verification (2FA) on the number
    • Some migrations require turning off the phone‑number PIN in WhatsApp Manager → Account tools → Phone numbers → Two‑step verification → Turn off (you’ll receive an email link). Facebook for Developers
  5. Complete OTP verification for the number
  6. Webhook & permissions
    • Embedded Signup grants ZNICRM access; under the hood, providers subscribe apps to WABA webhooks so message delivery and status events reach the CRM. (Meta requires partners to subscribe to the WABA after signup.) Facebook for Developers
  7. Billing sanity check
    • In Billing & payments, confirm a valid payment method / credit line is attached for WhatsApp usage. Facebook

Result: You can keep using the Business App for 1‑to‑1 chats while ZNICRM handles API messaging, automation, and multi‑agent workflows on the same number (subject to regional availability). Facebook for Developers

6) Step‑by‑Step: App → API on ZNICRM (Classic Migration)

Use this if Coexistence isn’t offered for your region or you explicitly want to retire the phone app for that number.

  1. Backup chats in the Business App (optional, for record‑keeping). Then delete the WhatsApp Business App account for that number. This is required for classic migration and you’ll lose in‑app history. Facebook for Developers
  2. (If needed) Disable Two‑Step Verification for the number in WhatsApp Manager (you’ll receive a verification email). Facebook for Developers
  3. Start Embedded Signup from ZNICRM
    • ZNICRM → Admin Settings → Integrations → WhatsApp → “Signup with Facebook.” Finish the flow to add your number to the WABA. ZNICRM
  4. OTP verification (SMS or voice call). If IVR exists, temporarily bypass or forward calls. Facebook for Developers
  5. Billing – attach card/credit line in Billing & payments. Facebook
  6. Test inbound/outbound from ZNICRM (session messages inside 24‑hour window; template outside). WhatsApp Business

7) Step‑by‑Step: From Another Provider → ZNICRM

The right way is to migrate at the WABA level so numbers & templates move cleanly.

  1. Unshare the WABA with your current provider
    • In Business Settings → Accounts → WhatsApp Accounts → Partners, click the trash icon to unshare. After this you cannot send messages until you attach a new credit line. ZNICRM
  2. Run ZNICRM’s Embedded Signup
    • In ZNICRM → Admin Settings → Integrations → WhatsApp → “Signup with Facebook.” Follow the flow to share the WABA to ZNICRM. ZNICRM
  3. Attach billing
    • In Billing & payments, add a payment method (or credit line) for the WhatsApp Business account so messaging can resume. Facebook

Notes from ZNICRM: WABAs must be owned by the customer (On‑Behalf‑Of WABAs are not supported for this migration); on‑premise API numbers may require re‑registration. During the transition, sending is paused until the new credit line replaces the old one. ZNICRM

8) After Onboarding: Do These Four Things

8.1 Create & manage Message Templates

Use WhatsApp Manager → Account tools → Message templates to create, submit, and track template quality/status (Marketing, Utility, Authentication, Service). Provide real content samples; avoid policy‑sensitive wording. Template Categorisation

To know more about Templates please visit https://developers.facebook.com/docs/whatsapp/message-templates/guidelines

8.2 Understand pricing & windows

  • As of July 1, 2025, billing is per message (category + market). Customer‑initiated service messages inside 24 hours are still free; outside 24 hours requires a template and is billed. WhatsApp Business
  • You can free‑form reply for 24 hours after a user’s inbound. After that, only approved templates are allowed. WhatsApp Business

8.3 Watch your Messaging Limits and Quality

  • Limits scale from 250 → 1K → 10K → 100K → unlimited unique customers/24h as quality and recent sending justify it. Meta evaluates based on quality rating and usage. Upcoming change: portfolio‑based calculation starts October 7, 2025. Facebook for Developers
  • Quality rating (Green/Yellow/Red) reflects user feedback (blocks/reports). Low quality triggers Flagged/Restricted status and can drop your limit tier. Check it in WhatsApp Manager → Phone numbers. Facebook

8.4 Keep billing healthy

Expired cards or missing credit lines pause sending. Add/refresh payment methods in Billing & payments. Facebook

9) Troubleshooting Playbook (Exhaustive)

A) “My number is already on WhatsApp (app). What now?”

  • Prefer Coexistence via Embedded Signup (supported for Business App numbers). If unavailable, do the Classic migration (delete app account, then register on API). Facebook for Developers

B) “OTP never arrives / IVR is eating the call.”

C) “Two‑Step Verification (6‑digit PIN) blocks migration.”

  • In WhatsApp Manager → Phone numbers → Settings → Two‑step verification → Turn off. You’ll receive a security email to confirm. If you don’t own the WABA, ask the current provider to disable it. Facebook for Developers

D) “Display name rejected.”

  • Align with WhatsApp display‑name rules in template/business guidelines (be clearly related to your legal brand, no excessive punctuation, etc.), then resubmit. Facebook for Developers

E) “Can’t add payment method / charges failing.”

  • Add or replace card in Billing & payments → Payment settings; large spenders can apply for Monthly Invoicing (credit line). Messaging may be paused until billing is healthy. Facebook

F) “Messaging limit stuck at 250.”

  • Achieve Connected status with approved display name, maintain Medium/High quality, and use templates to reach activity thresholds; limits scale up automatically. (Meta is moving to portfolio‑based limits starting Oct 7, 2025.) Facebook for Developers

G) “Quality rating dropped / number flagged.”

  • Stop low‑quality campaigns, revise templates, improve opt‑in and cadence. Check WhatsApp Manager → Insights; when quality improves, status returns to normal and limits can scale again. Facebook

H) “Moving from another provider—what carries over?”

  • When you unshare the WABA and re‑share via Embedded Signup, your numbers and templates are preserved, but sending pauses until the new credit line is attached. On‑prem numbers may need re‑registration. ZNICRM

I) “Can I use a landline? A virtual number? An extension?”

  • Landlines are OK (verify by voice call). Extensions are not supported. Numbers must accept voice/SMS and not be short codes. WhatsApp Help Center

J) “Where do I add teammates/partners?”

  • In Meta Business Suite → Settings → People → Invite, then assign WhatsApp Account access in Accounts → WhatsApp accounts. Facebook

10) How to Set Up Your Meta Business Foundations (Step‑by‑Step)

10.1 Create your Meta Business account

  1. Go to business.facebook.com → Create account.
  2. Fill in business details; you’ll land in Meta Business Suite. Facebook

10.2 (Optional) Verify your business

  1. Security Center → Start verification
  2. Provide legal name/address/phone; upload docs if Meta can’t auto‑match. Facebook

10.3 Add a payment method / credit line

  1. All tools → Billing & payments → Payment settings → Add payment method (card).
  2. For larger volumes, Credit lines → Apply (monthly invoicing). Facebook

10.4 Add your WhatsApp account & number

  • In Settings → Accounts → WhatsApp accounts, add/select your WABA and add phone number, then verify via OTP (SMS/voice). Embedded Signup from ZNICRM automates most of this. Facebook for Developers

11) ZNICRM‑Specific Flow (at a glance)

  1. ZNICRM → Admin Settings → Integrations → WhatsApp → Signup with Facebook (Embedded Signup). ZNICRM
  2. Select Coexistence (if offered) or proceed with Classic migration if you deleted the Business App account. Facebook for Developers
  3. Verify the phone number (SMS/call), complete permissions. Facebook for Developers
  4. Attach billing in Meta Billing & payments. Facebook
  5. Build templates (WhatsApp Manager), sync and use them from ZNICRM. Facebook for Developers
  6. Monitor limits & quality in WhatsApp Manager; optimize sends from ZNICRM. Facebook for Developers

12) Compliance & Best‑Practice Reminders

  • 24‑hour rule: free‑form responses only within 24 hours of last user message; beyond that, use approved templates. WhatsApp Business
  • Policies: follow Business Messaging and Commerce policies—restricted items and spammy patterns can cause enforcement, including limit drops or bans. Facebook for Developers
  • Opt‑in & value: obtain clear consent, send relevant and expected content, and provide easy opt‑out to keep quality high. (Quality rating is driven by user feedback like blocks/reports.) Facebook

13) FAQs (Fast Answers)

Q: Can I keep using the WhatsApp app on my phone after moving to API?
A: Yes, with Coexistence (Business App + API on the same number) where supported. Otherwise, you must delete the app account before API registration. Facebook for Developers

Q: What if I can’t turn off Two‑Step Verification (PIN)?
A: Only WABA admins can do it in WhatsApp Manager; if a provider owns your WABA, ask them to disable it. Facebook for Developers

Q: Will I lose chats if I delete the Business App account?
A: Yes—export/backup first. After deletion and API registration, that number cannot be used in the app unless you later deregister from API. Platform Documentation

Q: Do I need business verification to start?
A: You can start, but verification unlocks higher limits and more numbers. Facebook

Q: How do I pay?
A: Add a credit/debit card in Billing & payments or apply for a credit line (monthly invoicing). Facebook

14) Copy‑Paste Checklists

Go‑Live Checklist (Coexistence)

  • Meta Business account exists (admin access) Facebook
  • Payment method / credit line in Billing & payments Facebook
  • ZNICRM Embedded Signup completed (pick existing Business App number)
  • OTP verified (voice/SMS); IVR bypassed if needed Facebook for Developers
  • Templates set up & approved (for outside 24‑hour messages) Whatsapp Templates
  • Limits & quality monitored in WhatsApp Manager Facebook for Developers

Go‑Live Checklist (Classic Migration)

  • Export chats (optional) and delete Business App account Facebook for Developers
  • (If required) Turn off Two‑Step Verification in WhatsApp Manager Check Here
  • ZNICRM Embedded Signup completed; OTP verified ZNICRM
  • Card/credit line active in Billing & payments Facebook
  • Templates approved; test inbound/outbound scenarios Whatsapp Templates

Provider‑to‑ZNICRM Migration

  • Unshare WABA from current partner (Partners tab) ZNICRM
  • ZNICRM Embedded Signup (re‑share WABA) ZNICRM
  • Attach credit line/card (messaging resumes) Facebook

Sources & Further Reading

  • Coexistence / Embedded Signup: Meta’s docs on onboarding Business App users (coexistence) and Cloud API migration (delete or onboard via solution provider). Facebook for Developers
  • Phone number requirements: supported types and verification methods. Facebook
  • Create & Verify your business: Meta Business Suite Create account and Start verification. Facebook
  • Billing: Add card; apply for credit line / monthly invoicing. Facebook
  • Templates & policies: Template manager and messaging policy (24‑hour rule). Facebook for Developers
  • Pricing & limits: Per‑message pricing (from July 1, 2025); messaging limits & upcoming portfolio change (from Oct 7, 2025). WhatsApp Business
  • Quality rating: View and interpret quality states. Facebook
  • ZNICRM migration guide: Unshare/re‑share WABA, Embedded Signup entry point, billing notes. ZNICRM

Final Thoughts

If you remember just three things, make them these:

  1. Pick the right path for your number (Coexistence if available; Classic migration otherwise). Facebook for Developers
  2. Attach billing immediately after onboarding—no card/credit line, no sending. Facebook
  3. Protect quality and use templates properly; that’s how you scale without throttling or enforcement. WhatsApp Business

Still unsure about the WhatsApp Business pricing? Check Meta’s guide on WhatsApp Business Platform pricing