WhatsApp Business API (WABA)
WhatsApp Business API (WABA) is Meta's official integration — unlike a QR connection, it doesn't run through a phone but talks directly to WhatsApp's servers. The number never "drops" because a phone went offline, and it's never banned for activity.
How it differs from WhatsApp QR
- Connects through Embedded Signup — a Meta window right inside the Chato cabinet, no app installs.
- Messages outside the 24-hour window since the customer's last reply can only be sent as approved templates — that's a Meta requirement, not a Chato one.
- Sold on a single MAX plan: no limit on the number of conversations.
- Group chats aren't supported — the WhatsApp Cloud API has no such capability at all.
Connecting
- Open Channels → Add channel → WhatsApp → WhatsApp Business API.
- Click Connect via Meta and log in to the Facebook Business Manager the number is tied to (or create one right in the sign-up window).
- Pick the number and confirm permissions — Chato gets access automatically, nothing to copy manually.
A number that used to run in the regular WhatsApp app stops working there once it's moved to Business API. Decide in advance whether it's the same number as your QR channel or a separate one.
Message templates
Broadcasts, and the first message to a customer (if more than 24 hours have passed since their last reply), need an approved Meta template. Manage templates in Message templates; send bulk messages using them in WABA broadcast. More: Broadcasts.
Meta review
Meta's review of a newly connected number can take anywhere from a few minutes to a day. Until it's done, the channel status shows Under review; you can't message through it yet.
See also: Connecting WhatsApp via QR.