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Version: Current

Configure WhatsApp Business Platform

Overview​

Before creating a WhatsApp connection in IB-X, configure the Meta WhatsApp Business Platform to allow IB-X to send and receive WhatsApp messages using the WhatsApp Business Cloud API.

The configuration involves:

  1. Verifying your Meta Business.
  2. Creating or configuring a WhatsApp Business Account.
  3. Registering and verifying a business phone number.
  4. Creating a Meta Developer App.
  5. Adding the WhatsApp product to the app.
  6. Configuring WhatsApp API access and authentication.
  7. Configuring the IB-X webhook for incoming messages.
  8. Using the Meta configuration details when creating the WhatsApp connection in IB-X.
note

Meta Business and WhatsApp configuration requires appropriate administrative access to your organization's Meta Business account.

If you do not administer your organization's Meta Business account, work with your Meta Business administrator to complete the required configuration and obtain the information required by IB-X.

Prerequisites​

Before configuring the WhatsApp Business Platform for IB-X, ensure that you have:

  • A valid Meta Business account.
  • Access to manage the Meta Business account.
  • Authority to approve the required Meta permissions and onboarding steps.
  • A WhatsApp Business Account (WABA) or permission to create one.
  • A business phone number intended for use with the WhatsApp Business Platform.
  • Business information and supporting documents that may be required by Meta for business verification.
  • Access to Meta for Developers to create and configure an application.
  • WhatsApp message templates, where required for your intended messaging scenarios.

You should also identify the business phone number that will be used by IB-X for WhatsApp communication before beginning the configuration.

1. Verify Your Meta Business​

Meta Business Verification establishes the business identity associated with the WhatsApp integration.

To verify your business:

  1. Sign in to your organization's Meta Business account.
  2. Open Business Settings.
  3. Locate the Business Verification or Security Center section.
  4. Start the Business Verification process.
  5. Provide the legal business information requested by Meta, such as:
    • Business name
    • Business address
    • Business phone number
    • Business website, where applicable
  6. Submit supporting business documents if requested by Meta.
  7. Complete any additional verification method requested by Meta.
  8. Wait for Meta to complete the verification process.

After verification is complete, confirm that the business verification status is displayed as Verified or Completed.

note

The information and documents requested during business verification are determined by Meta and may vary depending on your organization and region.

2. Configure the WhatsApp Business Account​

IB-X communicates with WhatsApp through a WhatsApp Business Account (WABA) associated with your Meta Business.

If your organization already has a WhatsApp Business Account, identify the account that will be used with IB-X.

Otherwise, create and configure a WhatsApp Business Account through your Meta Business environment.

The WhatsApp Business Account will contain the business phone number used for WhatsApp messaging.

note

Ensure that the WhatsApp Business Account is associated with the Meta Business that will own and manage the IB-X integration.

3. Register and Verify the Business Phone Number​

The business phone number must be registered and verified before it can be used with the WhatsApp Business Platform.

To configure the phone number:

  1. Open the WhatsApp Business Account configuration.
  2. Navigate to Phone Numbers.
  3. Select the option to add or register a phone number.
  4. Enter the required information, including:
    • Business display name
    • Country
    • Business phone number
  5. Select an available verification method, such as SMS or Voice Call.
  6. Enter the verification code received on the configured phone number.
  7. Complete the registration.

After registration, verify that the intended business phone number appears in the WhatsApp Business Account and is successfully verified.

note

Record the Phone Number ID associated with the registered phone number. This value is required when configuring the WhatsApp connection in IB-X.

4. Create a Meta Developer App​

A Meta Developer App provides the application layer used to connect IB-X with the Meta WhatsApp Business Platform.

To configure the application:

  1. Sign in to Meta for Developers using the appropriate Meta developer or business account.
  2. Create a new application or open an existing application intended for the IB-X WhatsApp integration.
  3. Associate the application with the required Meta Business account.
  4. Review the application settings and business association.
  5. Ensure that the application is available for the required WhatsApp integration and testing activities.
note

Record the App ID associated with the Meta application. The App ID is required when creating the WhatsApp connection in IB-X.

5. Add the WhatsApp Product​

Add the WhatsApp product to the Meta Developer App.

From the application configuration:

  1. Locate the available products.
  2. Add or configure WhatsApp.
  3. Associate the required WhatsApp Business Account with the application.
  4. Select or configure the registered business phone number.
  5. Configure the permissions and application components required for WhatsApp messaging.

After configuration, confirm that the WhatsApp product is available in the application.

6. Configure WhatsApp API Access​

WhatsApp API configuration allows IB-X to communicate programmatically with the Meta WhatsApp Business Platform.

Open the configured Meta Developer App and navigate to the WhatsApp API or Getting Started configuration.

Identify the following information:

  • WhatsApp Business Account ID (WABA ID)
  • Phone Number ID

These values identify the WhatsApp Business Account and phone number that IB-X will use for messaging.

Configure API Permissions​

Configure the Meta application and System User with the permissions required for the WhatsApp operations that IB-X will perform.

Ensure that the configured System User has access to the required WhatsApp Business Account and associated assets.

caution

Grant only the permissions required for the intended WhatsApp integration.

Follow your organization's Meta Business security and access-management policies when assigning permissions.

7. Configure a System User Access Token​

IB-X authenticates with the WhatsApp Business Cloud API using a Meta System User Access Token.

Configure a Meta System User with access to the WhatsApp Business assets required by the integration.

Ensure that:

  • The System User is associated with the appropriate Meta Business.
  • The required WhatsApp Business assets are assigned to the System User.
  • The required WhatsApp permissions are granted.
  • A System User Access Token is generated for the integration.
caution

The System User Access Token is a sensitive credential.

Do not include the token in documentation, screenshots, emails, support requests, or other unsecured communication. Store and manage the token according to your organization's credential-management policies.

The token must remain valid for IB-X to communicate with the WhatsApp Business Platform.

8. Configure the WhatsApp Webhook​

The webhook allows Meta to notify IB-X when incoming WhatsApp messages and other subscribed events are received.

Before configuring the webhook, obtain the required IB-X Callback URL and verification information for your IB-X environment.

In the Meta Developer App:

  1. Open the WhatsApp configuration.
  2. Locate the Webhooks or Callback configuration.
  3. Enter the IB-X Callback URL.
  4. Enter the required webhook verification information.
  5. Complete webhook verification.
  6. Subscribe to the WhatsApp events required by the IB-X integration.
  7. Save the configuration.
  8. Confirm that the webhook is active.
note

The IB-X Callback URL must be reachable by Meta for webhook verification and incoming WhatsApp events to work.

After configuration, send a test WhatsApp message to the configured business phone number and verify that the corresponding webhook event reaches IB-X.

9. Verify Outbound Messaging​

After configuring the Meta application and IB-X connection, verify that IB-X can send WhatsApp messages.

To perform an outbound test:

  1. Confirm that the correct WABA ID and Phone Number ID are configured in IB-X.
  2. Confirm that the required System User authentication is available.
  3. Use an authorized or test recipient.
  4. Initiate a WhatsApp message from IB-X.
  5. Verify that IB-X successfully sends the request to Meta.
  6. Verify that Meta returns the expected API response.
  7. Confirm that the message is received by the intended WhatsApp recipient.

A successful test confirms the following communication path:

IB-X
  ↓
Meta WhatsApp Business Platform
  ↓
WhatsApp User

10. Verify Inbound Messaging​

Inbound testing verifies that messages sent by WhatsApp users reach IB-X through the configured webhook.

To perform an inbound test:

  1. Send a WhatsApp message from a test or customer WhatsApp number to the configured business phone number.
  2. Confirm that Meta receives the incoming message.
  3. Confirm that Meta generates the corresponding webhook event.
  4. Confirm that the event is delivered to the configured IB-X Callback URL.
  5. Verify that IB-X receives the expected event.
  6. Verify that IB-X processes the incoming message successfully.

A successful test confirms the following communication path:

WhatsApp User
  ↓
Meta WhatsApp Business Platform
  ↓
Meta Webhook
  ↓
IB-X

11. Verify Two-Way Communication​

After outbound and inbound messaging have been tested independently, perform a complete two-way communication test.

TestExpected Result
OutboundA message initiated by IB-X is successfully received by the WhatsApp user.
InboundA message sent by the WhatsApp user is successfully received and processed by IB-X.
Two-WayIB-X and the WhatsApp user can successfully exchange messages through the Meta WhatsApp Business Platform.

Complete the two-way validation before using the integration for production workloads.

Information Required by IB-X​

After completing the Meta and WhatsApp Business Platform configuration, collect the following information for creating the WhatsApp connection in IB-X:

IB-X PropertyMeta Configuration
WABA IDWhatsApp Business Account identifier associated with the business account.
Phone Number IDIdentifier of the WhatsApp-enabled business phone number.
System User Access TokenAccess token generated for the Meta System User with the required WhatsApp permissions.
App IDIdentifier of the Meta Developer App used for the integration.
App SecretSecret associated with the Meta Developer App.

Once you have this information, create a WhatsApp connection in IB-X.

For information about configuring the connection in IB-X, see WhatsApp Connection.

caution

The System User Access Token and App Secret are sensitive credentials.

Store and communicate these values securely and do not expose them in documentation or screenshots.

Production Readiness​

Before using the WhatsApp integration in production, verify that:

  • Meta Business verification is complete.
  • The WhatsApp Business Account is correctly configured.
  • The production business phone number is registered and verified.
  • The Meta Developer App is associated with the correct business.
  • The WhatsApp product is configured.
  • Required WhatsApp permissions are assigned.
  • The System User Access Token is valid.
  • The IB-X WhatsApp connection is configured with the correct identifiers and credentials.
  • The webhook is verified and active.
  • Required webhook events are subscribed.
  • Outbound messaging has been tested successfully.
  • Inbound messaging has been tested successfully.
  • End-to-end two-way communication has been validated.
  • Required WhatsApp message templates are configured, where applicable.

Troubleshooting​

The following issues typically indicate problems with the Meta WhatsApp Business Platform configuration:

IssuePossible Cause
IB-X cannot authenticate with MetaVerify the System User Access Token and ensure that the required permissions and business assets are assigned.
Outbound messages failVerify the WABA ID, Phone Number ID, access token, permissions, and phone number configuration.
Messages are sent but IB-X does not receive incoming messagesVerify the webhook configuration, callback URL, webhook verification, and event subscriptions.
Webhook verification failsVerify the IB-X Callback URL and the webhook verification information configured in Meta.
Phone number cannot be usedVerify that the business phone number is correctly registered and verified in the WhatsApp Business Account.
Permission or authorization errorsVerify the permissions assigned to the Meta application and System User.
tip

When troubleshooting the WhatsApp integration, verify the configuration in this order:

Business and phone number → Meta App → WhatsApp API → System User permissions and token → IB-X connection → Webhook → Messaging

This helps distinguish Meta account and authorization issues from IB-X connection or webhook configuration issues.

Security Considerations​

When configuring the Meta WhatsApp Business Platform for IB-X:

  • Grant only the Meta and WhatsApp permissions required by the intended integration.
  • Protect the System User Access Token from unauthorized access.
  • Protect the App Secret from unauthorized access.
  • Do not include access tokens, App Secrets, or other private credentials in documentation or screenshots.
  • Do not expose internal IB-X infrastructure information unless required for the integration.
  • Store integration credentials using your organization's approved credential and secret-management processes.
  • Review and rotate credentials according to your organization's security policies.