Glossary
What is the WhatsApp Business API
WhatsApp has three ways to use it: the regular app, the WhatsApp Business app and the official API. The first two run on a phone. The API is for those who want WhatsApp inside a customer service system.
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The short answer
The official WhatsApp API is the way Meta offers companies to connect WhatsApp to their own system, such as a CRM, without depending on an open phone. Messages come in and go out through the system, where several agents and automations work on the same number. Access is granted by Meta, usually through a partner company that makes the connection.
WhatsApp Business app vs API
| Point | WhatsApp Business app | Official WhatsApp API |
|---|---|---|
| Where it runs | On the phone, with a desktop extension | Inside a system, such as a CRM |
| Who it is for | Small business with few people answering | Company that wants a team, a queue and integration |
| How it connects | Download the app and register the number | Through a partner, with Meta approval |
| Automation | Away messages and quick replies | Integration with AI, CRM and other systems |
| Messages to start a conversation | Written on the spot | Message templates approved by Meta |
How the official API works
- 1The company has a business account on MetaThat is where the number is linked to the API.
- 2A partner makes the connectionThe number is now served by a system, not by a phone.
- 3The system receives and sends the messagesThe team answers from the dashboard, with a queue, an owner and history.
Why companies use the API
- The number no longer depends on a device that is on and charged
- Several agents work on the same number, each with their own conversations
- WhatsApp talks to the CRM, the AI and the company's other systems
- The company uses approved message templates to reach the customer in an organized way
- It is the official path, offered by Meta itself to companies
How atendIA does it
In atendIA you choose how to connect WhatsApp. Through the official Meta API, our team makes the connection together with you. Through the QR code, you connect it yourself, like WhatsApp Web, and can link up to 10 numbers. In both cases the number stays the same and conversations land in the same inbox, alongside Instagram, Messenger and email, with a queue, automatic distribution, quick replies and WhatsApp templates.
Plans and pricing
Both ways to connect work on every plan, starting at $49 a month. With the AI answering, Essential costs $99.
See all plansFrequently asked questions
Is the official WhatsApp API the same as WhatsApp Business?
No. WhatsApp Business is a phone app. The official API is the way to connect WhatsApp to a system, where a whole team answers from the same number with a queue and history.
Do I have to change my WhatsApp number?
No. You connect the number you already use, and conversations stay the same for your customers.
Can WhatsApp ban my number?
Service through the QR code works like WhatsApp Web, with your usual number. Bans come from bulk messages to people who never asked to be contacted, which atendIA does not do. And for maximum safety, we connect the number through the official Meta API.
Which channels can I connect?
You connect WhatsApp yourself by scanning a QR code, with up to 10 numbers. Instagram, Messenger, Gmail and WhatsApp through the official Meta API are connected by our team, together with you. Everything lands in the same inbox.
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