> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.voiceinfra.ai/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# WhatsApp Business Setup Guide: Calling and Messaging

> End-to-end guide to connecting a WhatsApp Business number to VoiceInfra — Meta Business Manager, the WhatsApp Business Account, your API credentials, and enabling both voice calling and messaging.

This guide takes you from a bare Meta account to a WhatsApp Business number that answers **voice calls** with your AI agent and handles **messages** in the VoiceInfra inbox.

Everything on the Meta side is shared between the two, so work through the Meta steps once, then connect whichever capabilities you need.

<Note>
  WhatsApp has **two separate integrations** in VoiceInfra, configured in different places:

  * **Voice calling** — added under **Phone Numbers**, and **inbound only**
  * **Messaging** — added under **Social Platforms**

  You can connect either or both to the same WhatsApp Business number.
</Note>

## What you need before you start

| Requirement | Why |
| - | - |
| **Meta Business Manager** with **Admin** access | The account that owns everything below. |
| **A WhatsApp Business Account** | Separate from the WhatsApp app on your phone. This is what provides API access. |
| **A phone number that is not already on WhatsApp** | The number you will connect. It cannot be in use on the consumer WhatsApp or WhatsApp Business app. |
| **Business verification completed** | Meta requires it, and it is what unlocks production messaging limits. |

## Step 1: Set up Meta Business Manager

Meta Business Manager is the hub for your business assets on Facebook and Instagram.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Create an account if you do not have one">
    Go to [business.facebook.com](https://business.facebook.com) and create your account. Complete business verification with the documentation Meta asks for, then add your business information and a payment method.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Check your access level">
    If you already have a Business Manager, make sure you have **Admin** access. Without it you cannot create the WhatsApp Business Account or the developer app.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Step 2: Set up a WhatsApp Business Account

<Steps>
  <Step title="Create the account">
    In Business Settings, go to **Accounts → WhatsApp Business Accounts**, click **Add**, and choose **Create a new WhatsApp Business Account**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Add and verify your number">
    Enter the business phone number and verify ownership by SMS or voice call.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Complete verification">
    Finish Meta's business verification. If you are reusing an existing WhatsApp Business Account, just confirm it is connected to your Business Manager.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Note>
  The number you verify here is the one that will appear in the dropdown when you generate your access token in the next step.
</Note>

## Step 3: Create the developer app and get your credentials

You need two values from Meta: a **Phone Number ID** and an **Access Token**.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Create the app">
    Go to [developers.facebook.com](https://developers.facebook.com) and click **Create App**. Give it a name and continue.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Choose the app type">
    Select **Other** from the use-case list, then choose **Business** as the app type. Connect the business portfolio you created in step 1 and click **Create App**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Add WhatsApp to the app">
    On the app dashboard, click **Set up** next to **WhatsApp**. Refresh the page once it finishes — you will then see **WhatsApp** in the left-hand panel.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Open the API setup page">
    Click **WhatsApp** in the side panel, then click **Start using the API**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Select your number">
    The dropdown on the next page lists the number you verified in the WhatsApp Business Account. Select it.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Generate and copy your credentials">
    Click **Generate Access Token**. **Copy the token** — this is your Access Token. Also copy the **Phone Number ID** shown on the same page. You need both in step 4.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Warning>
  Treat the access token like a password. VoiceInfra encrypts it at rest and never displays it again after you save.
</Warning>

## Step 4: Connect the number in VoiceInfra

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open Phone Numbers">
    In the VoiceInfra portal, go to **Phone Numbers** — or open [portal.voiceinfra.ai/phone-numbers](https://portal.voiceinfra.ai/phone-numbers) directly.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Add a phone number">
    Click **Add Phone Number** and choose **WhatsApp Business** from the connection methods.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Enter your number">
    Give the number in E.164 format, including the country code.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Paste your Meta credentials">
    In the **Meta Business API** section, paste the **Phone Number ID** and the **Access Token** you copied from the developer dashboard.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Configure call settings">
    Under **Call Settings** you can set:

    * **Noise cancellation** — reduces background noise on inbound calls to this number
    * **Media encryption** — **Disable**, **Allow**, or **Require** SRTP for inbound call media. **Require** rejects any call that cannot be encrypted.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Connect">
    Click **Connect**. When it finishes you will see **Integration Complete!** and the number appears in your list.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Assign an assistant">
    On the number's detail page, use **Assign to an Assistant** to choose the agent that answers calls on it.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Note>
  WhatsApp numbers are shown as **Inbound Only — receive calls only**. Outbound calling over the WhatsApp Business API is not available yet.
</Note>

## Step 5: Enable voice calling in Meta

Calls will not reach VoiceInfra until you switch calling on for the number in Meta.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open your number in WhatsApp Manager">
    Go back to **WhatsApp Business Manager** and select your number from **Account Tools → Phone Numbers**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Turn on Allow Voice Calls">
    On the number's details page, open the **Call Settings** tab and enable **Allow Voice Calls**.
  </Step>
</Steps>

That is the calling setup complete. If you also want messaging, continue below.

## Step 6: Add messaging (optional)

Messaging gives you an AI inbox: your agent replies to WhatsApp messages, qualifies leads, books appointments, and escalates to a person when needed. It is configured separately from calling.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open Social Platforms">
    Go to **Social Platforms** in the sidebar and click **Add integration**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Choose WhatsApp Business">
    Select **WhatsApp Business**. Instagram Messaging, Facebook Messenger, and Telegram are listed but not yet available.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Enter the basics">
    Give the integration a **Friendly Name** and enter the **WhatsApp phone number**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Add your Meta credentials">
    Enter the same **Phone Number ID** and **Access Token** from step 3.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Choose an assistant">
    Optionally select an AI assistant to answer messages automatically. You can change this later, or add one afterwards — without one, messages are still received and stored, but no automatic reply is sent.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Review and create">
    Check the details and click **Create Integration**.
  </Step>
</Steps>

### Point Meta's webhooks at VoiceInfra

Messaging needs Meta to send events to VoiceInfra. After creating the integration:

<Steps>
  <Step title="Copy the webhook details">
    Open your WhatsApp integration in **Social Platforms** and go to the **Webhook Config** tab. Copy the **Webhook URL** and the **Verify Token**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Configure the webhook in Meta">
    In **Meta Business Suite → WhatsApp Manager → Webhooks**, click **Configure Webhook**, paste both values, and subscribe to the **messages** and **messaging\_postbacks** events.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Verify and save">
    Click **Verify and Save**. The **Webhook Status** on your VoiceInfra integration should now read active, and inbound messages will start arriving in the **Conversations** tab.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Warning>
  If you regenerate the verify token in VoiceInfra, the old one stops working immediately and you must paste the new one into Meta or webhooks will fail.
</Warning>

## What you get

| Capability | Where it lives | Direction |
| - | - | - |
| **Voice calls** answered by your AI agent | Phone Numbers | Inbound only |
| **Messages** answered by your AI agent | Social Platforms → Conversations | Inbound and outbound replies |
| **Call recordings and transcripts** | Call Logs | — |
| **AI summary and extracted data** | Call Logs | — |

Recordings, transcripts, summaries, and extracted fields work on WhatsApp calls exactly as they do on any other channel, so you can measure and improve the same way.

## Troubleshooting

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="My number does not appear in the dropdown when generating a token">
    The number has to be verified inside the WhatsApp Business Account first, and that account has to belong to the same business portfolio as the developer app. Check both under Business Settings.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="The integration is created but calls never arrive">
    The most common cause is **Allow Voice Calls** still being off in WhatsApp Manager under the number's **Call Settings** tab. Nothing reaches VoiceInfra until it is enabled.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Calls arrive but no message arrives">
    Messaging is a separate integration under **Social Platforms** — adding the number under Phone Numbers does not enable it. You also need the webhook configured and the **messages** event subscribed in Meta.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="I cannot place outbound calls on my WhatsApp number">
    That is expected. Outbound calling over the WhatsApp Business API is not available yet. Numbers added this way are marked **Inbound Only**. Use a standard SIP number or PBX extension for outbound.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="What happens if I delete the number?">
    Deleting a WhatsApp number requires your **WhatsApp Business API Access Token**, which VoiceInfra uses to disable the SIP configuration on Meta's side. Removing it from VoiceInfra does not affect your Meta account, your number, or your messaging history.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can I use the same number for calling and messaging?">
    Yes, and it is the common setup. Both integrations can point at the same WhatsApp Business number, and each is assigned an assistant independently.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>


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