Integrating your WhatsApp Business Account (WABA) allows you to manage customer conversations directly through Ringover.

Setting up WABA in Ringover

1. Step-by-Step integration process

The integration uses an "Embedded Sign-up" solution that typically takes about 5 to 15 minutes to complete.

1. Go to "integrations" in the Marketplace section in your dashboard menu, tap "Whatsapp" and then "Activate".
2. Click the "Continue with Meta" button to trigger the authentication flow. Grant Permissions: You will be prompted to share permissions with the platform, allowing it to manage your WhatsApp account and billing, follow the on-screen prompts to grant the necessary permissions. 

3. Choose an existing Meta Business Portfolio or create a new one by entering your business name, website, and country.
4. Choose an existing WABA or select "Create a WhatsApp Business account".
5. Enter your 🔗 WhatsApp Business display name (the name customers see) and select your business category. Ensure your display name matches your branding and follows Meta’s guidelines.
6. Click Add a new number and enter the exact Ringover number you are registering. 

To ensure you receive the verification call:

• Confirm that the Ringover number can currently receive calls (e.g., during business hours).
• Make sure you, or a team member, are available to answer the call and capture the verification code. When the call arrives, answer and note the verification code provided by Meta.

7. Enter the code and proceed with the prompts to complete setup.

⚠️ If the number is already associated to a WABA, this message will appear : 

You can go to your WABA account in "phone numbers" and exclude this number.

Account customization : Although WhatsApp Business allows some account customization, certain changes—such as updating the profile photo or business description—must be made through your Meta's account.

2. Meta Business Verification

While you can start messaging immediately with some limitations, verifying your business with Meta is highly recommended to unlock the full potential of your account.

Why Verify?

Verification is required to increase your messaging and phone number addition limits, apply for an Official Business Account, and is mandatory for government entities.

• If not verified: Only 2 numbers can be onboarded.
• If verified: Up to 20 accounts can be added.

Government entities: These require an additional level of approval. You must complete a specific "Government Use Case" form for Meta before creating a WABA to avoid being banned upon creation.

Checking your verification status

To determine if your business is already verified or what stage of the process you are in, navigate to your Meta Business Manager Settings and select the Business Info tab. Look for the Business Verification Status section:

• Verified: You will see a green tick and the date of verification. This is the only definitive place to confirm your status; do not rely on pop-up notifications which can sometimes be misleading.
• In Review: Your application has been submitted. Meta typically provides an update within 48 hours.
• Unverified: You must complete the application process.

Here are some common issues users encounter when completing Meta Business Verification for WhatsApp :

A common issue users face is that the "Start Verification" button is greyed out and unclickable. This occurs because Meta only requires verification once a business has "assets" (like a WABA) assigned to its Business Manager.

3. Managing limits and official status

Messaging Limits

Messaging limits determine how many unique customers you can initiate conversations with in a 24-hour period.

• Unverified Businesses: Limited to 250 business-initiated conversations.
• Verified Businesses: Start at 1,000 conversations and can scale to 10K, 100K, or unlimited.
• How to Increase: Limits increase automatically if your business is verified, your phone number status is "Connected," and you maintain a "Medium" or "High" quality rating.

Phone number limits 

By default, portfolios are limited to two registered phone numbers. This can be increased to 20 automatically once you verify your business or reach sufficient message volume (1,000 conversations in 30 days). 

The phone number should be assigned to a user instead of an IVR so they can hear the OTP. 

Official Business Account (OBA)

The OBA (Green Tick) is a blue checkmark next to your business name that signifies authenticity.

• Requirements: Your business must be verified, 2FA must be enabled, and you must provide 5 supporting links demonstrating brand recognition.
• Review: Meta typically reviews OBA requests within 2 business days.

4. Migrating an existing number

If you are moving a WhatsApp number from another provider:

• No Downtime: The migration process does not result in any service interruption.
• Maintained Status: Your existing messaging limits and OBA status will carry over to the new integration.
• Template Migration: High and Medium quality templates will be migrated; however, Low Quality or rejected templates will not.
• Preparation: Ensure two-step verification is disabled on the number before starting the migration.

5. Troubleshooting common issues

OTP Not Received

Ensure your number can accept international SMS or calls (often from US +1 numbers). If attempts are exhausted, a support ticket must be raised to have Meta reset the attempts.

WABA Banned

If your account is restricted, check your "Business Support Home" in the WhatsApp Manager to identify the reason and click "Request Review".

Display name rejected

Rejections usually occur because the name doesn't match your external branding or website. You can appeal this through the dashboard by requesting a Meta support ticket.

Templates are blocked

Go to this article to see how to create a template  : 🔗 How to create Whatsapp message templates in Ringover

• Before you can use message templates to initiate conversations and share valuable information with your customers, they must be approved by Meta and strictly adhere to the official Message Template Guidelines. 
• Meta reviews all submitted templates on a daily basis and will reject any that do not comply with their specific rules. 
• To ensure approval, your templates must be properly assigned to an official category (marketing, authentication, utility, or service messages) and correctly structured using accepted components like text, media documents, headers, and buttons.

For full details, coding tutorials, and comprehensive instructions on template compliance, please visit the complete guide here: 

• 🔗 How to manage message templates on the WhatsApp Business Platform
• 🔗 Create message templates for your WhatsApp Business account

Users are blocked 

To ensure your WhatsApp Business Account remains active and free from restrictions or bans, you must strictly adhere to Meta's foundational guidelines. 

Meta actively monitors accounts and utilizes a "ladder of enforcement," meaning they will issue escalating penalties—ranging from temporary messaging blocks of 1 to 30 days, to indefinite account locks, and even permanent account disabling—if you repeatedly violate their rules. 

Common reasons for account restrictions include : 

• Sending spam messages
• Using incorrect message templates
• Jeopardizing user safety
• Attempting to sell high-risk and prohibited items such as alcohol or supplements. 

If your account does get restricted, you can check the specific violation and submit an appeal by clicking "Request Review" within the Business Support Home section of your Meta Business Suite.

For comprehensive details on exactly what is allowed and what is prohibited on the platform, please carefully review this article: 🔗 About account bans on the WhatsApp Business app.

Once all steps have been validated by Meta, you can proceed with the configuration in Ringover, under the Integrations section : 🔗 How to create Whatsapp message templates in Ringover

6. Best practices and rules for Meta-compliant display names

To ensure your WhatsApp Business display name is approved by Meta and to avoid rejection, you must follow specific formatting and policy guidelines. Meta reviews these names to ensure they provide an accurate and clear representation of your business while maintaining professional standards.

Here are the best practices and rules for Meta-compliant display names:

1. Compliance with Policies

❌ No Adherence to Commerce Policy: Your display name must not violate WhatsApp’s Business Messaging or Commerce policies. For example, a shop selling various goods is acceptable, but a name referencing a restricted category (like a "Guns Department") will be rejected.

❌ No Meta Branding: You cannot include references to Meta, WhatsApp, Facebook, or Instagram in your display name (e.g., "Minni’s Muffins WhatsApp" is prohibited).

2. Accurate representation & professionalism

❌ Avoid Generic Terms: Names that are purely generic terms (e.g., "Fashion") or generic geographic locations (e.g., "New York") are not accepted.

❌ No Misleading Verification: You must not include words like "Official" or "Verified" in the name, as this can mislead customers into thinking the account has a Meta-endorsed status.

❌ No Promotional Language: The name should reflect the business name only. Do not include slogans, advertisements, or pricing info (e.g., "Sarah’s Sporting Goods – 20% off sale" is not allowed).

❌ No URLs or Emails: Formatting a name as a website or email address (e.g., "sarahssportinggoods.com" or "hello@freshproducejuices.com") is strictly prohibited to prevent phishing.

3. Consistency with external branding

The most common reason for rejection is a lack of consistency between your requested name and your external presence (website or social media).

• Website Presence: The name you choose must appear on your website or marketing materials. If Meta cannot find the name on your external sources, it will be rejected (e.g., "Digital Cloud Solutions" would be rejected if it’s not found on your site).
• Legal Name Relationship: There must be a clear relationship between the display name and your company's legal name.
• Using "by [Company Name]": If the relationship between your specific brand and your parent company isn't obvious, you must use the format "[Brand Name] by [Company Name]". This association must be clearly mentioned on your website.
• Personal Names: If you use a personal name (e.g., "Tom Ford"), you must indicate the nature of the business (e.g., "Tom Ford Chiropractor").

4. Departmental and branch formatting

If you have multiple accounts for different divisions, ensure the names are clear:

• Accepted: "Fresh Produce Customer Service Department" or "Fresh Produce Juices - Jessica".
• Accepted Abbreviations: You may use abbreviations for your company name (e.g., "FP Cold Pressed Juices" for "Fresh Produce Cold Pressed Juices").

👉 Click here to see more details : 🔗 Display name guidelines for the WhatsApp Business Platform

🎉 Now you know how to connect Ringover to WhatsApp Business!