Start here · WhatsApp Business API for beginners
New to the WhatsApp Business API? Start here.
Everything you need to know before you apply, in the order you'll need it: who can get the API, which documents and phone number to use, how Meta verifies your business, how long it takes and what it costs. Lead Pattern is an official Meta Tech Provider and sets it up with you for free.
Last updated: 5 November 2026
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How do I get the WhatsApp Business API?
Sign up with a Meta partner such as Lead Pattern, connect a phone number that can receive a verification code, and complete Meta's signup with your business details. Verify your business with Meta, get your first message templates approved, and you're live. Setup help is free on Lead Pattern, and Growth has a 14-day free trial.
The path, step by step
Seven steps from no API to your first message
1. Check you can get it
Who Meta allows on the WhatsApp Business API, and what isn't allowed.
Read the guide →2. Get your documents ready
The business details and documents Meta asks for when it verifies you.
Read the guide →3. Pick your phone number
Which numbers work, and what happens to a number already on WhatsApp.
Read the guide →4. Keep your Business app (optional)
Use the WhatsApp Business app and the API on the same number.
Read the guide →5. Verify your business with Meta
Business verification step by step — and what to do if it's rejected.
Read the guide →6. Name and badge
Your display name, and how the verified badge works.
Read the guide →7. Send your first messages
Templates, the 24-hour window and what each message costs.
Read the guide →Time, cost and the basics
Questions people ask before they start
How long does setup take?
Each stage of setup, and which ones Meta reviews.
Learn more →What does it cost?
Your plan plus Meta's fee per message, passed through at cost.
Learn more →App or API — which do I need?
The free WhatsApp Business app vs the official API.
Learn more →WhatsApp API in India
Price, setup and choosing a provider in India.
Learn more →Verification rejected?
Meta's reasons and how to resubmit.
Learn more →WhatsApp words explained
WABA, templates, display name, opt-in — in plain words.
Learn more →Beginner questions
What is the WhatsApp Business API?+
It's the official way for a business to use WhatsApp at scale: a shared team inbox, chatbots, broadcasts and messages sent from your own systems. You get it through a Meta partner such as Lead Pattern. What it is →
Is the WhatsApp Business API free?+
No. You pay a provider plan (Lead Pattern from ₹15,000 a year) plus Meta's fee per template message. The first 1,000 replies to customers each month are free. See pricing →
Can I keep my current WhatsApp number?+
Usually yes. A number already on the WhatsApp Business app can be connected, or moved to the API. Phone number rules →
Do I need to verify my business with Meta?+
Meta business verification is what lets you grow past the starting limits. Verification step by step →
Do I need a developer?+
No. On Lead Pattern you connect from the Home dashboard with Meta's signup popup, and our team helps you through it for free.
Ready to start? Try Lead Pattern free for 14 days — we help you set up the API.
14-day free trial · No credit card · Free WhatsApp API setup