How to transfer your own WhatsApp number to Manychat

In this step-by-step guide, you will learn how to connect WhatsApp number to Manychat, whether the number is already linked to a WhatsApp Business App or not yet associated with any WhatsApp account.

The guide includes two main topics: key requirements and Business Verification, and a step-by-step connection guide.

Key requirements

Before connecting your WhatsApp number to Manychat, there are a few things to get in order:

Decide which connection method to use

Choose between:

• Using your existing WhatsApp number
• Getting a new number through Manychat

💡  Not sure which method suits you best? Check out Connect WhatsApp to Manychat: Choosing the Best Method.

Get your Meta Business account ready

• Make sure you have access to a Meta Business Manager account.
• Make sure you have admin permissions with full access.
• Consider completing Business Verification — it's not required to connect, but it unlocks additional features and higher messaging limits.

Check your compliance with WhatsApp policies

• Make sure your account has no active restrictions. If there are any, resolve them with Meta support before connecting.
• Make sure your business and messaging use case comply with the WhatsApp Business Messaging Policy and WhatsApp Commerce Policy. This helps avoid issues or rejections during setup.

Be ready to receive a verification code

• Keep your phone nearby and accessible during setup.
• Disable any call or SMS blockers if needed.

Once these are in place, the actual connection inside Manychat is usually quick and straightforward.

Prepare your Meta Business Account

To successfully connect your WhatsApp number, check that the following conditions are met in your WhatsApp Business Account:

• Business Verification: Verified or unverified — verification is recommended, as it unlocks additional features and higher messaging limits
• Account status: Approved
• Currency: USD or no currency set. It will change to USD after connecting to Manychat
• Credit line: No payment method set. After connecting, this switches to Manychat Inc. Your credit line should be assigned only to Manychat as your Business Solution Provider. If another payment method is attached, the connection will not work correctly and you will not be able to send message templates through Manychat
• Phone number status: Pending or Offline — it will change to Connected after setup
• Phone number quality: High or Medium is ideal
• Partners tab: No partners assigned — this will update to Manychat after connecting

These conditions help ensure a smooth setup and full messaging functionality.

Once connected, you can access the WhatsApp Health widget by opening Settings, then selecting WhatsApp from the list of channels in the sidebar. It shows the status of your WhatsApp channel and highlights anything that may need attention.

Verify your WhatsApp account business information

Verifying your business information in Facebook Business Manager is what unlocks full access to WhatsApp features and higher messaging limits in Manychat.

To set up a WhatsApp number, the admin role must be assigned within Facebook Business Manager to the business that will own the number. Learn more about user roles and how to check your Manychat team role. Also, make sure you are logged into the personal Facebook account that has access to the business you want to connect.

To verify your account:

1. Go to Facebook Business Manager.
2. Click on Settings in the sidebar.
3. Find and select WhatsApp Accounts.
4. Click on your account name to see your account details. 
5. Check four important criteria:
   • Currency
   • Business verification
   • Account status
   • Payment method
6. Click the Start verification button under Business verification to start the verification process.
7. Follow the on-screen instructions to provide your business details and upload the required documents. Click Get started to proceed.

Alternatively, you can go to the Meta Business Suite, open Settings, switch to the Security Center, and click the Start verification button.

WhatsApp requires that your business is a legitimate, operational entity and that you can confirm its legal status with documentation. As part of the verification process, you will need to:

• Confirm your business complies with WhatsApp's Commerce Policy and Business Policy.
• Upload documents that confirm the legal status of your business. See the list of accepted documents for reference.

Working through the verification steps in order is recommended — the first step is quick and gives immediate access to WhatsApp automation features, while you gather the required documents for Business Verification in the background.

• If your business uses a trade name, include something that links it to your legal name — a copyright notice in the footer of your website works well for this.
• The email address used during verification should share the same domain as your business website. A mismatch may prompt a review by Facebook's Trust & Safety team.
• Keep an eye on your business inbox for emails from Facebook or WhatsApp — they may follow up with requests for additional documentation or clarification.

For more information, see Verify Your Business in Meta Business Suite.

Check your phone number status and messaging limit

1. Go to Facebook Business Manager.
2. Click on Settings in the sidebar.
3. Find and select WhatsApp Accounts.
4. Click on your account name to see your account details. 
5. Click the WhatsApp Manager button.
6. Your WhatsApp Manager page displays the connected phone number. The status may show as Pending or Offline at this stage — it will update to Connected once the WABA is linked to Manychat.
7. The messaging limit is displayed on the right. Before linking your WABA to Manychat, it is usually set at a lower tier or shows as Unavailable. The Unavailable status indicates that Business Verification has not been completed.

Check if the display name is approved

The last thing to check is whether the display name connected to your phone number is approved.

1. In WhatsApp Manager, click on your phone number.
2. Switch to the Profile tab.
3. Check that the display name has a green Approved label next to it.

What to do if something is not approved yet

Sometimes, part of the setup is still pending or gets rejected before you can connect. There are usually two reasons this happens:

• The business entity — such as your Business Manager, WABA, phone number, or display name — is still under review. Look for In review, Pending, or Pending Approval statuses.
• A business entity was reviewed and rejected, most commonly due to non-compliance with WhatsApp Commerce Policy or WhatsApp Business Policy.

Whenever a rejection is received on any business entity, some action is needed. The good news is that a rejection does not ban your Business Manager or remove your access to it — it just means the application didn't meet the requirements on the first attempt, or that the review team made a mistake. It happens. Reapplying with updated information is always an option.

Example: Display name rejected

If the display name was rejected, update it to a name that complies with WhatsApp Display Name Guidelines:

1. Click Edit next to the rejected display name.
2. Enter a new name.
3. Follow the on-screen instructions to submit it for review.

The new name goes through a separate approval process and may take some time.

Not sure what to do after a rejection? Contact Facebook Business Support:

• Facebook Business Help Center
• Facebook Marketing Partner Support
• Your Facebook account manager directly, if you have one

If support does not resolve the issue, restarting the connection process with different business entities is an option — try a new display name, phone number, Business Manager, or different legal documents for verification.

For other issues during setup, see Common Issues During WhatsApp Sign-Up and How to Fix Them.

Connect Your Existing Number

1. Click Settings in the sidebar.
2. Select WhatsApp from the list of channels.
3. Click Connect.
4. Select Existing Number, then click Connect Through Meta.
5. Click Continue.
6. Select the business portfolio that contains your WABA, then select the specific WABA to link.
7. Enter your WhatsApp phone number and choose how you want to be identified when sending messages:
   • Use a display name only — Messages show a display name in the chat, without a phone number attached.
   • Use a new or existing WhatsApp number — Registers a phone number to your WhatsApp Business account. Verification may be required.
8. Click Next.
9. Review what will be shared with Manychat, then click Confirm.
10. Wait for the connection to complete, then click Finish.

Your WhatsApp number is now connected. Head to your Manychat account to start building automations with it.

Connect your existing number via Coexistence

1. Click Settings in the sidebar.
2. Select WhatsApp from the list of channels.
3. Click Connect.
4. Select Existing Number, then click Connect Through Meta.
5. Click Continue.
6. Select the business portfolio, then select to connect a WhatsApp Business App.
7. Click Next.
8. Enter your WhatsApp Business phone number and click Next.
9. Check the permissions you’re granting by connecting your WhatsApp Business account with Manychat and click Next.
10. Confirm the account selection on the next screen and click Next.
11. After that, you need to review all the info one more time and click Confirm.
12. Click Continue to feature setup.

Your WhatsApp number is now connected. Head to your Manychat account by clicking the Open Manychat button to start building automations with it.