Struggling to choose between Manychat and the WhatsApp Business App? Now, you don’t have to! You can seamlessly connect your WhatsApp number to Manychat while still using it on the WhatsApp Business App—at the same time!
In this step-by-step guide, we’ll walk you through the process of integrating your WhatsApp account with Manychat, so you can automate conversations, enhance customer engagement, and keep your business running smoothly—without giving up your favorite tools. Let’s dive in!
⚠️ Important information before you start
- Please note that this is a PRO feature and is not available on accounts with a free subscription plan.
- The integration of the existing WhatsApp Business App with Manychat is currently in beta, providing a limited yet focused set of functionalities.
- Previous message history from the WhatsApp Business App will not be transferred to Manychat.
Feature changes after integration
Once an existing WhatsApp Business App is connected to Manychat, the following changes will take effect in the WhatsApp Business app:
- Message edit/revoke will no longer be supported.
- Disappearing messages will be turned off for all individual (1:1) chats.
- View once messages will be disabled for all individual (1:1) chats.
- Live location sharing will be disabled for all individual (1:1) chats.
- Broadcast Lists will be disabled. You will no longer be able to create new Broadcast Lists via the WhatsApp business app, and existing lists will become read-only. However, you will be able to broadcast via Manychat.
For more details on feature changes and how coexistence affects WhatsApp Business App functionality, please refer to the official feature comparison table.
Connecting your existing WhatsApp Business App account
Requirements
To proceed with the connection, make sure you meet the following requirements:
- You must already be using the WhatsApp Business App. During the beta phase, new accounts cannot be connected in accordance with Meta's guidelines.
- According to Meta guidelines, only users with past activity in WhatsApp Business Manager (WABA) can use the Coexistence method. If this requirement is not met, you will see the error message: "Phone number isn't allowed to connect."
- Your WhatsApp Business App must be version 2.24.5 or newer.
- Your phone number’s country code must be supported. Please check the list of unsupported countries.
💡 If your country or region is on the unsupported list, you can still connect a WhatsApp number to Manychat, but coexistence with the WhatsApp Business App will not be possible.
For information on how to connect a WhatsApp account to Manychat, please refer to the following articles:
- How to transfer your own WhatsApp number to Manychat
- How to connect a new number purchased from Manychat to WhatsApp
Step-by-step connection guide
Start by navigating to Settings > WhatsApp and clicking on Connect:
Select Connect your WhatsApp number with Coexistence and click Continue:
Since WhatsApp Business App is part of Meta Business, you’ll need to connect through Meta. Click Go to Meta Log In, which will open in a new window.
Follow the on-screen instructions to log in to your existing Facebook account.
Next, select the Facebook Business account that will own the WhatsApp number. If you are an agency connecting on behalf of a client, remember to use the client’s Business account, not the agency’s.
Fill in your business information:
Choose Connect your existing WhatsApp Business App:
Next, add a phone number for WhatsApp:
You will receive a verification code in your WhatsApp Business app through a chat with Facebook Business:
In the next step, confirm or update your WhatsApp Business account:
Before completing the process, review Manychat’s access request:
You will be presented with a QR code and instructions to check for a new WhatsApp Business app message. Please note that a QR code updates every 1 minute:
You will need to use the app to scan the QR code:
You're all set! Your WhatsApp integration is now up and running. Start exploring its powerful features and see how it can enhance your customer interactions.
💡 Check out our WhatsApp Help Center for useful guides and resources.
Pricing
Messages sent via WhatsApp Business App remain free. Conversations started via Manychat will follow WhatsApp's conversation-based pricing.
For more information on the pricing and billing structure, please refer to the WhatsApp pricing guide article.
Troubleshooting
If you see an unexpected message that you didn’t set up in Manychat, it’s probably coming from WhatsApp Business App’s automatic responses (if they’re enabled). These automatic replies can disrupt Manychat’s automation.
To resolve this, check your WhatsApp Business app settings to ensure no auto-replies or messaging setups conflict with Manychat. Here's how:
Open your WhatsApp Business app and navigate to Settings > Business tools:
Ensure all automatic messaging options are disabled.
FAQs
Will my message history sync with Manychat?
Previous message history from the WhatsApp Business App will not be transferred to Manychat.
What about the 24-hour messaging window? How can businesses engage with clients outside this window via Manychat and the WhatsApp Business App?
The 24-hour messaging window remains the same for Cloud API, which Manychat uses. To send a message outside this window—including to newly imported contacts—you’ll need to use a Message Template.
For the WhatsApp Business App, there are no restrictions. You can message your contacts anytime without additional costs, as the 24-hour rule does not apply to the WhatsApp Business App.
If I have an ongoing conversation in the WhatsApp Business App, how can I continue it in Manychat?
Since Manychat and the WhatsApp Business App are separate platforms, a conversation that is within the 24-hour window in the WhatsApp Business App may not be open in Manychat.
If the 24-hour messaging window is open in Manychat, you can continue messaging the customer using Manychat Live Chat with regular messages.
However, if the 24-hour window is closed in Manychat, you’ll need to use a Message Template to send a message.
Will messages be synchronized between both platforms?
Yes, once connected, new messages will be synchronized. However, some differences may occur, and we will keep you updated accordingly.
How can I broadcast via Manychat?
Please refer to the article Broadcasting in WhatsApp.
If you are encountering any issues with your WhatsApp integration, contact our Support Team.