how to get a verified WhatsApp Business API number.
heysteff is an AI platform for customer support and sales across WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger, Gmail and Shopify; Steff is the AI agent that runs it. This guide explains the general process — run by Meta, not by heysteff — to verify a number on the WhatsApp Business Platform, and what your options are if you can't or don't want to go through it yet.
◆ prerequisites
A business with a verifiable identity (tax ID or equivalent, a website, a real presence), access to Meta Business Manager, and a phone number you can dedicate to WhatsApp Business — either new, or one you already have and are willing to migrate.
Step 1: Have a verified Business Manager
The starting point is a Meta Business Manager account with your company identity verified by Meta. Without that verification you can't move on to registering the number on the WhatsApp Business Platform. Meta runs this review directly, and it can take from days to a couple of weeks depending on how much documentation they want to check. Nothing on the heysteff side gates this — it's between you and Meta.
Step 2: Choose between the Cloud API directly or a BSP
You can connect to Meta's Cloud API directly, or go through a Business Solution Provider (BSP) such as Twilio or 360dialog, which layers billing, management and support on top of the same infrastructure. heysteff supports both paths: if you already run a number on Twilio or 360dialog, you don't need to migrate it to connect. Going direct is usually cheaper at scale; a BSP is often simpler if you'd rather not manage the Meta plumbing yourself.
Step 3: Register the number, new or migrated
You register the number inside Business Manager — either a new one dedicated to WhatsApp Business, or one you already used (for example, in the standard WhatsApp Business app). If you migrate an existing number, keep in mind it stops being available in the original app once registration on the API is complete. Pick a number you're comfortable committing to this channel.
Step 4: Set the display name and pass verification
You define the display name customers will see next to your number, and Meta reviews it as part of verification before enabling production sending. How long this review takes varies with your business category and Meta's current queue. This is the last Meta-side gate before you can actually send.
Step 5: Create your HSM templates
To message a customer first, outside the 24-hour free-reply window, you need message templates (HSM) approved by Meta, with defined variables and subject to their content policy. These are, for example, the templates heysteff uses for appointment reminders outside that window when a calendar has one configured. Build the templates you'll actually need — reminders, order updates, campaign follow-ups — and submit them for approval.
If you don't want to go through all this yet
heysteff supports the verified route if you choose it, but it isn't a requirement to start. It also accepts a number you already run on Twilio or 360dialog (without migrating to the direct Cloud API), or an unofficial number via Baileys — the WhatsApp number you already use, connected without going through Meta's verification. It's a way to launch fast and move to the official API later if it makes sense for your volume.
Once you have the number, what changes?
A verified number on the WhatsApp Business Platform doesn't change how you chat with customers inside the 24-hour window — it's still free messaging, like any chat. What it unlocks is messaging first outside that window using HSM templates (reminders, order notifications, campaign follow-ups), and it usually comes with better delivery guarantees at volume than an unofficial number. For small businesses just starting out, it often makes sense to begin with Baileys and move to the Cloud API once volume or the need for templates justifies it.
FAQ
Does heysteff get the verified number for me?
heysteff walks you through the process, but Meta is the one who approves the verification. You can also connect a number you already run on Twilio or 360dialog, or an unofficial number via Baileys, without going through this process at all.
Can I keep using my current number while the verified one is in review?
Yes. While you decide, you can connect your current number as unofficial via Baileys and keep answering with the AI agent without waiting on Meta's verification.
How long does verification take?
It depends on Meta, not on heysteff — it can range from days to a couple of weeks depending on your documentation and the volume of requests they're processing.
◆ next step
Connect your number — verified, on Twilio/360dialog, or Baileys — and start with Steff today.