Connecting a WhatsApp number goes through Embedded Signup — Meta's own hosted popup. You never copy a token by hand, and Flowera does the registration and webhook setup for you.
Two ways to connect
Flowera asks which setup you have before Meta's popup opens, because the two paths need opposite things and both do something you cannot undo.
| New number (Cloud API) | Existing number (Coexistence) | |
|---|---|---|
| The number | Must not be registered on WhatsApp or the WhatsApp Business app anywhere | Must already be live in the WhatsApp Business app (version 2.24.17 or newer) |
| The Business app | Stops working on that number | Keeps working alongside Flowera |
| Chat history | Not transferred | Last 6 months, if you start the import within 24 hours (media: last 14 days) |
| Sending speed | 80 messages/second, upgradeable | Fixed at 20 messages/second |
| Linked devices | Unaffected | WhatsApp Web, desktop and linked tablets are signed out; you can re-link up to 4 afterwards (Windows and WearOS are not supported) |
| Extra limits | None | Disappearing, view-once and live-location messages off; broadcast lists read-only |
Group chats and voice/video calls are unavailable over the API in either setup.
Both paths need a Meta Business account you have admin rights on. Once connected, the account appears in the WhatsApp trigger dropdown.
Registering a number for Cloud API means deleting its WhatsApp account first. That erases the chat history for good, and the number cannot go back to the WhatsApp Business app until you deregister it from Cloud API. If you want to keep using the app on that number, choose Coexistence instead.
Connecting a number with Embedded Signup
- Open Credentials and switch to the Connected Accounts tab.
- Press Add Platform and choose WhatsApp. Review the permissions Flowera asks for and continue.
- Choose your setup — New number (Cloud API) or Existing number (Coexistence) — and read the requirements shown for it. Compare the two opens the table above.
- Meta's popup opens. For a new number you create or select a WhatsApp Business Account, add the phone number, and enter the verification code. For an existing number you confirm a code Meta sends you in a WhatsApp chat and approve the connection in the app. All of this happens on Meta's side.
- Back in Flowera, pick the phone number you want to connect.
- Flowera registers the number if it isn't registered yet, subscribes it to webhooks, and saves the connection.
If you chose Coexistence, start the chat-history import within 24 hours of connecting — miss that window and the number has to be disconnected and onboarded again. Keep the WhatsApp Business app open on the phone while it syncs.
If the number was brand new, Flowera generates its two-step verification PIN and shows it to you once. Write it down. You don't need it to send messages — it's required only if you later move the number to another provider or change its two-step verification.
Permissions Flowera requests
| Permission | Why |
|---|---|
| WhatsApp Business messaging | Receive customer messages and send replies |
| WhatsApp Business management | Read your approved templates and the number's status |
| Business management | Identify the Business Account the number belongs to |
Managing connected numbers
Each number shows a health status that reflects what Meta reports:
| Status | Meaning | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Connected | Registered and active; messaging within your limits | Nothing |
| Finishing registration | Added but not registered yet | Flowera registers it automatically; refresh if it lingers |
| Quality flagged | Quality rating dropped to Low | Still sends, but you're at risk of a downgrade — review what you're sending |
| Rate limited | Messaging limit reached | Only replies within the 24-hour window until the limit resets |
| Action required | Migrated, banned, or deleted | Resolve it in Meta Business Suite; Flowera can't fix it from this side |
Quality flagged and Rate limited are quality signals, not bugs. They almost always follow a bulk send that recipients didn't want. Batch runs' canary rollout exists to catch that before it reaches this point — see Batch runs.
Troubleshooting
| Symptom | Likely cause |
|---|---|
| The popup won't accept the number | For New number: it is still registered to WhatsApp or another provider — delete that account first, or connect it as Existing number instead |
| Coexistence isn't offered | The number isn't in the WhatsApp Business app, or the app is older than 2.24.17 |
| Chat history never arrived | The 24-hour import window closed, or history sharing was declined in the app — disconnect and connect again |
| Number stuck on Pending | Registration didn't complete — refresh the status, then reconnect |
| Messages arrive but replies fail | Outside the 24-hour window — you need an approved template |
| Templates don't appear in the tool | They're not approved yet, or they belong to a different Business Account |
| Status went Restricted overnight | Messaging limit hit; it resets on Meta's schedule |
| Lost the two-step PIN | Reset it from Meta Business Suite — Flowera can't recover it for you |
Related
- WhatsApp channel — the 24-hour window and templates
- WhatsApp trigger — in-flow setup
- WhatsApp tool — sending messages and templates