Guide
Setting up the WhatsApp Business API, step by step
What to prepare, how to choose your number, how templates and testing work, and what to do when something goes wrong.
To use the WhatsApp Business API in Malaysia you need a Meta business portfolio, a phone number that can be registered for the API, an approved display name and message templates, and customer opt-in. ORENCloud is a Meta Tech Provider: it onboards your account through Meta’s official flow and connects it to the OMNI inbox.
Prerequisites
Most setup problems come from one missing item. Check each one before you start.
ORENCloud is a certified Meta Tech Provider and onboards your account without a third-party provider. Meta’s per-message charges still apply; see OMNI pricing.
Readiness checklist
From Meta business portfolio to the OMNI inbox
Select a step to see what it involves.
Step 1 of 7: Meta business portfolio
Only an admin of the business can complete business verification.
Step 2 of 7: Phone number
The number becomes the business’s WhatsApp identity, so choose one you will keep.
Step 3 of 7: Approved display name
Declined, expired or missing names block registration.
Step 4 of 7: Message templates
A template is a pre-approved message for starting conversations outside the 24-hour window.
Step 5 of 7: Customer opt-in
Meta’s policy requires opt-in permission from the recipient.
Step 6 of 7: ORENCloud onboarding
ORENCloud is a certified Meta Tech Provider and onboards your account without a third-party provider.
Step 7 of 7: OMNI inbox
Your WhatsApp number connects to the OMNI shared inbox, where agents answer together.
Meta business verification
Verification confirms your business to Meta. It is not a formality for WhatsApp, because limits depend on it.
Higher caps
New portfolios can register two numbers. The cap rises to 20 once the business is verified or reaches a 2,000 messaging limit.
More templates
Unverified portfolios are limited to 250 templates per account. Verified portfolios with an approved display name can have up to 6,000.
A route to the next messaging tier
Verification is one of three routes from the starting limit of 250 unique recipients a day to 2,000.
Admin only
Only someone with an admin role in the business can complete it. Meta’s Help Centre lists the documents it needs and gives no processing time we can quote.
Choosing your number
The number becomes the business’s WhatsApp identity, so choose one you will keep.
| Option | What Meta says |
|---|---|
| Mobile number | Recommended for receiving the code. Receives the code by SMS or voice call. |
| Landline or freephone number | SMS codes are not recommended. Voice codes are standard. A number behind an IVR can only be registered if the registration call can reach a person or mailbox. |
| A number already registered on the WhatsApp or WhatsApp Business app | Meta says numbers already in use with WhatsApp cannot be registered for the Cloud API unless they are deleted first, so the standard route moves the number to the API and ends its app account. For eligible WhatsApp Business app numbers, Meta’s coexistence feature, where available, lets you keep using the Business app alongside the API, with some features limited. ORENCloud will confirm which flow applies to your number during onboarding. A banned number needs the appeal process first. |
| A number moving from another WABA or provider | Meta documents moving numbers between WhatsApp Business Accounts. Ask us before you start so we plan it. |
You must also set a two-step verification PIN when you register the number. Need new numbers? See available numbers.
From sign-up to first message
The order on your screen can differ slightly, because Meta updates its flow.
Get your business details and number ready
Complete the checklist: portfolio admin, business documents, a number that can receive a code, a display name and opt-in. If the number is already on a WhatsApp app, tell us; do not delete the app account yet.
Start onboarding with ORENCloud
Open wabasignup.oren.chat and follow Meta’s official sign-up flow to connect your business and phone number to the WhatsApp Cloud API. ORENCloud will confirm which flow applies to your number during onboarding.
Verify the number
Enter the code Meta sends by SMS or voice call, and set the two-step verification PIN when asked.
Confirm the display name
Provide a display name and wait for Meta to approve it.
Create and submit templates
Choose a category for each template, add example values, and submit. Meta reviews them automatically, which it says can take up to 24 hours.
Send a test message
Message a test phone, reply from it to open the 24-hour customer service window, then send a free-form reply to check two-way messaging.
Go live in OMNI
Invite your agents, set routing and business hours, and add the Cosine chatbot if you want one.
Templates
Three categories
Authentication, marketing or utility. The category affects what each message costs.
Automatic review
Templates are reviewed when created or edited. Rejected templates cannot be sent. Meta’s WhatsApp Manager says review can take up to 24 hours.
Naming and variables
Names use lowercase letters, numbers and underscores. Each variable needs an example value.
Quality
Ratings are Quality pending, High, Medium or Low. Low-quality templates risk being paused, and paused templates cannot be sent.
Testing and opt-in
Open the window yourself
Reply from your test phone to open the 24-hour customer service window. Only then can you send non-template messages.
Check the status events
Confirm messages are delivered and that replies reach the OMNI inbox before you invite customers.
Opt-in comes first
Meta’s Business Messaging Policy says you must have the recipient’s number and their opt-in permission, and you decide how to collect it.
Start small
New portfolios begin at 250 unique recipients a day outside service windows. Tiers are 250, 2,000, 10,000, 100,000 and unlimited.
Troubleshooting
Common problems, drawn from Meta’s documentation.
| Symptom | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Cannot register the number | It is still registered on a WhatsApp app and the flow chosen does not allow that, or it is banned. | Tell us before you delete anything. Depending on your number we use the standard route (the app account ends) or, where available and eligible, coexistence with the Business app. Or appeal the ban. |
| No verification code arrives | A landline cannot receive SMS, or an IVR blocks the code call. | Request a voice code. Let the registration call through to a person or mailbox. |
| Registration blocked by the display name | The name is pending review, declined or expired. | Wait for review or submit a name that follows Meta’s rules. |
| Cannot send a free-form message | Non-template messages are allowed only inside an open 24-hour customer service window. | Wait for the customer to message you, or send an approved template. |
| Template not sending | It is not approved, was rejected, or was paused for poor quality. | Check its status and quality rating, then edit or replace it. |
| Daily limit reached | New portfolios start at 250 unique recipients a day outside service windows. | Verify the business or send high-quality templates to move up a tier. |
| Forgot the two-step PIN | The PIN is needed to change it or delete the number. | Set a new PIN through the API, or turn it off via the emailed link in WhatsApp Manager. |
After setup: OMNI and AI
Your WhatsApp number connects to the OMNI shared inbox, where agents answer together. Add the Cosine AI chatbot to answer common questions out of hours and hand over to a person.
WhatsApp setup questions
What do I need to start with the WhatsApp Business API?
A Meta business portfolio, a phone number that can be registered for the API, a display name, message templates and customer opt-in. Use the readiness checklist above, then start at wabasignup.oren.chat.
Do I have to verify my business with Meta?
You can begin without it, but Meta ties limits to it. New portfolios can register two numbers, rising to 20 when the business is verified or reaches a 2,000 messaging limit, and unverified portfolios are capped at 250 templates. Verification is also one route to the 2,000 messages tier. Only a business admin can complete it.
Can I use my existing WhatsApp number?
Sometimes, but not always by deleting the app account. Meta says a number already in use with WhatsApp cannot be registered for the Cloud API unless it is deleted first, which ends its use on the app. For an eligible WhatsApp Business app number, Meta’s coexistence feature, where available, lets you keep using the Business app alongside the API, with some features limited. ORENCloud will confirm which flow applies to your number during onboarding.
Can a landline number be used?
Possibly. Meta says voice codes are standard for landlines, and a number behind an IVR must allow the registration call through to a person. Confirm with us first.
How do message templates work?
A template is a pre-approved message for starting conversations outside the 24-hour window. Each has a category (marketing, utility or authentication), which also sets its price. See OMNI pricing.
Is customer opt-in required?
Yes. Meta’s Business Messaging Policy requires that the recipient has given you their number and has opted in to receive messages, and you are responsible for how you collect it.
How do I change my WhatsApp business profile?
Use the profile manager to update the photo, description, address and website customers see.
Sources
Read October 2026. External pages can change; follow the links for the current wording.
- Meta: Get started with the WhatsApp Cloud API Business portfolio, WABA, test messages and the service window.
- Meta: Phone numbers Number requirements, codes, display names, PIN and number caps.
- Meta: Onboarding WhatsApp Business app users (coexistence) Keeping the Business app alongside the API, eligibility and limits.
- Meta: Template guidelines Categories, review, naming, quality and limits.
- Meta: Messaging limits
- Meta: Pricing
- WhatsApp Business Messaging Policy Opt-in requirement.
- Meta for Developers: Business Verification
Let us onboard your WhatsApp number
Tell us your number, business details and team size. We will walk you through Meta’s flow and connect it to OMNI.