> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.autocalls.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# WhatsApp Senders

> Create and manage WhatsApp Business senders for AI-powered messaging

A WhatsApp Sender is a phone number registered with WhatsApp Business API that can send and receive messages. Each sender is connected to an AI assistant for automated responses.

## What is a WhatsApp Sender?

A WhatsApp Sender is:

* A dedicated phone number connected to WhatsApp Business
* Connected to an AI assistant for automated responses
* Capable of sending template messages and free-form replies

## Number Type Options

When creating a WhatsApp sender, you can choose between two types of phone numbers:

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Platform Numbers" icon="building">
    Use phone numbers purchased through our platform. We handle verification automatically using AI-assisted voice verification.

    **Best for:** Businesses wanting a dedicated business line with automated setup
  </Card>

  <Card title="External Numbers" icon="mobile">
    Use your own mobile number. You verify ownership by receiving an SMS or voice call with a verification code.

    **Best for:** Businesses wanting to use an existing number they already own
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Creating a WhatsApp Sender

Creating a WhatsApp sender starts with choosing your number type, then following the appropriate setup flow.

### Step 1: Choose Your Number Type

Navigate to **WhatsApp Senders** → **Create Sender** and select your preferred number type:

* **Platform Number** — Use a number purchased from our platform (automated AI verification)
* **External Number** — Use your own mobile number (SMS/voice code verification)

***

## Platform Number Setup

If you selected **Platform Number**, follow these steps:

### Step 2: Pre-Verify Your Phone Number

Before connecting to WhatsApp, your phone number must be verified with Meta.

<Warning>
  **Call Interception Warning** — During verification, ALL inbound calls to the selected phone number will be intercepted by our verification system for up to 5 minutes.

  This means:

  * Your normal AI assistant will NOT answer calls during this time
  * All calls will go to a silent verification listener
  * Regular customers calling this number will experience disrupted service

  **DO NOT run this on a production phone number that is actively receiving customer calls!**
</Warning>

1. Select an available phone number (only "normal" type numbers not already used for WhatsApp are shown)
2. Enter a **Display Name** for your business (this will be shown to customers)
3. Optionally add business profile information (about, description, address, category)
4. Click **Start Verification**

The system will automatically verify your number with Meta using AI-assisted voice verification. This typically takes 1-2 minutes.

### Step 3: Select Your Verified Number

Once verification completes:

1. You'll see your verified number in the "Verified Numbers Ready" section
2. Select the number you want to connect
3. Click **Continue to WhatsApp Connection**

### Step 4: Connect to WhatsApp Business

This step connects your verified number to WhatsApp through Meta's Embedded Signup flow.

<Warning>
  **CRITICAL: Create a NEW Account** — During the Facebook signup flow, you MUST create a brand new WhatsApp Business Account. Do NOT select an existing WhatsApp Business Account — this will cause the integration to fail.
</Warning>

<Frame>
  <img src="https://mintcdn.com/autocalls/U6S7wTqiZDvZeLo7/resources/whatsapp/step-add-number.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=U6S7wTqiZDvZeLo7&q=85&s=5fdf2a220327703a71e4d5bc65859a8e" alt="Click Add New Number in Meta signup" width="1266" height="1488" data-path="resources/whatsapp/step-add-number.png" />
</Frame>

**Step A: Click "Add new number"**

When the Meta popup appears, look for the "Add new number" option. Do NOT enter a phone number manually.

<Frame>
  <img src="https://mintcdn.com/autocalls/U6S7wTqiZDvZeLo7/resources/whatsapp/step-select-number.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=U6S7wTqiZDvZeLo7&q=85&s=fcdc93d7d4771902f921ae381e1e7195" alt="Select your pre-verified number" width="1272" height="1482" data-path="resources/whatsapp/step-select-number.png" />
</Frame>

**Step B: Select your pre-verified number**

From the dropdown, select the phone number you just verified. It will appear in the list because Meta already knows about it from the verification step.

After selecting your number, complete the remaining steps in Facebook's flow (business verification, permissions, etc.) and you'll be redirected back automatically.

***

## External Number Setup

If you selected **External Number**, follow these steps to connect your own mobile number.

### Requirements Before You Begin

<Info>
  Make sure you have the following ready:

  * **Phone accessible** — You must have your phone nearby to receive a verification code
  * **SMS or calls enabled** — Your number must be able to receive SMS messages or voice calls
  * **Not already on WhatsApp** — This number must not be registered with WhatsApp or WhatsApp Business app
  * **Facebook account** — You'll need a Facebook account to complete the setup
</Info>

### Step 2: Enter Your Phone Number

1. Enter your phone number in international format (e.g., +1 555 123 4567)
2. Enter a **Display Name** for your business
3. Click **Continue**

<Tip>
  **Phone Number Format** — Enter your number starting with + and your country code:

  * US: +1 555 123 4567
  * UK: +44 7911 123456
  * Germany: +49 151 12345678
</Tip>

### Step 3: Connect to WhatsApp Business

Click **Login with Facebook** to open Meta's Embedded Signup flow. Follow these steps:

<Steps>
  <Step title="Login with Facebook">
    A popup will open. Make sure popups are allowed for this site.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Create a WhatsApp Business Account">
    Follow the prompts to create a **new** WhatsApp Business Account. Don't select an existing one.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Enter Your Phone Number">
    When prompted, enter the same phone number you provided in Step 2.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Verify with SMS or Voice Call">
    You'll receive a 6-digit code via SMS or voice call. Enter it to verify your number.
    <Tip>If you don't receive an SMS within 60 seconds, choose the voice call option.</Tip>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Complete the Setup">
    Grant the required permissions and close the popup when finished. You'll be redirected automatically.
  </Step>
</Steps>

### Troubleshooting External Numbers

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Popup blocked?">
    Allow popups for this site in your browser settings, then try again.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Not receiving verification code?">
    Wait 60 seconds, then try the voice call option. Make sure your phone has signal.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Number already registered?">
    If this number is already on WhatsApp, you'll need to delete that WhatsApp account first before you can use it with WhatsApp Business API.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Facebook login issues?">
    Make sure you're logged into the correct Facebook account, or try a different browser.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Sender Status

Your sender can have different statuses during operation:

| Status                                                 | Description                                             |
| ------------------------------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------- |
| <span style={{color: '#22c55e'}}>**Online**</span>     | Fully operational. You can send and receive messages.   |
| <span style={{color: '#3b82f6'}}>**Connecting**</span> | Being initialized. Usually takes a few seconds.         |
| <span style={{color: '#f59e0b'}}>**Pending**</span>    | Awaiting verification or approval.                      |
| <span style={{color: '#6b7280'}}>**Offline**</span>    | Manually disabled. Messages cannot be sent or received. |
| <span style={{color: '#ef4444'}}>**Suspended**</span>  | Suspended by Meta due to policy violations.             |
| <span style={{color: '#ef4444'}}>**Failed**</span>     | Setup failed. Check error message for details.          |

## Sender Configuration

### Connect an AI Assistant

Once your sender is online, connect an AI assistant to handle incoming messages automatically:

1. Edit your WhatsApp sender
2. Select an assistant from the dropdown
3. Enable **AI Enabled** toggle
4. Save changes

All incoming messages will now be routed to your AI assistant for responses.

### Business Profile

Customize how your business appears to customers:

* **Display Name** — Your business name shown in WhatsApp
* **About** — Short description (max 139 characters)
* **Description** — Detailed description of your business
* **Address** — Business address
* **Business Category** — Industry category (Automotive, Medical, Retail, etc.)
* **Logo** — Business logo image
* **Banner** — Banner image for your profile
* **Websites** — Links to your websites
* **Contact Information** — Additional email and phone contacts

### Read Receipts Webhook

Push delivery and read receipts to your own system whenever a message you send changes status — useful for delivery tracking, read confirmation, and audit trails.

1. Edit your WhatsApp sender and open the **Read Receipts Webhook** section
2. Enter your **Webhook URL** (where status updates will be POSTed)
3. Click **Make test request** to send a sample event and confirm your endpoint receives it
4. Save changes

A **Signing Secret** is generated automatically the first time you save a URL (or run a test). Every request includes an `X-Signature-256` header (HMAC-SHA256 of the body) so you can verify it genuinely came from us — use **Regenerate** to rotate it. Each payload carries the `whatsapp_message_id` returned when you send a message, so you can match every status update to the original.

<Note>
  The `read` status only fires if the recipient has read receipts enabled in their WhatsApp privacy settings. `delivered` always fires.
</Note>

See the [Read Receipts Webhook reference](/api-reference/webhooks/read-receipts-webhook) for the full payload and signature verification.

## Quality Rating & Messaging Limits

Meta tracks your messaging quality and adjusts your limits accordingly.

### Understanding Quality Rating

Your quality rating is based on:

* Block rates (customers blocking your number)
* Spam reports
* Response rates
* Customer feedback

### Messaging Limits

New senders start with limited capacity that increases with good quality:

| Tier   | Daily Limit       | How to Reach                |
| ------ | ----------------- | --------------------------- |
| Tier 1 | \~250 messages    | New sender                  |
| Tier 2 | 1,000 messages    | Maintain quality for 7 days |
| Tier 3 | 10,000 messages   | Consistent high quality     |
| Tier 4 | 100,000+ messages | Enterprise-level quality    |

<Tip>
  **Build Quality First** — Focus on quality conversations before scaling up. Send relevant, requested content to maintain a high quality rating.
</Tip>

## Best Practices

### 1. Choose the Right Number

Select a phone number from a country that matches your target audience. Customers are more likely to engage with local or familiar area codes.

### 2. Set Up Your Display Name Carefully

Your display name appears in customer chats. Use your business name or a clear identifier that customers will recognize and trust.

### 3. Connect an AI Assistant

Link an AI assistant to handle incoming messages automatically. This ensures customers get instant responses 24/7.

### 4. Create Templates Early

Message templates require Meta approval which can take up to 24 hours. Create and submit your templates before you need them.

### 5. Start with Quality Conversations

New senders have messaging limits that increase over time. Focus on quality conversations to build your sender reputation before scaling up.

## Troubleshooting

### Verification Failed

If verification fails, Meta may have temporarily blocked requests. Wait a few minutes before retrying, or try a different phone number.

### Sender Stuck in Pending

If your sender stays in "Pending" status for more than a few minutes:

1. Check if you completed the Meta signup flow
2. Ensure you selected the correct pre-verified number
3. Contact support if the issue persists

### Sender Suspended

If Meta suspends your sender:

1. Review the suspension reason in your sender details
2. Address any policy violations
3. Contact Meta support for appeals

## Next Steps

* Learn about [message templates](/whatsapp/templates) and the approval process
* Set up [automation triggers](/whatsapp/automation) for WhatsApp conversations
* Review [AI assistant configuration](/ai-assistants/what-is-ai-assistant) for optimal responses