For a small business, start with the free-to-download WhatsApp Business app: verify a business phone number, complete a useful profile, set up message handling, and link team devices if needed. The separate WhatsApp Business Platform is the API-oriented route for businesses that need developer or Business Solution Provider (BSP) integration; it is not a required upgrade for every business.
Choose the WhatsApp product that fits your support operation
WhatsApp offers two distinct ways to use its business messaging tools. The app is designed for small businesses that can manage customer conversations in the app. The Business Platform is an API route for connecting WhatsApp to a business’s systems through a developer or BSP. WhatsApp describes the distinction in its overview of WhatsApp Business and Platform onboarding guide.
| Consideration | WhatsApp Business app | WhatsApp Business Platform |
|---|---|---|
| Best fit | Small businesses handling customer chats with the app’s profile and messaging tools. | Businesses that need an API integration with their own systems or a provider-assisted setup. |
| How you get started | Download the app, verify a phone number, and set up the business profile in the app. | A company developer creates an account through WhatsApp’s Developer Documentation; a business using a BSP can work through Meta Business Manager and embedded signup. |
| Team access described in the cited material | The app’s Linked devices flow supports up to four linked devices simultaneously; WhatsApp separately describes an option for up to 10 devices and chat assignment with Meta Verified. | The cited onboarding material does not specify a comparable device limit or team workflow. |
| Pricing established here | Free to download. The cited setup material does not establish the cost of any optional services or subscriptions. | Not stated in the cited Platform onboarding material. |
The comparison is about setup and operational fit, not a claim that the two products have identical features. WhatsApp’s cited pages do not establish a feature-by-feature comparison, service-level guarantees, or Platform pricing. Check the current availability and terms of the Meta Verified device option in your region before building your workflow around it.
Set up the WhatsApp Business app
You need a compatible smartphone and a phone number you can verify. Follow the setup flow in the app; labels and availability can vary by device and region.
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1. Download the app and accept its terms
- Install WhatsApp Business from the app store for your phone and open it. WhatsApp describes the app as free to download and available for Android and iPhone in its download instructions.
- Review and accept the Business Terms of Service. In some regions, WhatsApp also presents a Business App Privacy Policy.
2. Verify the business phone number
- Enter the number you want customers to use and complete the verification flow shown in the app.
- If that number already has a WhatsApp Messenger account, WhatsApp says it may be migrated to WhatsApp Business, including chat history and media.
WhatsApp Messenger and WhatsApp Business can coexist only when they use different phone numbers. A single number cannot be linked to both apps at once. If keeping the existing Messenger account on that number matters, choose a different number for the business app rather than assuming the same number can remain active in both.
3. Create a clear business profile
- Enter the business name and choose from the available business categories. WhatsApp allows up to three categories; the setup guide says you cannot create a custom category.
- Add business hours and a profile photo, then provide an address, website, and description where relevant to your business.
- Review the profile as a customer would see it. WhatsApp says customers can see the business name, description, address, hours, and category; email and website can also be shared. See About your business profile.
Use accurate, customer-facing details. Clear hours and a useful description help customers decide whether to message and what information to include. Linking a Facebook Page or Instagram Business profile is optional and may not be available in every region.
4. Configure a greeting message
A greeting can welcome a customer who messages for the first time and a customer who returns after 14 days of inactivity. WhatsApp’s instructions say the feature needs an active internet connection and lets the business choose recipient rules. To configure it, open the app’s business messaging tools, choose the greeting-message option, enter the text, and select the recipients you want it sent to. The exact interface can change; use WhatsApp’s greeting-message instructions for the current steps on your device.
Write a greeting that sets a realistic expectation and gives customers a useful next step—for example, asking them to include an order number when contacting an online store. Do not imply that the greeting is a live response or that a person is available outside the hours you listed.
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5. Add a catalog if customers need to browse products or services
A catalog is optional. Add it when customers benefit from viewing your offerings inside WhatsApp, and provide the requested item details and media. Catalog items and their associated media are reviewed: pending or rejected items are not visible to customers until approved. WhatsApp’s catalog instructions explain how to create and maintain one.
6. Link devices for team access
- On the business app, open Linked devices and start the QR-code linking flow.
- On the device you want to connect, follow the prompts to display or scan the QR code as directed by the app.
- Confirm the device appears as linked, then make sure staff know which conversations they are responsible for answering.
WhatsApp’s QR-code linking instructions describe support for up to four linked devices simultaneously. The same help material says the primary phone must log in every 14 days to keep linked devices connected. WhatsApp separately describes support for up to 10 devices and chat assignment with Meta Verified; availability and subscription terms may vary, so do not treat that as the default device limit for every account.
Make incoming customer messages manageable
The Business app’s tools are intended to help businesses automate, sort, and respond to incoming communications. Start with the profile and greeting, then settle on a simple operating routine before adding more complexity.
- Set an ownership rule: Decide who monitors messages and who takes over when that person is unavailable. A linked-device workflow can give a small team access, but access alone does not assign responsibility.
- Give customers useful prompts: In your greeting or profile description, tell customers what information helps you answer—such as a product name or order reference—without requesting unnecessary sensitive details.
- Keep the profile current: Update hours, contact details, and the description when your service arrangements change.
- Use a catalog only when it helps: Treat it as a browsable display of approved products or services, not as a substitute for answering questions about an order or service.
The cited WhatsApp app material supports these profile, messaging, catalog, and device functions. It does not establish Platform response-time rules, a service-level guarantee, or a particular provider’s performance.
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When to consider the WhatsApp Business Platform
Consider the Platform when your business needs WhatsApp connected through an API to its own software or a provider-assisted integration. WhatsApp outlines three onboarding routes: a company developer creates an account through the Developer Documentation; a BSP creates an account in Meta Business Manager; or a business working with a BSP uses embedded signup. See WhatsApp’s Platform getting-started guide.
This route involves an integration-oriented onboarding process rather than simply installing the small-business app. The cited WhatsApp material does not state Platform prices, provider performance, or a universal reason to switch. If the app already supports your team’s customer-service needs, the Platform is not presented as a mandatory next step.
Common setup problems and what to check
The number is already in WhatsApp Messenger
Decide whether to migrate that account to WhatsApp Business or use a separate business number. WhatsApp says migration may include chat history and media, but the same number cannot remain active in Messenger and Business at the same time.
A customer cannot see a catalog item
Check whether the item or its media is still pending review or was rejected. WhatsApp says pending and rejected content is not visible to customers before approval.
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A greeting message does not send
Check that the phone has an active internet connection and review the greeting’s recipient rules. The feature’s documented behavior is for first-time customers and customers returning after 14 days of inactivity, so it is not a general response to every message.
A linked device disconnects
Check that the primary phone has logged in within the required 14-day period and relink the device using the app’s current QR-code flow if needed. Consult WhatsApp’s linked-device instructions for the applicable steps.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Frequently Asked Questions
Is WhatsApp Business free?
WhatsApp describes the Business app as free to download. That statement does not establish the cost of optional subscriptions, services, or a Platform integration.
Can I create a custom business category?
No. WhatsApp’s app setup guide says to select from available categories, with up to three categories allowed; it does not provide a custom-category option.
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Do I have to add a catalog to use WhatsApp for customer service?
No. A catalog is an optional way to show products or services. A business can set up its profile and messaging without creating one.
Does WhatsApp publish a catalog approval deadline?
The cited catalog instructions establish that items and media are reviewed and that pending or rejected content is not visible, but they do not state an approval timeline.
Does the WhatsApp Business Platform have a price listed here?
No Platform price is established by WhatsApp’s cited getting-started material. It describes onboarding routes rather than a pricing schedule.
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