Business phone numbers

A business phone number is the WhatsApp asset you use to send and receive messages. It belongs to a WhatsApp Business Account (WABA) and has its own display name and business profile.

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Choose how to connect your number

Choose one of these three paths based on where the number is registered now. “New” means not currently registered with WhatsApp, not necessarily a newly purchased SIM.

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1. Register a new number

Make sure you control the number and can receive its SMS or voice verification code. Complete the YCloud connection flow, select the intended business portfolio and WABA, and register the number. You do not need to create a WhatsApp Messenger or Business app account first. If the WABA is already connected to YCloud, use Add numbers.

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2. Migrate an existing API number from another BSP

Use the provider-migration route, not app-account deletion. Before starting, confirm the owning business portfolio, source and destination WABAs, number access, and migration prerequisites with the current provider and YCloud. Plan the cutover of messaging, templates, webhooks, and dependent automations. Do not assume the previous provider’s Inbox, contacts, campaign data, or conversation history will be copied into YCloud. Export records you need to retain before ending access to the old provider. The number migration guide contains the preparation and YCloud steps. “Migrate an API account” is common shorthand; the number is the asset being moved, not your entire provider workspace.

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3. Move an app number fully to the Platform

This path is for a number you no longer want to use in WhatsApp Messenger or the WhatsApp Business app.

1. Confirm that you want to stop using the app account on this number and that the YCloud connection prerequisites are ready.
2. Preserve the records you need outside the app. Do not rely on a cloud chat backup as a future import into the Platform.
3. On the primary phone, open the relevant WhatsApp app and go to Settings → Account → Delete my account. Confirm the exact number and follow the deletion prompts.
4. Allow the number to be released. Meta’s migration guide says this can take up to three minutes; if registration still fails, inspect the actual error rather than repeatedly deleting or recreating assets.
5. Complete the YCloud connection and number-verification flow. Test inbound messages and a permitted outbound reply before directing customers to the new setup.

Sources: Meta’s app-number migration guide and WhatsApp account-deletion guidance.

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Number requirements and verification

You need control of the number and access to the verification method required by your connection flow. Standard number verification uses an SMS or voice code. If the number is behind an automated phone menu or IVR, make sure a person can receive the verification call. WhatsApp cannot navigate your phone menu automatically. See Meta’s business phone number requirements. Keep these checks separate: Verifying ownership is not the same as completing Cloud API registration. Follow the complete YCloud connection flow rather than stopping after receiving a code. Meta describes the distinction in Register a business phone number.

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Phone number registration limits

The number registration cap controls how many business phone numbers a business portfolio can register. It is different from the messaging limit that controls proactive customer reach. Meta currently documents an initial cap of two registered business phone numbers for new portfolios. Its documented path to a cap of 20 is business verification or reaching a messaging limit of 2,000. Confirm the cap actually available to your business before planning additional numbers. See Registered number cap. Do not interpret a higher number cap as a separate messaging allowance for every number.

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Display name

The display name is the business name associated with your number. Customers can see it in the business profile. Its visibility elsewhere in WhatsApp depends on Meta’s display rules. Choose a name that customers can connect to your business or brand. Keep it consistent with the identity shown on your website and other customer-facing materials. For example, if your fictional brand is Example Store, using that recognizable brand name is clearer than a name unrelated to the business. This example is a writing recommendation, not a guarantee of approval. Before submitting a name:

• Check that the business or brand relationship is clear.
• Check the spelling and consistency with your public business identity.
• Review Meta’s display name guidelines.
• If a requested name is rejected, use the stated reason to correct it rather than repeatedly submitting the same name.

A requested display name may be under review, approved, or rejected. These are name-review outcomes, not a complete description of the number’s messaging state. A submitted change may not become active immediately. For the current review process, see About WhatsApp Business display names. For YCloud configuration, open the number’s business profile through Phone number profile settings.

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Evaluate a display name before submitting it

Check the exact reason if a name is rejected. Business verification does not override name requirements. In API responses, verifiedName is the number’s name field; it does not mean the number is an Official Business Account. Use the actual OBA status to determine that.

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Business profile

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Edit the profile in YCloud

Open WhatsApp accounts, select the number’s Settings, and open Profile. Update the relevant information and select Save. Then check the customer-facing profile from a WhatsApp client. Changing an internal remark is not the same as changing this profile. The current YCloud profile API defines these limits: A profile field being valid does not mean a proposed display-name change is approved. Keep the profile update and name-review result separate. The profile gives customers more context when they open your business details. For available fields and format constraints, use Manage WhatsApp phone numbers. For console steps, use Phone number profile settings.

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Internal nickname

A number nickname in YCloud helps your team identify the number. It is not shown to customers and does not change the WhatsApp display name. For example, your team can use an internal nickname such as Support team while the customer-facing display name remains your brand. See Phone number nickname settings.

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Business username

A business username is separate from the display name and internal nickname. Where available, it is associated with the phone number. The YCloud phone number resource distinguishes an active username from a requested username that is still under review. A pending request should not be treated as an active username. Check the current status and availability before including a username in customer-facing materials.

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Phone number status

Registration status, display name review, business verification, and quality describe different aspects of the same number. Do not use one as proof of the others. If a message fails, inspect the failure details and message delivery status instead of assuming that an approved display name guarantees delivery.

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Quality rating

Customer feedback can affect the number’s quality. Send relevant messages to customers who expect them and respect opt-out requests. Quality and messaging controls are separate from the number registration cap. See Quality and delivery controls for the full explanation.

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Message limits

Messaging limits apply at the business portfolio level and are shared across its business phone numbers. They do not represent how many numbers you can register or how many messages an API can process per second. Check the current allowance for the owning portfolio when planning proactive messaging. See Messaging limits and throughput for tiers, scaling, and sending-speed distinctions.

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Next steps

• Add another number.
• Edit your business profile.
• Review Business app coexistence.
• Migrate a number.

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Frequently asked questions