> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.ycloud.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Business phone numbers
> Choose a business phone number and understand its registration, display name, business profile, and identifiers.
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.
## 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.
| Your starting point | What changes | Connection path |
| - | - | - |
| **New number, not registered with WhatsApp** | Register the number on WhatsApp Business Platform and connect it to YCloud. | [Connect a new number](/en/documentation/channels/whatsapp-accounts-management/business-accounts/create-waba-via-embedded-sign-up). |
| **Existing API number with another BSP** | Keep the business phone number and migrate its Platform connection from the current provider to YCloud. | [Migrate an API number to YCloud](/en/documentation/channels/whatsapp-accounts-management/business-accounts/number-migration). |
| **Number on WhatsApp Messenger or the WhatsApp Business app** | Delete the existing app account, then register the released number on the Platform. The app account and its chat history do not become a Platform account and Inbox history. | Follow the app-to-Platform checks below, then [connect the number](/en/documentation/channels/whatsapp-accounts-management/business-accounts/create-waba-via-embedded-sign-up). |
### 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](/en/documentation/channels/whatsapp-accounts-management/business-accounts/add-numbers).
### 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](/en/documentation/channels/whatsapp-accounts-management/business-accounts/number-migration) 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.
### 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.
**Deleting an app account is irreversible.** It removes the account and affects its messages, group membership, and backups. Uninstalling the app is not account deletion. App chat history cannot be restored into YCloud Inbox by registering the number on the Platform. Review the impact and export any records you need before deleting anything.
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](https://developers.facebook.com/documentation/business-messaging/whatsapp/solution-providers/migrate-existing-whatsapp-number-to-a-business-account) and [WhatsApp account-deletion guidance](https://faq.whatsapp.com/2138577903196467/?cms_platform=android\&locale=en_US).
Want to keep using the **WhatsApp Business app** on the same number? Review the separate [Business app coexistence guide](/en/documentation/whatsapp-business-platform/accounts-and-business-identity/whatsapp-business-app-coexistence) before deleting the app account. Coexistence is an alternative connection mode for eligible Business app numbers, not another account type or the provider-migration route above.
## 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](https://developers.facebook.com/docs/whatsapp/business-management-api/manage-phone-numbers/).
Keep these checks separate:
| Check | What it establishes |
| - | - |
| Number ownership verification | You can receive the verification code for the number. |
| Platform registration | The number is registered for use with the Business Platform. |
| Two-step verification | A PIN protects the number's registration. It is not the SMS or voice verification code. |
| Display name review | Meta has reviewed the requested customer-facing business name. |
| Business verification | Meta has reviewed the business represented by the portfolio. |
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](https://developers.facebook.com/docs/whatsapp/cloud-api/reference/registration/).
## 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](https://developers.facebook.com/docs/whatsapp/business-management-api/manage-phone-numbers/#registered-number-cap).
Do not interpret a higher number cap as a separate messaging allowance for every number.
## 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](https://www.facebook.com/business/help/757569725593362).
* 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](https://en-gb.facebook.com/business/help/338047025165344). For YCloud configuration, open the number's business profile through [Phone number profile settings](/en/documentation/channels/whatsapp-accounts-management/phone-number-management/phone-number-profile-settings).
### Evaluate a display name before submitting it
| Proposed approach | Why it matters |
| - | - |
| Use the business or established brand customers recognize | The name should have a clear relationship to the represented business. |
| Make a brand/legal-entity relationship verifiable | A different trading name needs a legitimate connection, not merely an internal explanation. |
| Avoid generic descriptions alone | A name such as “Customer Support” does not clearly identify which business is contacting the customer. |
| Avoid promotional wording or misleading official status | A display name is an identity, not an advertisement or a claim that Meta endorsed the business. |
| Preserve consistent spelling and presentation | Unexplained differences across the site, documents, and requested name can make review harder. |
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.
## Business profile
### 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:
| Field | Limit |
| - | - |
| About | 1–139 characters; plain text, without Markdown formatting. |
| Description | 512 characters. |
| Address | 256 characters. |
| Email | 128 characters and a valid email format. |
| Websites | Up to 2 URLs, each up to 255 characters and including `http://` or `https://`. |
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.
| Profile information | What to provide |
| - | - |
| Profile photo | A recognizable business or brand image. |
| About text and description | A concise explanation of what your business does. |
| Business category | The category that describes your business. |
| Address | Your relevant business address. |
| Email | A contact address monitored by your team. |
| Websites | Relevant, complete website URLs. |
For available fields and format constraints, use [Manage WhatsApp phone numbers](/en/api-reference/guides/whatsapp-platform/manage-whatsapp-phone-numbers). For console steps, use [Phone number profile settings](/en/documentation/channels/whatsapp-accounts-management/phone-number-management/phone-number-profile-settings).
### 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](/en/documentation/channels/whatsapp-accounts-management/phone-number-management/edit-phone-number-display-name).
## 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.
## 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](/en/documentation/whatsapp-business-platform/messaging/message-delivery-statuses) instead of assuming that an approved display name guarantees delivery.
## Quality rating
Customer feedback can affect the number's quality. Send relevant messages to customers who expect them and respect [opt-out requests](/en/documentation/whatsapp-business-platform/consent-policies-and-account-health/customer-opt-out).
Quality and messaging controls are separate from the number registration cap. See [Quality and delivery controls](/en/documentation/whatsapp-business-platform/pricing-limits-and-quality/quality-and-delivery-controls) for the full explanation.
## 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](/en/documentation/whatsapp-business-platform/pricing-limits-and-quality/messaging-limits-and-throughput) for tiers, scaling, and sending-speed distinctions.
## Next steps
* [Add another number](/en/documentation/channels/whatsapp-accounts-management/business-accounts/add-numbers).
* [Edit your business profile](/en/documentation/channels/whatsapp-accounts-management/phone-number-management/phone-number-profile-settings).
* [Review Business app coexistence](/en/documentation/whatsapp-business-platform/accounts-and-business-identity/whatsapp-business-app-coexistence).
* [Migrate a number](/en/documentation/channels/whatsapp-accounts-management/business-accounts/number-migration).
## Frequently asked questions
Uninstalling removes the app from the phone; it does not release the WhatsApp account. First identify whether the number belongs to an app account or an existing Platform connection. For an app-to-Platform move, use the deliberate account-deletion procedure above. For an existing API number, use provider migration. Do not delete a WABA to fix an app-registration error.
Not automatically. Standard app-account deletion does not transfer app history to Inbox, and BSP migration does not copy the old provider's conversation database. Keep any required records before changing or ending access. The separate coexistence route has its own synchronization rules; do not apply those promises to a full app-to-Platform move.
Confirm the full international number and that you can receive the selected SMS or voice call. For a landline or an IVR, arrange access to the verification call. Use another method if the connection screen offers one and respect any retry timer. If it still fails, send support the number, selected method, attempt time, and exact error—not the verification code or registration PIN.
Name approval covers the requested business name, not every sending requirement. Check that registration finished, then inspect the message error for template, window, billing, recipient, or account restrictions. An internal YCloud nickname also has no effect on customer-facing name approval or delivery.
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