Connect a WhatsApp number to ChatSyncs the fast way, through Meta’s embedded signup popup — either a brand-new virtual number on the Cloud API, or your existing WhatsApp Business App via Coexistence (keeping the phone app working alongside ChatSyncs automation). Use this as the first path to try before falling back to manual setup.
Connect Account → Connect WhatsApp opens Meta’s embedded signup popup — a guided flow
that talks to Meta for you in the background, so you don’t have to create a Meta app or copy
any tokens yourself. It branches
into two different paths depending on what you’re connecting:
Cloud API — a fresh virtual number dedicated to ChatSyncs. Fastest to set up, but once
connected that number can no longer be used in the regular WhatsApp or WhatsApp Business app.
Coexistence — your existing WhatsApp Business App number. You keep using the app on your
phone normally, while ChatSyncs also gets Cloud API access for automation.
Start here; only fall back to the manual setup path if
embedded signup won’t work for your account.
For Cloud API: a virtual phone number not already active on WhatsApp or WhatsApp Business
(if it was, delete that number from WhatsApp permanently and wait a few hours first).
For Coexistence: your WhatsApp Business App already set up on your phone with the number
you want to connect.
A Meta Business Portfolio — embedded signup can create one for you on the spot if you
don’t have one yet (just a portfolio name, your first/last name, and a website).
Path 1: Connect via Cloud API (new virtual number)
Video walkthrough: connecting a virtual number via the Cloud API.
1
Open Connect WhatsApp
Go to Connect Account, under Business Accounts click Connect WhatsApp, then pick
the green Embedded Onboarding (One Click) card and click Connect with Embed
Onboarding (the blue Create Your Own API Connection card is the
manual path).
Business Accounts — Embedded Onboarding (recommended) vs. Create Your Own API Connection.
2
Choose catalog permissions
If you’ve already set up a product catalog and want to share its permissions, click
Connect With Catalog — otherwise click Connect Without Catalog. Either opens Meta’s
popup.
Connect With Catalog vs. Connect Without Catalog.
3
Log in with Facebook
Meta’s popup opens. Log in if you aren’t already, then click Continue.
Meta's embedded signup consent screen — click Continue to proceed.
4
Select or create a Business Portfolio
Pick an existing portfolio from the dropdown, or click Create a Business Portfolio if
you don’t have one — it only asks for a portfolio name, your first/last name, and a
website.
Select the business portfolio to share with ChatSyncs.
5
Choose Create a WhatsApp Business account
With the portfolio selected, open the WhatsApp Business account dropdown. If you’re
setting this up for the first time you’ll see two options — pick Create a WhatsApp
Business account (the second option, Connect a WhatsApp Business App, is the
Coexistence path covered below). Existing numbers already linked to something else show up
crossed out and can’t be reused here.
Create a WhatsApp Business account vs. Connect a WhatsApp Business App — pick the first for Cloud API.
6
Enter business information
Click Next, then fill in the Name, Category, and Website for the new asset
(Country and Time zone are carried over from your portfolio).
Business information for the new WhatsApp Business account.
7
Add a new number
Choose Add a new number (the alternative, Use a display name only, uses a shared
Meta test number where people only ever see your display name — not a real number).
Add a new number, rather than using a display name only.
8
Enter the number, display name, and verify
Enter your country and phone number, then the WhatsApp Business display name — this
is what customers see at the top of the chat on every message, so get it right. Choose
Text message or Phone call to receive your verification code, click Next, then
enter the code you receive.
Phone number, WhatsApp Business display name, and verification method.
9
Done
Meta confirms the connection — click Finish to return to ChatSyncs, where the number
shows up under your connected Business Accounts.
Meta's final confirmation once the account is connected.
Once a number is connected via Cloud API, it can no longer be used in the standard WhatsApp or
WhatsApp Business app on a phone. Use a dedicated business number — or use Coexistence below if
you need to keep using the app.
Path 2: Connect via Coexistence (keep your WhatsApp Business App)
Video walkthrough: connecting via WhatsApp Coexistence.
Coexistence links your existing WhatsApp Business App number to ChatSyncs — you keep
messaging normally from your phone, while ChatSyncs also gets Cloud API access to automate on
the same number.
1
Open Connect WhatsApp and sign in
Same starting point as Path 1: Connect Account → Connect WhatsApp, choose a catalog
permission option, then log in with Facebook and select your Business Portfolio.
2
Choose Connect a WhatsApp Business App
This time pick the second option, Connect a WhatsApp Business App, instead of Create a
WhatsApp Business account (screenshot in Path 1, step 4, above).
3
Enter your existing number
Enter the phone number already connected to your WhatsApp Business App — not a new one.
Enter the WhatsApp Business App number you already use.
4
Review what gets shared
Read the Connect your existing WhatsApp Business App notice — your account information
(phone number, contacts, chats, chat history) may be shared, and individual chats start being
managed through a secure Meta service. Click Next.
What sharing your WhatsApp Business App involves.
“Unlink your number first” error? This means the number is already linked to a
different platform/partner. Fix it in two places:
At business.facebook.com, select your business
portfolio → WhatsApp account → select the account → Partners tab → find the
connected partner → Manage → remove access.
On your phone, open WhatsApp Business app → Settings → Account → Business Platform →
find the same partner → tap to disconnect.
Once both are disconnected, re-enter your number and continue.
5
Confirm the account name and time zone
The account name is pulled from your phone and can’t be changed once setup is complete —
only the time zone is editable here. Click Next.
Confirm the WhatsApp Business account name (locked) and time zone.
6
Review permissions and confirm
Review what ChatSyncs will be able to do — manage your business, manage your WhatsApp
accounts, manage/access conversations, and log events for that account to Meta — then
click Confirm.
Final permissions review before confirming the connection.
7
Connect from your phone
Open WhatsApp Business app on your phone — you’ll get a message from Meta titled
Connect to the Business Platform. Tap Connect.
The Business Platform connection request that arrives inside WhatsApp Business.
8
Scan the QR code and finish
A QR code appears — scan it with the same WhatsApp Business app to complete the link, then
click Finish.
Scan this QR code from WhatsApp Business app to finish linking.
Unlike Path 1, Coexistence lets you keep using the WhatsApp Business app on your phone exactly
as before — ChatSyncs runs alongside it rather than replacing it.
What's the difference between the Cloud API path and Coexistence?
Cloud API connects a brand-new virtual number dedicated to ChatSyncs — once connected,
that number can’t be used in the regular WhatsApp app anymore. Coexistence links your
existing WhatsApp Business App number instead, so you keep using the app on your phone
while ChatSyncs automates on the same number.
I got an error saying I need to unlink my number first — what do I do?
