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In this article, you will learn how to activate a WhatsApp integration number in CloudTalk and complete the setup process.
User level: Admin
CloudTalk now offers a self-service WhatsApp signup flow, allowing you to enable WhatsApp directly from the CloudTalk Dashboard. Follow the steps below to activate your WhatsApp integration.

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Prerequisites

Before starting the signup process, ensure you meet these requirements:
  • You must be on the CloudTalk Expert or Custom Plan (you’ll see the upgrade option in your Dashboard)
  • You must complete the WhatsApp Integration Pre-Registration Form which will collect all needed information about setting up WhatsApp:
    • A subaccount with our WhatsApp partner carrier — this will be created for you by CloudTalk once you submit the form.
    • Your Meta Business Manager ID
    • Completed Meta Business Verification - if you want to use more than two numbers or to send outbound templated messages.
  • A WhatsApp-compatible phone number must be added to your sub-account (see country-specific coverage below).
    • Our team will let you know if any numbers already on your account are eligible or if we need to provide you news ones specifically for this integration
A number cannot be used simultaneously on the WhatsApp mobile app and CloudTalk’s WhatsApp integration.

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How to Enable WhatsApp in CloudTalk

You can use CloudTalk’s click-through WhatsApp Sender ID Activation guide for easy set up!

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Access the WhatsApp Settings Page

In the CloudTalk Dashboard, navigate to Settings > WhatsApp. If you’re not on the Expert Plan, you’ll be prompted to upgrade.
A subaccount with our partner carrier is required to activate CloudTalk’s WhatsApp integration. If you do not have one yet, you will see a message in the WhatsApp section:
Fill out the WhatsApp Integration Pre-Registration form. CloudTalk’s Team will create this for you and notify you once the subaccount is ready (approx. 1-2 days)
  • Use the dropdown, select a phone number associated with your subaccount.
  • Click Copy Number when prompted, as this will be required in the next step.
Click Login with Facebook, the Meta onboarding flow opens in a new browser tab.
  • Click Continue to start Meta’s onboarding flow and allow CloudTalk to connect to your Meta business assets.
  • Select the Business Portfolio you want to use. For your initial WhatsApp registration, you must select Create a WhatsApp Business account. After your first successful setup, you can select the existing WhatsApp Business Account when registering additional numbers.
  • Provide the basic details for the new WhatsApp Business asset, including:
    • Business name
    • Category (e.g. Beauty, Education, Automotive)
    • Country
    • Website
    • Time zone
    These details will apply only to newly created assets.
  • Choose your WhatsApp phone number (copied earlier)
  • Choose how you want to receive the code. If your WhatsApp Number is not SMS capable, you will have to select “phone call” and ensure you are configured to receive calls on that number. The functionality of our whatsapp numbers is visible in the table below.
  • Enter the 6-digit verification code sent to your phone number, then click Next to continue.
  • Review the access CloudTalk will receive to your WhatsApp Business account.
  • Wait for Meta’s verification to complete
If number registration fails, a banner will appear in CloudTalk:
“Number registration failed - please repeat the registration or contact support.”

You can simply start the registration again. A failed attempt doesn’t block a retry, so you don’t need to wait for our team.
  • Once verification is complete, your number will be activated in CloudTalk.

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Add More WhatsApp Numbers Later

To add another WhatsApp number (sender), repeat the steps above and select your existing WhatsApp Business Account instead of creating a new one. New numbers go live as soon as Meta’s verification completes, with no manual activation from our team. Keep in mind Meta’s limits on how many numbers a new account can use, described in the next section.

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Initial Number and Messaging Capacity Limits

New or unverified WhatsApp Manager accounts are limited by Meta to 2 sender IDs (phone numbers) at first. After you have built up a positive quality rating on your first 2 numbers, this limit will be extended to 20 numbers.
(Read more in Meta’s guides about Phone Number Limits and Messaging Limits scaling usage)

If you are activating WhatsApp Sender IDs on your Meta Business Manager for the first time, Meta’s system has a specific risk assessment of new users. Even if you have already done Meta Business Verification, Meta may delay the activation of 3+ Sender IDs, until you have started messaging on the first 2 Sender ID and establish that your account is low-risk. WhatsApp assigns a quality rating to each phone number based on how consumers interact with the number.

We recommend to activate your first number as a Sender ID, message with it for a few days until it achieves a “high quality” rating, and then begin activating any additional numbers you may need.

This quality rating is especially sensitive to recent user interactions.

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Best practices to maintain sender quality:

  • Only message users who have explicitly opted-in.
  • Ensure messages are relevant and expected.
  • Reduce unsolicited messages that are likely to increase the block rates on your sender IDS
You can check the quality rating of your Sender IDs directly in your Facebook Business manager and then navigate to WhatsApp Manager > Phone numbers.

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Move a WhatsApp Number to Another Provider

If you want to use a WhatsApp number from CloudTalk with your own Meta WhatsApp Cloud API account or with another provider, you can move it without losing the number. The number is protected by a two-step verification PIN, set by our WhatsApp partner carrier. Only CloudTalk can ask the carrier to remove it, so start with Support:
  1. Contact Support and tell us which WhatsApp number you want to move.
  2. Our Numbers team asks the carrier to remove the two-step verification PIN from the number and lets you know when it’s done.
  3. Complete the migration in your new provider’s or Meta’s setup flow.
  4. Once the number works with your new provider, let us know, and we’ll remove it from your CloudTalk account.
Don’t remove or deactivate the number in CloudTalk or in Meta’s WhatsApp Manager until the migration is complete. The number has to stay active and registered while it moves, or you may lose it.

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Which Numbers can I activate in CloudTalk’s WhatsApp integration?

CloudTalk’s WhatsApp integration supports only numbers provisioned by our direct WhatsApp Partner Carrier.

This means you existing CloudTalk numbers may not be eligible for WhatsApp.
  • If your current number is not eligible, CloudTalk can provide you with a new WhatsApp-compatible number.
  • Legal and regulatory requirements may apply to numbers from this carrier that are stricter than CloudTalk’s main number offering - such as proof of local business registration, tax ID numbers, or other supporting documentation. These are listed in the table below
If you need a number for a different country, fill out the sign-up form, and our team will provide details on availability, specific requirements, and estimated processing time.

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Outbound Conversations

By default, WhatsApp Sender numbers will be able to receive and reply to inbound conversations. If you would like to initiate outbound conversations, you will need to use Templates pre-approved by Meta. Read our guide to WhatsApp Outbound Messages and then fill our outbound template submission form
Note to USA users:

Effective April 1, 2025, Meta will block all WhatsApp messages sent to U.S. phone numbers using “Marketing” templates.

”Utility” templates are still supported - you can check Meta’s template guidelines here.

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WhatsApp Integration Number Coverage

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Numbers With Higher Activation Failure Rates for WhatsApp

Due to limitations of certain numbers and WhatsApp’s ability to verify these numbers, there are certain specific number types that currently have mixed success rates when activating for WhatsApp.
  • Argentina fixed numbers
  • Denmark mobile numbers
  • Malaysia mobile numbers
  • Netherlands mobile numbers
  • Portugal national numbers
  • Spain numbers
  • South Africa mobile numbers
  • Singapore mobile numbers
  • Switzerland mobile numbers
  • Toll-Free phone numbers outside of US (domestically reachable only)
If you wish to activate these number types, please note that success rates are mixed. If your goal is to complete onboarding for WhatsApp as quickly as possible, we would recommend using a different number type (i.e. USA) to avoid any possible delays.
Need help or have a question? Just reach out through our Support portal — we’re here for you.