Encyclopedia
WhatsApp Business API
What the WhatsApp Business API is, how it differs from the WhatsApp Business app, and what its messaging rules are.
WhatsApp Business API is the interface, delivered today as the WhatsApp Business Platform and its Cloud API, that lets businesses send and receive WhatsApp messages programmatically and at scale, unlike the free WhatsApp Business app aimed at very small businesses.
Business app versus Business Platform (API)
The WhatsApp Business app is a phone app for a single small business to chat manually. The WhatsApp Business Platform (the API) connects a business's own software to WhatsApp, so messages can be sent and received by systems, including AI agents, across a team and at volume.
How the messaging rules work
- Session window: after a customer messages, the business can reply freely for 24 hours.
- Templates: outside that window, only pre-approved message templates may be sent.
- Opt-in: the customer initiates or consents; businesses cannot message arbitrary numbers.
What is built on it
On top of the API, businesses build AI chatbots that answer and resolve questions, send notifications such as order updates, and run customer support, all inside WhatsApp. A native connection to the Cloud API avoids an extra aggregator layer between the business and WhatsApp.
From reference to practice
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