WhatsApp Manager

Q: Why won't it let me add the number?

The most common reason is that the number still has WhatsApp. Delete it from the app first and try again. It also happens if the number cannot receive the code by text or by call.

What Meta's WhatsApp Manager is, what it is for, how to get to it and how to add the new number your assistant will use.

What it is

WhatsApp Manager is the Meta tool where you manage your WhatsApp Business account: its phone numbers, the name your customers see, your message templates and the status of each number.

It lives inside your Business Portfolio. Think of it this way: the portfolio is your business's office at Meta, and WhatsApp Manager is the room in that office where everything about WhatsApp is kept.

It is not the WhatsApp Business app on your phone. The app is for answering from the phone; WhatsApp Manager is for managing the number a system like DVA Response AI uses.

What it's for

Adding and seeing your numbers. That is where you add the number your assistant will use and see its status: whether it is connected, its quality rating and how many new customers it can contact per day.
Checking your display name. You see whether Meta approved the name shown at the top of the chat, or rejected it.
Seeing your message templates. The templates you create from the DVA Response AI panel show up there with their review status. You do not need to create them in WhatsApp Manager: the panel does it for you.

What you need to add a number

A Business Portfolio.
A number that does not have WhatsApp (neither regular WhatsApp nor WhatsApp Business). It can be a new SIM. If the number already has WhatsApp, that account has to be deleted first, and deleting it loses its history.
That number must be able to receive a text message or a call: Meta sends a code there to confirm it is yours.
The display name you want your customers to see, written exactly as on your website.

How to get to WhatsApp Manager

Go to business.facebook.com and choose your Business Portfolio (top left).
Go to Settings → Accounts → WhatsApp accounts.
Choose your WhatsApp Business account and click WhatsApp Manager.
In the left-hand menu, open Phone numbers.

Meta changes its screens often. If something is not where we describe it, look for the same name in the left-hand menu.

How to add your new number

In Phone numbers, click Add phone number.
Enter your business's display name and category.
Enter the number and choose how to get the code: text message or phone call.
Enter the code you received. The number is now in your WhatsApp Business account.

Then you connect it from your DVA Response AI panel, with the Connect WhatsApp button. That same Meta window also lets you add the new number, if you would rather do everything in one step.

How it relates to DVA Response AI

Your number and your WhatsApp Business account stay yours, inside your portfolio. DVA Response AI only gets permission to send and receive that number's messages; the day-to-day work (answering, orders, templates) happens in the panel.

WhatsApp Manager is where you check what Meta decides about your number: whether it approved your display name, how your quality rating is doing and how many new customers you can contact per day.

Before connecting, check what you need to get started.

Frequently asked questions

Is it the same as the WhatsApp Business app?

No. The WhatsApp Business app is for answering from a phone. WhatsApp Manager is Meta's tool for managing the numbers a system uses, like your DVA Response AI assistant.

Can I use the number I already have in the WhatsApp Business app?

Yes, but it has consequences. Without coexistence, the number stops working in the app and is answered only from the panel. With coexistence you keep using the app, with some limitations. That is why we recommend a new number, dedicated to your assistant.

Why won't it let me add the number?

The most common reason is that the number still has WhatsApp. Delete it from the app first and try again. It also happens if the number cannot receive the code by text or by call.

Do I have to create templates in WhatsApp Manager?

No. You create them from the DVA Response AI panel, and the panel sends them to Meta for review. In WhatsApp Manager you will just see them appear.

How much does it cost?

Using WhatsApp Manager is free. What Meta charges for is certain WhatsApp messages, paid with a card inside your Meta account (see what you need to get started).