Prerequisites
Before starting, ensure you have:
- An upgraded Twilio account with a linked payment method
- A WhatsApp-compatible phone number (Twilio or your own)
- A Meta Business Portfolio (recommended to use existing one if available)
- A Facebook account with admin access to your Meta Business Portfolio
Registration Steps
Step 1: Access WhatsApp Senders
- Log into Twilio Console
- Navigate to Messaging > Senders > WhatsApp senders
- Click Get Started
Step 2: Select Your Number
- Agree to WhatsApp's Terms of Service
- Select your Twilio number or enter your own phone number
- Click Continue
Step 3: Connect to Facebook
- Click Continue with Facebook
- A pop-up window will open on facebook.com (do not close this window or the Twilio Console)
- Log into Facebook or continue with your existing session
- Allow Twilio to manage your WhatsApp Business Account
Step 4: Configure Business Details
- Select your Meta Business Portfolio (or create a new one)
- Create or select your WhatsApp Business Account (WABA)
- Important: For first sender, create new WABA; for additional senders, select the existing WABA shown in Twilio Console
- Create a new WhatsApp Business profile
Step 5: Enter Business Information
Required fields:
- WhatsApp Business Account Name (internal use only)
- WhatsApp Business display name (what customers see - use your company name)
- Category (describes your business)
Optional fields:
- Business Description
- Website
Step 6: Verify Phone Number
For Twilio numbers:
- Switch back to Twilio Console window
- Copy the verification code displayed
- Paste it into the Facebook pop-up window
- Click Next
For non-Twilio numbers:
- Enter your number in the Facebook window
- Select verification method (SMS or Voice)
- Receive and enter the verification code
Step 7: Complete Registration
- Continue clicking Next until the pop-up closes
- Wait up to 2 minutes for registration to complete
- Refresh the Twilio Console if it doesn't update automatically
- Your registered number will now appear in WhatsApp Senders
Post-Registration: Meta Business Verification
While you can start messaging immediately, you'll need Meta Business Verification to scale in production and increase messaging limits.
To complete verification:
- Navigate to the Security Center in your Meta Business Portfolio
- Click Start or Continue under Verification section
- Upload required business documents
- Wait 5-20 business days for approval
⚠️ Key Warnings
- Use your company name as the display name - WhatsApp rejects names that don't match your Meta Business Portfolio
- Without verification, you're limited to 2 WhatsApp senders and 250 business-initiated conversations per 24 hours
- Complete all steps in the same browser session - don't copy URLs to other users
- All WhatsApp Senders in a Twilio account must be in the same WABA
✅ Your WhatsApp number is now registered and ready to send/receive messages through Twilio's API!