In this document, we’ll help you understand what the WhatsApp Cloud API is and how to use it to reach out to your customers on WhatsApp.
Meta (the company that owns WhatsApp) provides two different WhatsApp solutions:
- WhatsApp Business Platform
WhatsApp vs. WhatsApp Business Platform #
WhatsApp #
- Standard App: Used by billions of people globally to chat with friends and family.
- WhatsApp Web: Available for use from your browser.
WhatsApp Business Platform #
- Business Solutions: Designed for businesses to send and receive WhatsApp messages from their customers.
- WhatsApp Business App: A mobile app that provides additional features for business communication.
WhatsApp Business API #
Beyond the mobile app, Meta also provides a programmatic solution called the WhatsApp Cloud API. These APIs allow businesses to send and receive messages on a larger scale and with more advanced features.
Advanced Features of WhatsApp Cloud API #
- Bulk Messaging: Send thousands of messages at once.
- Transactional Messages: Automate messages for order placements, form submissions, etc.
- Team Management: Manage chats across sales, marketing, and support teams.
Choosing Between App and Cloud API #
- Mobile App: Best for small-scale, simple customer communication.
- Cloud API: Ideal for advanced needs like bulk messaging, automated transactional messages, and team collaboration.
Note: You cannot use the same phone number for both the WhatsApp Business mobile app and the WhatsApp Cloud API.
3 Different Ways to Use WhatsApp Business API #
Build a Tool In-House #
- Custom Integration: Hire developers to integrate the APIs with your website or CRM tool through custom coding.
Sign Up with a Business Service Provider (BSP) #
- Official Partners: BSPs provide software tools to use the Cloud APIs without needing to build anything yourself.
- High Costs: BSPs act as intermediaries and can be expensive, charging high monthly fees plus a markup on WhatsApp’s per-conversation pricing.
Use WhatChimp #
- Direct Control: WhatChimp is not a BSP. We offer a user-friendly platform to utilize the APIs with your own credentials.
- Cost-Effective: We charge a small fee for using our tool, without any additional markup on WhatsApp’s standard pricing.
- Comprehensive Features: Get all the features provided by BSPs without the high costs.
Getting Started #
To get started with WhatsApp Business API using WhatChimp:
- Sign Up: Create an account on WhatChimp.
- Configure API: Use your API credentials to set up the integration.
- Start Messaging: Begin sending and receiving messages through our platform.
For more detailed guides and tutorials, visit our Support Center or contact us
