Note: You can either follow this guide, or refer to the official guide from MessageBird:
This guide will take you through the process of applying for a WhatsApp account with MessageBird. The entire process can take two to four weeks.
If you're not familiar with what a provider is or what their pricing model looks like, please read this first:
Prerequisites: What you need before applying
1. A MessageBird account. You can create one here: https://www.messagebird.com/en/whatsapp/
2. A phone number. You can either use your own number, or purchase one from MessageBird through your dashboard (it'll cost about $1/month, depending on your region):
https://dashboard.messagebird.com/en/numbers/modal/buy-number.
Please note that if you use your own number, it must be a clean number; a number that has not been registered for WhatsApp Business API in the past.
3. A verified Facebook Business Manager ID. You can obtain this from your Facebook Business settings. (Please note: This is not the same as your Facebook page ID).
If your Facebook Business ID is not verified, follow the following instructions to obtain verification. The process takes about one week:
Facebook Business page verification (fb.com)
Step 1: Request Access with MessageBird
To apply for a new WhatsApp account, fill in this form on MessageBird's dashboard:
Make sure you select "Programmable API" on the form:
Step 2: Provide further information to the MessageBird support team
After you've filled in the form, the MessageBird team will review your request and contact you with further instructions.
You will receive a "Messaging on Behalf" request in your Facebook Business Manager as part of this process. You can view and approve this request through this link: https://business.facebook.com/settings/requests/received_requests
Or navigate to your Facebook Business Manager → Business Settings → Requests, as shown below:
Step 3: Provide WhatsApp phone number
MessageBird will ask you for the phone number you'd like to register with WhatsApp. You can either provide your own, or purchase a number directly from MessageBird.
You can purchase a MessageBird number from your dashboard, through this link:
If you decide to use your own number, it should be a clean number; a number that has not been associated with WhatsApp before. Here are additional guidelines from MessageBird regarding this.
Step 4: Number verification
Once your account has been approved, the final step would be to verify the number. If you've purchased the number from MessageBird, they will take care of verification for you.
If it's your own, external number, MessageBird will send you information on how to verify it. This typically involves a verification PIN code that you will receive via an SMS or a phone call.
Step 5: MessageBird completes account registration
Once the approval, verification, and set up of your account are complete, MessageBird will send you the final account details. You will receive an email with the Channel ID and Namespace ID, as shown below:
Please keep this information safe. You'll need it to connect your account to Intercom.
Step 6: Connect account to Intercom
When your account is ready, follow this guide to connect it to Intercom: