Why registration is needed
When a phone number is first attached to a WhatsApp Business Account (WABA), it’s linked to the account but not yet active on Cloud API. Registration is the handshake between Meta and the number that finalizes Cloud API access. Once registered, the number can:
Send template and free-form messages.
Receive incoming messages routed to your customer platform.
Appear with a CLOUD_API platform badge on the WhatsApp Setup page.
Prerequisites
The number must be code-verified. Meta confirms ownership by sending a code to the number via SMS or voice. Without verification, the number cannot register.
The number must belong to a connected WABA. If you haven’t connected the WABA yet, see Connecting WhatsApp via Meta Business Login.
Checking code verification status
Open Channels in your workspace and reopen the WhatsApp Setup page (via Add Channel → WhatsApp).
Find the phone number in the WhatsApp Phone Numbers list.
Look at the left-side badge. A green Verified badge means the number is code-verified and can be registered. An amber badge with a status like NOT_VERIFIED or EXPIRED means the number still needs code verification — complete it in Meta Business Portfolio, then press Sync to refresh the status in Octopods.
Registering a verified number
With a verified number in the WhatsApp Phone Numbers list, press Register on Cloud API.
The button changes to Registering… while Octopods completes the registration with Meta.
On success, the number’s platform badge changes to CLOUD_API (green), and the actions shift to let you activate it as a channel.
What the platform badge means
Every phone number reports a platform type that indicates how it’s connected to WhatsApp. The badge displays Meta’s literal value:
CLOUD_API — the number is registered and operating on Meta’s hosted Cloud API infrastructure. This is the standard state for Octopods.
NOT_APPLICABLE — the number is attached to the WABA but has not yet been registered (it appears as Unregistered in the row instead).
After registration, the badge reads CLOUD_API for that number.
Special case: numbers already on the WhatsApp Business App
If the phone number is currently active on the WhatsApp Business App, code verification is effectively already handled — Meta treats the existing Business App presence as proof of ownership. These numbers can be registered on Cloud API without completing a separate code verification step.
When such a number is also configured for Coexistence, it keeps working on the Business App after registration on Cloud API. See Understanding WhatsApp Coexistence for details.
After registration
Once the platform badge reads CLOUD_API, you can:
Activate the number as a channel — press Activate Channel (or, on HubSpot workspaces, pick a HubSpot inbox first, then press Activate). This creates the link between the number and your customer platform so conversations start flowing.
Sync the number — press Sync to refresh metadata from Meta (quality rating, messaging tier, display name changes) whenever you suspect it’s out of date.
Create templates — open the channel and press Manage Templates in the Channel Actions card to start drafting approved outbound message formats. See Creating WhatsApp Templates.
Troubleshooting
“Register on Cloud API” isn’t showing — the number isn’t code-verified yet. Verify it in Meta Business Portfolio, then press Sync in Octopods.
Registration fails — press Sync to refresh the number’s status from Meta, then try registration again. If it continues to fail, check the number’s state in Meta Business Portfolio for errors.
The number is on another Octopods workspace — the badge reads Different workspace. A phone number can only be registered as an active channel in one workspace at a time. Deactivate it on the other workspace before registering here.
What’s next