Connect your WhatsApp number to Meta

Wando connects to WhatsApp through the Meta Cloud API. The order of the steps matters: if you configure the webhook in Meta before loading your data into Wando, incoming messages may be silently rejected.

1. Create your app in Meta

1. 1Go to Meta for Developers and create a Business-type app.
2. 2Add the "WhatsApp" product.
3. 3Get your phone_number_id and a permanent access token.

2. Load the credentials into Wando

1. 1Go to the admin panel → Settings.
2. 2Choose the "meta" provider.
3. 3Paste the permanent access token and the phone_number_id.
4. 4Save the changes.

3. Configure the webhook in Meta

1. 1In Meta, configure the webhook URL: https://wando.online/api/webhook/meta
2. 2Enter the Verify Token that corresponds to your configuration.
3. 3Subscribe to the "messages" field.

Why does the order matter?

The webhook validates that the phone_number_id of the incoming event matches that of a business loaded in Wando. If you link the number in Meta before loading it in Wando, all messages from that number are rejected until the data is completed. That's why: Wando first, Meta after.

What happens to messages that arrived while you were setting up?

It's the question that comes up right after finishing step 3: if the number was already active in Meta and someone wrote during the setup, are those messages lost?

The short answer: it depends on whether the webhook was already subscribed to the "messages" field when the message came in. Meta retries webhook delivery for responses that are not 2xx, but it does not guarantee that an event is stored forever or how many retries it makes: that's in Meta's official documentation and it's worth reading there before assuming a behavior.

What you can control: during the setup window, don't share the number or put it in campaigns. Let your team know that the new number is not operational yet. If the number was already working in another tool, coordinate the switch for a low-volume time.

Once the webhook is subscribed and Wando starts receiving, the messages appear in the inbox with AI suggestions. There you can verify that the flow works: write from your own phone and confirm that the message comes in and that the suggestion is generated.

• Don't share the number until the webhook is subscribed and you have done a real test.
• If the number was already operating in another tool, coordinate the migration at a time of low traffic.
• Verify with a message of your own before notifying your customers.

Should you use your main number or a new one?

Many businesses hesitate between migrating the number they already use or starting with a new one. There is no single answer: it depends on how much conversation history you have and how much you care about keeping it.

If the number is already on WhatsApp Business (the regular app), it can be migrated to the Cloud API, but the process has its own steps and chat history does not always transfer completely. If the number is new, you start clean but lose the recognition of customers who already have it saved.

A practical point: the phone_number_id you enter in Wando is the identifier of the number within Meta, not the number itself. If you change numbers later, you will have to update that data in Wando and reconfigure the webhook subscription.

For small businesses just starting with WhatsApp Business, the simplest option is usually a new number dedicated to customer service, and leaving the personal one for private use. For businesses with years of conversations, migration is worth it but it should be planned in advance.

A complete example, end to end

Let's take a concrete case: a rotisserie with two locations wants to centralize its WhatsApp customer service.

First, it creates the Business app in Meta for Developers and adds the WhatsApp product. It gets the phone_number_id of the new number and generates a permanent access token. It does not touch the webhook yet.

Then go to the Wando panel, open Settings, choose the provider "meta", paste the token and the phone_number_id, and save. At this point Wando already knows that this number belongs to you.

Only then go back to Meta and configure the webhook URL (https://wando.online/api/webhook/meta), enter the Verify Token, and subscribe to the "messages" field.

The person in charge writes from their phone to the business number. The message enters the Wando inbox, the AI suggests a reply based on how the business responded to similar cases before, and the person in charge approves or edits it with one click. If the message arrives outside business hours, the auto-reply by schedule lets the customer know when they will get an answer.

If the order had been reversed —webhook before loading the credentials—, that first test message would have been rejected and the person in charge would have thought something was broken.

Common mistakes and how to avoid them

The most frequent mistake is the order: configuring the webhook in Meta before loading the credentials in Wando. We already covered it, but it is worth repeating the signal: if incoming messages do not appear in the inbox, the first thing to check is whether the phone_number_id loaded in Wando matches the one for the number receiving them.

The second mistake is pasting a temporary access token instead of a permanent one. The temporary one expires and the connection drops without warning. If messages stop coming in from one day to the next, check the token.

The third is subscribing to the wrong fields in Meta. Wando needs the "messages" field. If you subscribe to other fields, it does not break anything, but it does not help either.

The fourth one is copying the Verify Token wrong. One extra space and the verification fails.

If after reviewing all of this the messages still don't come in, the problem may be on Meta's side (app permissions, number status, account restrictions). That depends on each case and the resolution time varies: it's best to check the app status in the Meta dashboard and, if everything looks correct, escalate to support with the phone_number_id and the time of the attempt.

• Inverted order: webhook before credentials.
• Temporary token instead of permanent.
• Wrong subscription field.
• Verify Token copied incorrectly.
• Issues on Meta's side: check the app status before escalating.

Does the AI respond on its own or does the team approve?

This is the doubt that comes up when someone hears "artificial intelligence" and imagines a bot answering anything. In Wando, by default, the AI suggests and the team approves.

The flow works like this: a message comes in, the AI generates a suggested response based on how the business responded to similar situations before, and that suggestion appears in the inbox. The person in charge approves it with one click, edits it, or discards it. Nothing goes out without someone approving it.

This is different from a flow-based chatbot, where you have to program every conversation branch and maintain it. Here the system learns from the business's real responses and improves with use, without anyone having to build a decision tree.

For a small business, this means you can start using AI without the risk of it answering anything. For a larger one, it means the team still has control of the brand's voice.

What about templates? When are they needed?

Templates (HSM) are messages pre-approved by Meta that are used to start conversations or for campaigns. They are not the same as replies within an open conversation.

They are used, for example, to send a promotion to a list of contacts or to re-engage someone who inquired a while ago. Once the customer replies, the conversation continues normally and the AI can suggest replies.

The template approval process is handled by Meta: the only timeframe that can be stated is "up to 48 hours". There is no guarantee of a shorter time.

Meta's conversation prices vary by country and change over time. We don't set them here: check Meta's official documentation for your country.

Templates are managed from Wando, and so are campaigns: you can build a campaign, choose the template, and send it to a segment of contacts with tags.

What should you check before considering the connection complete?

A short checklist so you don't leave any loose ends.

If all of this is in order and the test message reaches the inbox with an AI suggestion, the connection is working. If something fails, the review order is the same as the setup order: first Wando, then Meta.

• The app in Meta is of type Business and has the WhatsApp product added.
• The token loaded in Wando is permanent, not temporary.
• The phone_number_id in Wando matches the one of the number that receives.
• The webhook in Meta points to https://wando.online/api/webhook/meta.
• The Verify Token is copied correctly, without extra spaces.
• The subscription includes the "messages" field.
• You did a real test: you wrote from another phone and the message reached the inbox.