How to connect your own WhatsApp Business number, get verified by Meta, submit templates, and what Meta charges per message. You bring the number — you own everything.
The whole journey, start to first message.
Sign up, verify your email, and pick a plan (monthly or annual).
In onboarding, paste your Meta credentials and hit Auto-configure webhook — we wire it into Meta for you.
Pull your approved message templates from Meta into Wave.
Upload contacts (opted-in), build a campaign, and send — with a real-time team inbox for replies.
Wave runs on Meta's official WhatsApp Business Platform (Cloud API). You use your own number and your own Meta accounts.
In the Meta for Developers console, add the WhatsApp product. This gives you an App ID and App Secret.
Add a phone number to it. The number must not be active on the normal WhatsApp app — use a fresh number or remove it from WhatsApp first. Verify by OTP.
Grab the Phone Number ID and WABA ID from WhatsApp → API Setup.
Create a System User and generate a permanent access token so it never expires.
In Settings → WhatsApp Business Account, enter your Phone Number ID, WABA ID, App ID, App Secret, access token and a verify token you choose. Tokens are encrypted at rest.
You keep full ownership of your Meta assets and number. Wave connects to them — nothing is locked to us.
Meta asks you to verify your business (Business Manager → Security Center) by submitting legal details and a document such as an incorporation certificate or utility bill.
The name shown to people who message you and don't have your number saved.
Two things worth knowing:
Avoid: generic words ("Sale"), locations, "Official/Verified", Meta product names, emojis or symbols. Match your website's spelling and casing.
To message someone first, you use a pre-approved template — fixed text with placeholders like "Hi {{1}}, your order {{2}} is confirmed."
When a customer messages you, a 24-hour window opens. Inside it your team can reply with any message — no template needed. Each new customer message resets the window.
Always collect opt-in consent before messaging contacts — it's a hard WhatsApp rule.
Separate from your Wave plan. Wave adds zero markup — you pay Meta's rates directly, at cost.
Promotions & offers. The priciest category.
Order updates, receipts, alerts. Cheaper; free inside the service window.
OTPs & login codes. Low cost.
Yes — you bring your own number and Meta business account; Wave connects to them. You keep full ownership.
You can show a brand name instead of the legal entity, or skip display-name approval so only the phone number shows. You can't show a blank name — that's a Meta rule.
Connecting in Wave is minutes. Meta's business verification and template review usually take a few hours to a couple of days.
No. Your Wave plan is a flat fee. WhatsApp conversation charges go straight to Meta at their published rates — we add no markup.
Only to contacts who opted in. To start a conversation you use an approved template; free-form replies are allowed within 24 hours of the customer messaging you.
Still stuck? Email [email protected] or contact us.