Prerequisites for migration
Before starting migration, verify the number meets these requirements: you must be the owner (SIM or VoIP), it must not currently be associated with a personal WhatsApp account, and it must be able to receive a voice call or SMS for verification.
Back up the WhatsApp Business app chat history before starting: after migration to the Business API, the chat history in the app will no longer be accessible.
The migration process step by step
The migration process has four main phases: Meta business verification (if not already done), WABA creation in Meta Business Manager, migration request from Business App to Business API, and number verification with OTP code.
The Chat API team assists in every phase. Once migration is complete, the number is operational on the Business API within 24-48 hours.
Communicating migration to clients
Inform clients in advance of the temporary unavailability during migration (generally a few hours). After migration, the number remains the same and clients do not need to do anything different.
What changes after migration
After API migration, you can no longer use the WhatsApp Business app on that number: conversations happen entirely through the BSP system (Chat API) or your integrated software.
Immediate benefits: automatic sending via API, message reception via webhook, template manager, analytics, ability to manage the number with multiple agents in parallel.
