WhatsApp Business API
Reach 2 billion users on WhatsApp Business API
The channel customers actually open. Send order updates, run support and close sales in real-time, two-way conversations — from a verified business profile.
Official API access · Verified business profile · Send & receive
What is the WhatsApp Business API?
The WhatsApp Business API (also called the WhatsApp Business Platform) is Meta's official way for businesses to send and receive WhatsApp messages programmatically — through software, at scale, with multiple agents — rather than from a phone. There's no app to install: your systems talk to the API, and customers simply see your verified business in their normal WhatsApp.
Two message types make it work. Template messages are pre-approved formats that let you start conversations — order updates, OTPs, reminders. Session messages are free-form replies inside the 24-hour window that opens whenever a customer writes to you, which is where support conversations, chatbots and sales chats live.
For most consumer businesses WhatsApp is where customers already are. Read rates dwarf email, and two-way chat turns notifications into conversations that close sales. The API is the only compliant way to run that at business scale.
App vs API
WhatsApp Business App vs API — what's the difference?
The free Business App works for one person on one phone. The API is how brands run WhatsApp at scale — multi-agent, automated and integrated with your systems.
| Business App (free) | Business API | |
|---|---|---|
| Built for | Solo sellers & micro businesses | Teams, brands and platforms |
| Users & devices | One number, up to 5 devices | Unlimited agents via your tools |
| Automation | Greeting & away messages only | Full chatbot and workflow automation |
| Broadcasts | 256 contacts per list | Unlimited opted-in template sends |
| Integration | None | REST API, webhooks, CRM connectors |
| Green tick verification | Not available | Available for eligible brands |
Capabilities
Everything the official API unlocks
Approved through Meta, managed by us — you get the capabilities without running the infrastructure.
Verified business profile
Your brand name, logo and the green tick where eligible — customers know it's really you.
Template messages
Pre-approved messages for notifications outside the 24-hour window — order updates, OTPs, reminders.
Session messaging
Free-form replies within the 24-hour customer-service window, with agents or bots.
Rich media
Images, documents, video, location and interactive buttons in any conversation.
Opt-in management
Consent capture and preference tracking built in, so your sender quality rating stays high.
Send and receive
Full two-way webhooks — every customer reply lands in your CRM, helpdesk or bot.
For developers
How the API works
Your software talks to wa.hostmentor.com with a HostMentor API key. We check every request, send it to WhatsApp, and deliver every reply and status back to one webhook URL.
curl -X POST \
https://wa.hostmentor.com/v3/{phone_number_id}/messages \
-H "apikey: hm_live_…" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{
"messaging_product": "whatsapp",
"to": "919845012345",
"type": "text",
"text": { "body": "Your order has shipped" }
}'API keys you control
Keys start with hm_live_. Name up to 20 per team, see when each was last used, and revoke one without touching the others.
Familiar endpoints
Send with POST /v3/{phone_number_id}/messages and manage templates at /v3/{waba_id}/message_templates, plus media, catalogs and QR codes.
Signed webhooks
Every event reaches your URL with an X-HostMentor-Signature header, so you can prove it came from us. Rotate the secret without missing an event.
Retries for 3 days
If your server is down, we retry with growing gaps (1 minute, 5 minutes, 30 minutes and on) for up to 3 days. Each attempt waits 10 seconds for your reply.
In practice
Conversations that do real work
Three flows our customers run on WhatsApp every day.
Order tracking
Customer support
Re-engagement
Industries
Who's winning on WhatsApp
The playbooks our customers run — notifications that become conversations that become revenue.
E-commerce & D2C
Order journeys, delivery coordination, cart recovery and catalog-driven reorders in chat.
Fintech & banking
Statements, payment reminders and support — with authentication conversations for secure logins.
Healthcare
Appointment booking, results delivery as PDFs, and follow-up care instructions patients actually read.
Education
Enrollment counselling at scale, fee reminders and document collection in one thread.
Travel & hospitality
Tickets and boarding passes in chat, itinerary changes answered in minutes, upsells at check-in.
Services & bookings
Lead qualification by chatbot, appointment scheduling, quotes and confirmations on demand.
Onboarding
From application to first message
Meta verification is the long pole — we prepare everything so it goes through the first time.
Apply
Share your business details and use case; we create your WhatsApp Business Account (WABA).
Meta verification
Meta verifies your business — typically a few business days with the documents we help you prepare.
Number & profile
Connect a phone number, set your brand profile, and apply for the green tick if eligible.
Templates & go live
We submit your first message templates for approval and you start sending — API or dashboard.
Add-on
Add a team inbox and a chatbot
One add-on puts a shared inbox and a no-code chatbot builder on the same numbers as your API.
Pricing
WhatsApp plans
A monthly plan for API access, an optional add-on for the inbox and chatbot, and a prepaid wallet for messages. Plans are billed in USD outside India.
Plan
WhatsApp API
Send and receive through the official API from your own software.
Ask for USD pricing
Billed monthly in USD, no GST
- API keys for your team, created and revoked from the dashboard
- One webhook URL for every event, HMAC-signed and retried for 3 days
- Templates, media, interactive messages and catalogs through the API
- Several numbers under one team
- Onboarding, Meta verification and template help from our team
Optional add-on
Inbox & Chatbot add-on
A shared team inbox and a no-code chatbot builder on the same numbers.
Ask for USD pricing
Billed monthly in USD, on top of the API plan
- Shared inbox with Mine, Unassigned and All views
- Chat assignment, including new chats to the least busy agent
- Visual flow builder: 8 triggers and 32 step types
- AI answers with your own Anthropic API key
- Agent role for people who only answer chats
Pricing
How message charges work
Meta prices WhatsApp per message, by category. Each number has a prepaid wallet, and every message is paid from it at the rate on your rate card for its category.
Marketing
Promotions, offers and announcements you send.
Utility
Updates about something the customer did, like an order or a booking.
Authentication
One-time passwords and verification codes.
Service
Replies inside the 24-hour window after a customer writes to you.
FAQ
WhatsApp API questions, answered
Verification, templates, pricing and what's actually allowed at scale.
What's the difference between the WhatsApp Business App and the API?
The free Business App is a phone app for one person. The API has no app or phone — it connects WhatsApp to your software and support tools, supports unlimited agents and full automation, enables large opted-in broadcasts, and is the only path to green-tick verification.
How do I get the green tick?
The green tick (Official Business Account) is granted by Meta to notable, verified brands on the API. We submit the application with your business verification; approval depends on Meta's notability criteria — being on the API is a prerequisite.
What are template messages?
Pre-approved message formats (with variables) that let you message customers outside the 24-hour service window — order updates, reminders, OTPs. We help you write templates that pass Meta review the first time.
What does the WhatsApp Business API cost?
The WhatsApp API plan is billed monthly in USD. Messages are paid separately from a prepaid wallet on each number, at a per-message rate for each category (marketing, utility, authentication, service). The team inbox and chatbot builder are an optional add-on. Ask us for current prices.
How do API keys and webhooks work?
You create HostMentor API keys (they start with hm_live_) on the dashboard and send them in the apikey header to wa.hostmentor.com. Replies and delivery statuses for all your numbers go to one webhook URL, each signed with an X-HostMentor-Signature header and retried for up to 3 days if your server doesn't answer.
Can my team answer WhatsApp chats without building anything?
Yes. The Inbox & Chatbot add-on gives your team a shared WhatsApp inbox with chat assignment, plus a no-code chatbot builder, on the same numbers as your API.
Can I send bulk WhatsApp messages legally?
Yes — to opted-in recipients, using approved templates, on the official API. Bulk sending through unofficial tools violates WhatsApp's terms and gets numbers banned; the API route is the one that scales safely.
How long does onboarding take?
Typically under a week end to end: account setup is same-day, Meta business verification takes a few business days, and template approvals usually clear within 24 hours. We've done this hundreds of times — we'll keep it moving.
What are the opt-in rules for WhatsApp?
Customers must agree to receive WhatsApp messages from you before you initiate a conversation — via a website checkbox, an SMS keyword, an in-store form or in-chat consent. We help you design compliant opt-in flows; it protects your sender quality rating as much as it satisfies Meta's policy.
What is the quality rating and why does it matter?
Meta scores every business number on how recipients react — blocks and reports lower it. A low rating throttles how many new conversations you can start per day. Good opt-ins, useful templates and prompt replies keep it green; our dashboard surfaces the rating so you never discover a problem after a campaign.
Put your business on WhatsApp — officially
Apply for API access and we'll handle Meta verification, templates and go-live with you.
Official Meta partner route · Volume pricing