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WhatsApp coexistence

Keep your app. Add the API.

Use your existing WhatsApp Business number in Automate AI without giving up the WhatsApp Business app on your phone.

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  • Same number
  • Team inbox
  • API campaigns
How it works

Connect in a few minutes.

  1. 1
    Choose your Business app number

    When you connect WhatsApp in Automate AI, pick “Use my WhatsApp Business App number”. Meta’s signup opens and asks for the number on your app.

  2. 2
    Confirm in the WhatsApp Business app

    You get a code and confirm the connection in the app, then choose whether Meta shares your chat history. Keep the app open while it syncs.

  3. 3
    Work from the app and Automate AI

    Keep answering regulars from your phone, while your team, chatbots, AI and campaigns run in Automate AI on the same number.

Before you connect

What to know about coexistence.

  • App version 2.24.17 or later

    Update the WhatsApp Business app on the number you want to connect.

  • Same number, two places

    Keep chatting in the app while the number also works on the API.

  • App messages stay free

    Messages sent from the app are free; API messages are billed at Automate AI’s message rates.

  • Broadcast lists go read-only

    Send campaigns with approved templates from Automate AI instead.

  • 20 messages per second

    Throughput is fixed for numbers on both the app and the API.

  • Keep the app in use

    Meta can disconnect a number whose phone stays inactive for about 14 days.

Coexistence uses Meta’s onboarding for WhatsApp Business app users. If you don’t see the Business app option when you connect, our team can set it up with you. Automate AI’s inbox starts with conversations from the day you connect; chat history Meta shares isn’t imported.

Questions

WhatsApp Coexistence FAQ

Can I use the WhatsApp Business app and the API on the same number?

Yes. Meta’s coexistence onboarding keeps the WhatsApp Business app working on your number while the same number is connected to the API through a provider such as Automate AI.

What do I need?

The WhatsApp Business app version 2.24.17 or later on that number, and access to the phone to confirm the connection during setup.

What stops working in the app?

You can’t create new broadcast lists, and existing ones become read-only. Disappearing messages, view once and live location are switched off for one-to-one chats. Groups, calls, status and your catalogue keep working in the app.

How are messages charged?

Messages you send from the WhatsApp Business app stay free. Messages sent through the API, including Automate AI campaigns and replies, are charged at Automate AI’s per-message rates. See our pricing page.

Will my old chats appear in Automate AI?

No. Meta can share up to six months of one-to-one chat history during onboarding, but Automate AI’s inbox starts with conversations from the day you connect.

How do I disconnect later?

In the WhatsApp Business app, open Settings › Account › Business Platform and choose Disconnect Account.

Bring your existing number to Automate AI.

Keep the app you know, and add a team inbox, chatbots, AI and campaigns on the same number.

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