Enable Marketing Messages API for WhatsApp
Before you can send messages with Marketing Messages API for WhatsApp, you must enable the feature for your WhatsApp Business Account (WABA).
Enabling Marketing Messages API for WhatsApp ensures that your outbound marketing templates are routed through Meta's optimized delivery system, while all other message types continue to use Cloud API.
Requirements
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WhatsApp Business Account (WABA):
- ✅ must already be registered on Cloud API.
- ✅ must be active and not restricted for policy violations.
- ❌cannot be an On-Behalf-Of (OBO) account. If it is, migrate to a shared WABA.
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Your business country and phone number country must be in a regions where Marketing Messages API for WhatsApp is available.
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You must accept the Marketing Messages API for WhatsApp Terms of Service during the embedded signup process on our web interface.
How to enable Marketing Messages API for WhatsApp
To enable Marketing Messages API for WhatsApp, your sender on a particular WhatsApp Business Account (WABA) must already be registered on Cloud API. Infobip provides a dedicated sender registration process for Marketing Messages API for WhatsApp onboarding.
Once you enroll your WABAs into Marketing Messages API for WhatsApp, no further configuration is required. Marketing traffic will be automatically routed through MM Lite whenever possible.
Allow up to 15 minutes for configuration to synchronize before sending messages, as attempts during this period may result in delivery errors.
To enable the Marketing Messages API for WhatsApp, follow these steps:
- In the web interface (opens in a new tab), go to Channels and Numbers > Numbers > WhatsApp.
- On the Overview tab, in the Enable MM Lite feature section, select Enable.
- Review the benefits of Marketing Messages API for WhatsApp and the permission you grant to Infobip. Select Continue.
- Fill in your business information (portfolio, name, website) and select Next.
- Once your account is connected, select Finish.
- From this point on, marketing traffic will be automatically upgraded to MM Lite whenever possible.
Since your sender is already registered, and Marketing Messages API for WhatsApp enrollment is performed at the Meta business portfolio ID level (encompassing all WABAs under that portfolio), no additional WABA selection, phone number selection, or phone number verification is required. Existing phone numbers remain registered on Cloud API and are now eligible to use Marketing Messages API for WhatsApp in addition to Cloud API for sending marketing messages.
When you enable Marketing Messages API for WhatsApp for your Meta business portfolio, a read-only ad account is created to mirror marketing templates under that portfolio. This account is kept in sync with changes to templates. However, the synchronization may take some time, so it is best to wait at least 15 minutes after creating or updating a template to ensure the mirrored ad entity reflects those changes.
Enable On-Behalf-Of (OBO) WABAs for Marketing Messages API for WhatsApp
Marketing Messages API for WhatsApp does not support Meta business portfolios containing WABAs that were created using the On-Behalf-Of (OBO) model. If the selected business portfolio contains any OBO WABAs, they will be migrated to shared WABAs (opens in a new tab). Mirrored read-only ad accounts and entities will be created for each WABA and marketing template under the enrolled business portfolio.
The remainder of the flow is the same: review and acknowledge the permissions granted to Infobip to complete the sender registration process and enable Marketing Messages API for WhatsApp.
