Send WhatsApp from your own number

Before you start

• A phone number that is NOT already on the normal WhatsApp or WhatsApp Business app. Meta will not accept one that is — you would have to delete that account first.
• A Meta Business account, and a WhatsApp Business Account (WABA) inside it.
• Your business details to hand: legal name, address, website. Meta verifies these.

Steps

1. 1

   In Meta Business Settings, create or open your WhatsApp Business Account.

   Accounts → WhatsApp accounts. If you have never done this, Meta walks you through adding a number and verifying it by SMS or call.

2. 2

   Open your app → WhatsApp → API Setup.

   This screen shows the two IDs you need next.

3. 3

   Copy the Phone number ID.

   A long number, around 15 digits, e.g. 123456789012345. It is not your phone number itself — the actual number is shown beside it for confirmation.

4. 4

   Copy the WhatsApp Business Account ID (WABA ID).

   Also around 15 digits, e.g. 1990768931574005, and shown on the same screen. Houscade needs it to read which message templates you have.

5. 5

   Generate a permanent System User token, as for lead ads.

   Business Settings → Users → System users → Generate token, with the WhatsApp permissions and the system user given access to your WABA. The temporary token on the API Setup page expires in 24 hours.

6. 6

   Paste all three into Settings → WhatsApp automation and save.

   The token is encrypted before it is stored. Houscade verifies the number and the templates before saving.

7. 7

   Send yourself a test message from that screen.

   There is a test field — put your own mobile number in it. If it arrives, you are done. This is worth doing before any client message depends on it.

If it does not work

Meta will not let you add the number.

It is already registered to WhatsApp or WhatsApp Business on a phone. Delete that account from the app first, then add it here — and expect to lose that chat history, so use a number you are willing to move.

Messages send to yourself but not to clients.

A new number starts in a test state where Meta only allows a handful of pre-approved recipients. It clears once the business is verified. Until then only the numbers you have listed will receive anything.

A template is 'pending' and nothing sends.

Meta reviews every message template, usually within a day. Automations using that template skip quietly until it is approved — nothing is lost, they simply do not fire.

Everything looks connected but nothing goes out.

The token has expired, which means it was a temporary one from API Setup rather than a System User token. Generate a permanent one.