Introduction
This article will be of interest to both business owners and internet marketing solution integrators, as well as anyone concerned with interacting with an audience through WhatsApp. You have likely considered automating marketing in WhatsApp or integrating the messenger into your services. And it's a good decision. WhatsApp offers access to a vast audience. Here's some statistics:
- WhatsApp has more than 2.2 billion active users. On average, users open the app more than 20 times a day;
- The open rate for WhatsApp notifications is 98% Compare this with email, which is only 21%;
- The CTR in WhatsApp messages reaches 60% This means that more than half of the users click on links in messages. In email, this figure is much lower — less than 10%.
The conclusion is clear — it's hard to imagine a more convenient and prompt channel for communicating with your customers and target audience.
There are several ways to communicate with your audience through WhatsApp. In this article, we will explore the available opportunities and their differences. Of course, it can always be done manually:
There are several ways to communicate with your audience through WhatsApp. In this article, we will explore the available opportunities and their differences. Of course, it can always be done manually:
- WhatsApp application. The familiar messenger that is likely already used by all your relatives, acquaintances, and clients.
- WhatsApp Business application. (Do not confuse with Business API!) A slightly more advanced application, providing enhanced capabilities for entrepreneurs, such as a product catalog and autoresponder.
- WhatsApp Web / Desktop. The browser/computer version of both applications.
These applications can be used if your customer base is small. But if you have dozens of them or need to work with a larger target audience, there's no need to say how resource-intensive it can become.
Automation
Automation will solve a range of key issues. For example, it will free up your business's resources from routine tasks such as sending offers, notifications, order status updates, and handling typical customer requests. All of this is easily scalable without significant expenses and hiring additional staff. By entrusting routine tasks to automation, you will avoid errors associated with the human factor: a chatbot won't forget to reply to a message, miss a customer request, and will send a notification about the order status change on time. All this will increase customer satisfaction and loyalty.
What is API?
Applications, whether they are CRM, ERP, chatbots, or online stores, require an interface to interact with WhatsApp by receiving, sending, and processing messages and events. This is achieved through the API (Application Programming Interface). Interaction with the API occurs through HTTPS requests – using them, your online store might tell the API something like: “Send customer XXXXX a message that their order YYYYY has been shipped”. Conversely, the API can 'relay' to your application a message from the customer or another event:
Such an interface (API) is provided by several services. We will consider three options:
- WhatsApp Business API. The official API from Meta, supplied through intermediaries.
- WhatsApp Cloud API. The cloud version of WhatsApp Business API.
- Whapi.Cloud Service. Our independent development, created for developers and business owners who value their time and money, in response to business needs and limitations of solutions from Meta.
So, let's look in more detail at each solution.
WhatsApp Business API
The official API from Meta, distributed through intermediaries (BSP or technical providers). This solution offers some very useful business features, such as quick reply buttons and a 'green badge' for recognizable brands.
Implementing this solution will require the right choice of provider, that is, a company that will act as an 'intermediary' and consultant between you and Meta. Such companies typically charge a fee for number connection, access to the API, and other features (such as ready-made chatbots), and often for individual messages as well. You will be forced to pay not only Meta's price for correspondence but also an additional markup of at least 15% to the provider.
WhatsApp Cloud API
This API is hosted on Meta's servers. It's important to note the main drawback of Cloud API, which lies in its difference from WhatsApp Business API — it has practically no support, as it is implemented directly, without the involvement of a BSP (Business Service Provider). You will have to deal with all questions on your own, which can sometimes be quite challenging, as evidenced by the large number of unresolved queries on Stackoverflow. You will also need to address the issue of file storage (Meta guarantees storage for only 15 days) and message storage independently.
Whapi.Cloud API
As an independent API provider, we can offer greater flexibility, scalability, and additional features without many of the formal and technical limitations of the official API.
Feature Comparison
| Whapi.Cloud | Meta Cloud API / BSP | |
|---|---|---|
| Messaging without additional charges |
YES |
Paid conversations |
| Messages are never lost |
YES |
Depends on the ISP |
| WhatsApp Groups |
YES |
Not available |
| Statuses, channels, calls, stories |
YES |
Not available |
| Check if a number has WhatsApp |
YES |
Not available |
| No need to delete your WhatsApp account permanently |
YES |
The number must be unlinked to WhatsApp |
| Ability to continue using your number on your phone |
YES |
You can't use the regular app |
| Available for all categories of business |
YES |
Certain categories are prohibited |
| No message moderation |
YES |
Not available |
| Blocking protection |
NO |
Several levels of prohibition |
| Buttons in chat |
NO |
YES |
Number Connection
To link your system (e-commerce, CRM, chatbot, etc.) with your WhatsApp number, your integrators will need access to an API.
Official WhatsApp Business API
Connecting to the official WhatsApp Business API involves several steps, requiring time and effort.
Firstly, choosing the right provider (BSP), as there is no direct access to WhatsApp Business API (do not confuse with Cloud API). The market offers many BSPs, each with their unique offerings and specifications.
For example, the California-based company Twilio is known for its reliability and flexibility with a wide range of additional services, offering payment for individual dialogues and messages. The European team at 360Dialog offers direct API access without ready-to-use interfaces. The Indian company Wati stands out for its integrated solutions for local businesses. A dozen similar providers can be named, for example, Interakt and 1msg offer simple no-code solutions for automation along with their API, which may interest those looking for ease in using automation.
Choosing the right service provider requires careful analysis of your business needs and comparison of various tariff plans and functionalities.
Firstly, choosing the right provider (BSP), as there is no direct access to WhatsApp Business API (do not confuse with Cloud API). The market offers many BSPs, each with their unique offerings and specifications.
For example, the California-based company Twilio is known for its reliability and flexibility with a wide range of additional services, offering payment for individual dialogues and messages. The European team at 360Dialog offers direct API access without ready-to-use interfaces. The Indian company Wati stands out for its integrated solutions for local businesses. A dozen similar providers can be named, for example, Interakt and 1msg offer simple no-code solutions for automation along with their API, which may interest those looking for ease in using automation.
Choosing the right service provider requires careful analysis of your business needs and comparison of various tariff plans and functionalities.
After selecting a provider, several steps are required, including business verification, to use communication features without restrictions:
- Creating an account with the selected BSP.
- Allocate a new phone number, or remove an existing number from the WhatsApp database that you will use for Business API. If you have previously used this number on a smartphone, you will need to delete the WhatsApp account. Note: Connecting a number to WABA means it can no longer be used in smartphone and web apps — only through API requests or messengers developed by providers. Also, calls will be unavailable on this number.
- Register in Facebook Business Manager. WhatsApp Business API uses Facebook infrastructure, so a Facebook Business Manager account is necessary for API registration (and of course, a personal Facebook page).
- Create a WhatsApp Business profile.
- Connect the number to WhatsApp Business API via the Facebook Business Manager interface or the integrated interface at the provider.
- API integration with your system and/or implementation of ready solutions from the chosen provider.
- Setting up automation and undergoing moderation of message templates.
WhatsApp Cloud API
Does not require a provider for connection but leaves you alone with implementation, troubleshooting, and the study of numerous articles on Stackoverflow and other resources. You will need to create a Meta Developer account.
Just like with the official API using an intermediary, you will need to delete your WhatsApp account if the number you want to connect to the API was previously used in the messenger.
Note that when switching to the official WhatsApp APIs, there is no provision for transferring existing chats and contacts. You will need to find third-party solutions that allow you to do this, otherwise all your chat history will be lost.
Whapi.Cloud
By choosing Whapi.Cloud, you get instant access to the API. All you need is to register on the website and link any number either by scanning a QR code or via a push code to the phone number. This process takes just a few minutes. The registration process is detailed in the help center. After connecting, you can immediately test any API method, for example, sending a message via an HTTP request using a convenient developer tool.
Note that, unlike Meta's solutions, you won't need to delete your WhatsApp account linked to the number or go through a number migration process. You can continue using the number as usual, including making calls and messaging, while simultaneously using the API.
Business Sectors Limitation
WhatsApp restricts the business categories that can use the WhatsApp Business API. For example, if your business is related to dietary supplements (pharma), alcohol, cryptocurrencies, or casinos, you won't be able to use the official API for business promotion. Your account will be blocked. In this aspect, Whapi.Cloud has no restrictions, although we do block channels that grossly violate laws or ethical standards. Also, remember that your number can be blocked due to user complaints.
Outgoing Messages (Bulk)
- You want to send offers to your target audience;
- You want to wish a client a happy birthday;
- You want to send an update about the status of an order;
- You want to conduct a survey or study service quality;
Meta considers such messages as business-initiated and categorizes them into one of the following: marketing, utility, authentication. You must use a pre-approved template that undergoes a moderation process. Dialogues initiated with templates are chargeable and are limited to a 24-hour window starting after the client responds to your message. If you send a message after the 24 hours expire, you are charged again. Within the 'advertising' 24-hour window, you may need to send a message of a different category (e.g., order status notification) — then a second dialogue opens within the first one, and you pay again. Thus, for every new message in the campaign, you will pay up to $0.2-0.3.
There are no such restrictions in Whapi.Cloud. Thus, you can send special offers, discount information, order statuses, birthday greetings, and much more to your recipients without any limitations. However, we recommend avoiding spam distribution and adhering to rules that prevent your number from being blocked by WhatsApp. We have outlined them in this article.
Working with Groups
Groups have become an invaluable tool for marketing and audience engagement. For example, what you can do:
- You can organize a 'club chat' for your company right in WhatsApp and hold giveaways, surveys, and other events there.
- You can add your bot to various thematic and local groups to collect and process the target audience — and then send appropriate offers to recipients, which will likely interest them.
- You can distribute your audience into different groups for notifications based on certain criteria (creating new ones and adding new members to them).
The possibilities are limited only by your imagination!
The Whapi.Cloud service allows you to work with groups, providing extensive capabilities:
- Creating and deleting groups;
- Joining existing groups and leaving them;
- Retrieving group avatars and group information from invitation links;
- Obtaining a list of names and phone numbers of group members;
- Adding and removing group members, changing administrator rights;
- Changing information of your own groups: changing the picture and description, changing privacy settings;
- Receiving notifications about various events in the group, such as new messages, message changes, new members joining, leaving the group;
Regarding the WhatsApp Business API from Meta, there's only one thing to say: this is not possible. In this case, you are only able to send personal messages.
eCommerce - Working with Products and Carts
A very useful feature for small businesses is working with products, categories, and shopping carts. Let's compare how this aspect can be utilized in the context of business automation.
When using Whapi.Cloud, you get the capability to display products and categories created in the WhatsApp Business app — remember, you can use your phone number simultaneously in the mobile WhatsApp and WhatsApp Web applications along with our API. Furthermore, your customers will be able to place orders directly in WhatsApp, and you can process these orders (the shopping cart) via the API.
When using the solution from Meta, you will need to integrate your product catalog into WhatsApp Business. This can be done through the Facebook personal account interface. The API allows you to send products and receive orders. However, to view these orders, you will either need to compare product IDs in your personal account or develop your own integration with Facebook Catalog. Meta also offers quite flexible (and equally confusing) tools Facebook Shops and Instagram Shopping. However, at the time of writing this article, they do not have direct integration with WhatsApp Business API, and this will require additional work. According to developers' feedback, external integration is quite complex, and requests on resources like Upwork show that many tasks remain unsolved.
Interactivity (Buttons)
WhatsApp Business API or Cloud API allows the creation of quick reply buttons, enabling users to choose an option with a single click. This is indeed convenient, but it also requires the use of approved message templates — meaning, such dialogs are paid for and undergo moderation.
Whapi.Cloud offers the following interactive communication options: Text menu, Response through a poll (voting), Reaction to a message, Links with previews. From a user's perspective, this is not as convenient as touching a button. Remember, templates are not required — you can simply send a message and process the incoming response, which can be a typical reaction to the message.
Pricing
WhatsApp Cloud API
WhatsApp Cloud API charges for opened dialogs (i.e., outgoing messages, in which you must use templates). For example, sending a marketing message will cost up to $0.16 per dialog. An incoming message from a client opens a 'service' dialog window, which is also chargeable (if no other dialog has been opened). If you respond to a client outside of the 24-hour window, you will have to use a template.
Each number receives 1,000 free incoming dialogs, i.e., the categories marketing, utility, and authentication are not included in the free count. There are also so-called free entry points — if a client writes to you using a button in an advertisement on Facebook. For more details on pricing, you can visit the official WhatsApp Cloud API page.
Official WhatsApp Business API
Similar to WhatsApp Cloud API, charges are applied for opened dialogs here as well, but additionally, you pay for hosting your number to the provider. This appears to be more expensive, but due to the expert support and ready-made solutions from the BSP, it somewhat simplifies the use of the API and in the end, may turn out to be cheaper than implementing Cloud API on your own.
As you can see, the pricing in the official API is quite complex — it is determined by the provider, your activities, geography, the number and 'nestedness' of dialogs.
Whapi.Cloud
All dialogs and messages are absolutely free. You only pay a monthly subscription for the service. Our basic tariff is $29 per month with annual payment. There is also a Sandbox tariff, which is unlimited in functionality but has limits on the number of requests. Details can be found on our Pricing page. We do not limit our clients in technical support and promptly respond to any requests.
Green Tick and Company Name Instead of Number
One argument in favor of the official API is the opportunity to receive a special verification mark, indicating that your business is verified, where the company's name is displayed in the dialogue instead of the number. However, obtaining such a status is almost inaccessible for small and medium businesses, especially for new small companies. Your brand must have media mentions, significant market presence, and public significance. Additionally, it requires adherence to very high standards of service and reliability, as well as a significant number of messages sent daily.
Additional Features
At Whapi.Cloud, we have implemented numerous additional features unavailable in the official API. These include flexible management of groups, statuses (stories), channels, calls, checking the status and availability of WhatsApp for users, and much more.
With skillful use, you can significantly increase the engagement and loyalty of your customers, making interaction with your business truly interesting. More about the capabilities of our API can be found on this page, and here you can familiarize yourself with the list of available API endpoints.
With skillful use, you can significantly increase the engagement and loyalty of your customers, making interaction with your business truly interesting. More about the capabilities of our API can be found on this page, and here you can familiarize yourself with the list of available API endpoints.
Common Misconceptions
— Numbers using the official API are not blocked
In reality, the limitations of official solutions apply from the very beginning: to initiate a dialogue, you need approved templates, which, by the way, can be rejected even after approval (at any time). Spamming, sending unwanted or unexpected messages through the official API is also penalized by blocking (specific template, number, or even business account). Also, your business, even after starting, may not pass additional verification and your number will be blocked.
— An unofficial API requires a constantly turned-on phone, and if it runs out of battery or is not in the network — the channel stops working
This is no longer relevant. Our service supports Multi-device WhatsApp API, which does not require constant synchronization with the phone. The channel remains active, even if the phone is turned off.
— Impossible to get Meta approval and the 'green badge'
Indeed, with an independent solution, this is not possible. But it is not required: you can start using the API immediately after linking a number. The chances of getting the 'Green Badge' are very low: Meta requires standards that are practically unattainable for small businesses.
— There is no guarantee of message delivery
Our API allows you to check and instantly know message statuses: sent, delivered, read. We provide settings for 'guaranteed webhooks', which allow you to receive messages even during failures on your side, ensuring you're always informed of undelivered messages. The conversation is stored on your phone and cannot disappear or be lost, unlike the official solution, where messages are either not stored at all (if a message is lost due to a failure, you won't even know about it) or are stored by the provider on servers (which does not guarantee preservation).
— Using unofficial API is prohibited
Any automation of WhatsApp only violates the terms of use of this messenger. Be it an API, an extension for the Web version, a third-party application enhancing functionality, gathering numbers of group members through a script, etc., indeed do not comply with WhatsApp's usage rules. Any mass activity in the messenger entails a risk of blocking, even if you do not use any modifications. Trust your balanced decision on the benefits and risks of using WhatsApp automation.
About Us
Whapi.Cloud is a service created by a team with extensive experience and expertise in commercial WhatsApp integration and made for developers and business owners who value their time and money.
The emergence of WhatsApp Business API significantly facilitated life for large brands, but it turned out to be too complex, regulated, and expensive for small and even medium-sized businesses. We allow you to automate and integrate the most popular messenger in any programming language for any programmer without any hassle. And our unique technical development makes our service the most multifunctional and stable among competitors.
The emergence of WhatsApp Business API significantly facilitated life for large brands, but it turned out to be too complex, regulated, and expensive for small and even medium-sized businesses. We allow you to automate and integrate the most popular messenger in any programming language for any programmer without any hassle. And our unique technical development makes our service the most multifunctional and stable among competitors.
