Use manual setup if your number is already on the WhatsApp Business Platform (API), you are a tech provider onboarding your own number, you are self-hosted, or Quick setup is unavailable. You connect Chatwoot to your own Meta app.
Plan & access
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Every plan that includes WhatsApp (Startups and above, and the free trial) on Chatwoot Cloud, and self-hosted. See Pricing & Plans .
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Administrators only.
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Coexistence (keeping the WhatsApp Business app) is not supported with manual setup. If your number is active in the WhatsApp Business app, do not register it through this flow. Use Quick setup with Meta or contact support.
Before you start
You need three things from Meta. The guided setup in Chatwoot walks you through each one and links to the right Meta screen:
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A Meta app with the WhatsApp use case
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Your number's Phone Number ID and WhatsApp Business Account ID
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A permanent access token from a Meta system user
Connect your number
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Go to Settings › Inboxes › Add Inbox › WhatsApp and choose WhatsApp Cloud. On the Quick setup screen, click manual setup flow at the bottom. (If Quick setup is unavailable, you go straight to manual setup.)
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Create or select a Meta app. In Meta Developers, create an app (or pick the one you already use for this number), choose to connect with customers through WhatsApp, and select the business portfolio that owns the number. Click My Meta app is ready.
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Add your phone number and get its IDs. In your Meta app, open the WhatsApp use case and choose API Setup. In Send and receive messages, open the From selector and pick your number, or choose Add phone number, complete the business profile and verify with the code Meta sends. Copy the Phone Number ID and WhatsApp Business Account ID, enter them in Chatwoot and click Next.
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Generate a permanent access token. In Meta Business Settings, go to Users › System users, create an admin system user (or pick one), assign it your Meta app and WhatsApp Business Account with full control, then click Generate token. Set expiry to Never, select whatsapp_business_management and whatsapp_business_messaging, and copy the token. Meta shows it only once. Back in Chatwoot, paste it as the Permanent access token and click Verify details.
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Review the business name, number and IDs, change the Inbox name if you like, and click Create inbox.
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Chatwoot checks Number access, Template access, Webhook callback and Webhook subscription, and sets up the webhook in Meta for you. When all four show Verified, click Continue to add agents.
Test it: send a WhatsApp message to your business number from another phone. It should appear in Chatwoot. Reply and check it arrives.
Keep your token private. Anyone with it can use your WhatsApp connection. If you replace or revoke it in Meta, update it in the inbox's Configuration tab.
If a verification step fails
| Message | What to do |
|---|---|
| This access token is invalid or expired | Generate a new permanent token (expiry Never) and try again |
| Template access not verified | The token is missing whatsapp_business_management. Messages will work, but templates will not sync. Generate a token with both permissions. |
| Webhook callback or Webhook subscription not verified | Click Retry webhook setup. If it still fails, check the system user has full control of the WhatsApp Business Account. |
| Enter the Phone Number ID and WhatsApp Business Account ID | Copy both from API Setup in your Meta app. They are different numbers. |
For anything else, see Troubleshoot WhatsApp.
What happens next
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Templates approved in your WhatsApp Business Account sync automatically. See Templates and the 24-hour window.
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Calling works with manual setup too, once your number is enrolled with Meta's Calling API. See WhatsApp calling.
Connecting more than one number
Yes, you can. Create a separate Chatwoot inbox for each number. The guided setup configures the webhook routing for each one, so there is nothing to wire up by hand.