The WhatsApp Business API, which Meta now calls the WhatsApp Business Platform, connects a WhatsApp number to software. Once connected, your team and your automations can reply from one number, you can send approved messages to customers who opted in, and opt-outs are handled for you.
You don't buy the API from Meta directly. You connect through a provider. Querygen is a Meta Tech Provider and uses Meta's Embedded Signup, so the whole connection happens in a Meta window without copying tokens or account IDs.
This guide covers what to prepare, each step of the signup, and the rules that apply once you're live: templates, the 24-hour window, messaging limits, and what Meta charges. First, check whether you need the API at all.
Do you need the API?
| You need the API if | You can skip it if |
|---|---|
| You message customers who haven't written to you recently: campaigns, reminders, order updates | Your team replies to customers who message them first, on numbers they already use |
| Several teammates and automations must reply from one business number | Each salesperson works from their own WhatsApp number |
| You run Click-to-WhatsApp ads and want the free 72-hour window | A lot of your work happens inside WhatsApp groups |
| You want approved templates and automatic opt-out handling | You mainly need replies, lead tracking, and follow-ups inside active chats |
Querygen works either way. You can connect a personal WhatsApp number your team already uses (one is included in the plan) and any number of WhatsApp Business API numbers, in the same workspace. In Querygen, WhatsApp groups work through a personal number. Still choosing a provider? See the best WhatsApp automation tools in India and Querygen vs Interakt.
What you need before you start
Want to use a number that's already on the WhatsApp Business app? Talk to us before you start, so you don't lose the chat history on it.
Step by step: connect through Querygen
Create your first message templates
A template is a message Meta has approved in advance. You need one to message a customer who hasn't written to you in the last 24 hours. Every template belongs to a category, and the category decides what Meta charges.
| Category | Use it for | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Marketing | Offers, launches, restocks, invitations | Hi {{1}}, the {{2}} you asked about is back in stock. Reply YES and we'll hold one for 24 hours. |
| Utility | Updates about something the customer already did: orders, payments, appointments | Hi {{1}}, your order {{2}} has been dispatched. Track it here: {{3}} |
| Authentication | One-time passwords | {{1}} is your verification code. |
You can create templates and follow their status (pending, approved, or rejected) from Querygen's WhatsApp Business settings. When a campaign uses a template, Querygen fills its variables for each customer with their name or any saved profile detail, such as the product they asked about. See how to send personalized WhatsApp campaigns for how that works.
- Write the template around the variable. "Your order {{2}} has been dispatched" tells the reviewer what goes in the blank. A template that is mostly blanks is hard to approve.
- Submit marketing messages as marketing. Meta can recategorize a promotional message sent in as utility.
- Tell customers how to stop. End marketing templates with "Reply STOP to stop these messages." Querygen marks anyone who sends STOP or UNSUBSCRIBE as opted out, and starts again if they send START.
The rules that shape everything you send
The 24-hour customer service window
When a customer messages you, a 24-hour window opens. Inside it you can send any normal message, like a text reply, photo, or PDF. After it closes, you can only send templates until the customer writes again. Querygen's Inbox shows when you need a template, and its follow-up campaigns send only while the window is open.
The 72-hour window from ads
When a customer messages you from a Click-to-WhatsApp ad or a Facebook Page call-to-action button and you reply, a free entry point window stays open for 72 hours, and messages in it are free.
Messaging limits
Meta limits how many unique customers your business can reach with messages outside the service window in a rolling 24 hours. The limit applies to your whole business portfolio, not to each number, so one busy number can use it all.
To reach 2,000, verify your business, use partner-led verification, or deliver 2,000 template messages to unique numbers within 30 days. Beyond 2,000, Meta raises your limit automatically when your messages keep a high quality rating and you've used at least half of your current limit over the past seven days. Blocks and reports lower your quality. Relevant messages to people who asked to hear from you are how you climb.
Consent and per-person limits
WhatsApp's Business Messaging Policy requires a customer's permission before you message them. Separately, WhatsApp may not deliver a marketing template to someone who already receives many marketing messages and reads few of them. If that happens, wait 24 hours before trying again. Retrying sooner makes your delivery rate look worse.
What it costs in India
Meta's charges are per delivered template, based on the template's category and the customer's country code. Marketing templates are always charged. Utility and authentication templates are free inside an open customer service window, and so are normal, non-template replies. Meta publishes the current India rates on its pricing page, and bills them to the payment method in your WhatsApp Manager.
Querygen's charges are separate. The plan is ₹9,900 + GST a month with 9,900 credits, and there is no extra Querygen fee for each Business API number you connect. A message a person or the API sends through a Business API number uses 0.1 credit. An automated message (a campaign message, an Autopilot answer, or a welcome message) uses 1 credit, and that covers its delivery too.
Common setup problems
| Problem | What to do |
|---|---|
| The number is already registered on WhatsApp | Use a number that isn't on the WhatsApp app, or talk to us before moving an app number. |
| The display name wasn't approved | Match it to the business name customers see on your website, invoices, or shop board. |
| A template was rejected | Add context around each variable, avoid starting or ending with a variable, and pick the category that matches the content. |
| Messages fail right after connecting | Check whether the account needs a payment method in WhatsApp Manager. |
| Some customers never get marketing templates | They may have opted out or hit WhatsApp's per-person marketing limit. Wait 24 hours before retrying. |
Once the number is live, the next step is deciding what it should do. Most teams start with automated replies and lead follow-up, then add campaigns.
Frequently asked questions
How long does WhatsApp Business API setup take?
The connection itself happens in one Meta signup window launched from Querygen. The steps that can take longer are Meta's review of your display name, approval of your message templates, and business verification if you need to send templates to more than 250 customers a day.
Is the WhatsApp Business API free in India?
No. Meta charges per delivered template message, based on the template's category and the customer's country. Marketing templates are always charged. Utility and authentication templates are free inside an open 24-hour customer service window, and non-template replies inside that window are free. Your provider's plan is a separate charge.
Can I use my existing WhatsApp number for the API?
The simplest path is a number that isn't registered on the WhatsApp or WhatsApp Business app. If you want to use a number that's already on the app, talk to us before you start so you don't lose its chat history. You can also keep that number on the app and connect it to Querygen as a personal WhatsApp number.
Do I need GST registration to use the WhatsApp Business API?
Not to start. You can connect a number and send template messages to up to 250 unique customers in a rolling 24 hours without business verification. To verify your business with Meta and raise that limit, you'll need documents that show your business's legal name and address.
What is the difference between the WhatsApp Business app and the API?
The app runs on your phone and its linked devices, and is built for people replying by hand. The API connects a number to software, so a team and automations can reply from it, and you can send approved templates to customers who opted in. In Querygen, an API number also gets automatic STOP and START opt-out handling.
From the journal
Keep reading
Instagram vs WhatsApp for Selling in India
Instagram gets you found. WhatsApp brings customers back. What each channel allows, where each one wins, and how to sell on both without doubling the work.
Read articleWhatsAppWhatsApp CRM for Small Businesses in India
A WhatsApp CRM should fill itself in from your chats, not add typing. What to look for, how to set one up in a day, and what it costs a small team in India.
Read articleWhatsAppWhatsApp Broadcast vs Targeted Campaigns
When one message to everyone makes sense, when it quietly hurts delivery, and how to turn a WhatsApp broadcast into a targeted campaign in three steps.
Read articleMore ideas are waiting in the journal.
Browse all articles