Connect Meta & WhatsApp

Blurfield sends and receives WhatsApp messages through your own Meta (Facebook) account, so you stay in control and Meta bills you directly for conversations. This guide covers every value Blurfield asks for — where it lives in Meta and how to get it. Set aside ~20 minutes.

What you'll collect

By the end you'll have six things:

• Access token — lets Blurfield send/read messages on your behalf.
• Phone number ID — the WhatsApp number that messages are sent from.
• WhatsApp Business Account (WABA) ID — owns your number and templates.
• App ID — your Meta app.
• Business ID — your Meta business portfolio.
• Webhook URL + verify token — so Meta can deliver incoming messages to Blurfield.

Before you start

• A free Meta Business account — create one at business.facebook.com.
• A phone number that can receive an SMS or call and is not currently active in the WhatsApp or WhatsApp Business app (delete it from those apps first if needed).
• A Facebook login that is an admin of the business.

Step 1 — Create your Meta app

1. Go to developers.facebook.com/apps and click Create app.
2. Choose the Business app type, name it (e.g. "My Store WhatsApp"), and link it to your business portfolio.
3. On the app dashboard, find the WhatsApp product and click Set up. Meta creates a WhatsApp Business Account and a free test number for you.

Step 2 — Open WhatsApp → API Setup

In your app's left menu, open WhatsApp → API Setup (sometimes labelled "Quickstart"). This one screen holds most of what you need:

• A temporary access token (valid 24 hours — fine for a first test).
• Your Phone number ID.
• Your WhatsApp Business Account ID (WABA ID).
• A box to send a test message to your own phone.

Keep this tab open — you'll copy the Phone number ID and WABA ID from here.

Step 3 — Add and verify your real phone number

The test number can only message a few pre-approved contacts, so add the number your customers will actually message:

1. On the API Setup page under "Add a phone number" (or in WhatsApp Manager → Phone numbers), click Add phone number.
2. Enter a display name and the number, then verify it by SMS or call.
3. Back on API Setup, select your new number — the Phone number ID now points to it. Copy that ID.

Step 4 — Create a permanent access token

The temporary token expires in 24 hours. For a store that stays online you need a permanent token, created with a System User:

1. Open Business Settings → Users → System users and click Add. Name it and give it the Admin role.
2. Click Assign assets → Apps → select your app → grant Full control. Repeat for your WhatsApp account under assets.
3. Click Generate new token, choose your app, and tick the permissions whatsapp_business_messaging and whatsapp_business_management.
4. Copy the token immediately — Meta shows it only once. This is your permanent Access token.

Step 5 — Find your App ID and Business ID

• App ID — in your app, open App settings → Basic (also shown at the top of the dashboard).
• Business ID — open Business Settings → Business info; the Business ID is listed there.

Step 6 — Connect the webhook

The webhook is how Meta delivers incoming customer messages to Blurfield.

1. In Blurfield, open Settings → Meta → WhatsApp and copy your Webhook URL and Verify token (Blurfield generates these for you).
2. In Meta, go to WhatsApp → Configuration and click Edit next to Webhook. Paste the Callback URL and Verify token, then click Verify and save.
3. Under "Webhook fields", click Manage and subscribe to messages (and optionally message_template_status_update).

Step 7 — Verify your Meta Business

Until your business is verified, Meta caps your messaging and blocks catalog/checkout features. Start verification at Business Settings → Security Center. It can take a few days and may ask for a business document.

(Optional) Connect a catalog

For an in-chat shop, create a catalog in Commerce Manager and copy its Catalog ID into Settings → Meta → Catalog. Blurfield then syncs your products to it.

Where each value goes in Blurfield

Field	Where to get it in Meta
Access token	WhatsApp → API Setup (temporary), or a System user (permanent — Step 4)
Phone number ID	WhatsApp → API Setup
WABA ID	WhatsApp → API Setup
App ID	App settings → Basic
Business ID	Business Settings → Business info
Webhook URL + verify token	Generated in Blurfield (Settings → Meta → WhatsApp); pasted into Meta → WhatsApp → Configuration
Catalog ID	Commerce Manager → your catalog

Enter your access token, phone number ID and WABA ID during onboarding step 4. The App ID and Business ID are added any time under Settings → Meta. Then click Verify connection to confirm it all works.

Troubleshooting

• "Token invalid / expired" — you're using the 24-hour temporary token; switch to the permanent System-user token (Step 4).
• No incoming messages — re-check the webhook callback URL + verify token, and that messages is subscribed (Step 6).
• Can't send templates / very low limits — finish business verification (Step 7).
• Number won't add — delete it from the WhatsApp / WhatsApp Business app first, then add it in WhatsApp Manager.

Your credentials stay yours — Blurfield stores them only to talk to WhatsApp on your behalf and never shares them.