Connect WhatsApp Business
WhatsApp Business Cloud API integration via Meta's embedded signup. The AI replies to inbound customer messages inside the 24-hour service window.
- Connect Cloud API — you already have a WhatsApp Business Cloud API number with Meta (or you want to register a brand-new number for Cloud API). Pure embedded-signup flow.
- Use Your Phone Number — you're already running the WhatsApp Business mobile app on a phone number and want to keep using it. Meta's "coexistence" flow links DMtoLead to that number via a QR scan, so you and the AI both reply from the same number.
DMtoLead uses Meta's WhatsApp Business Cloud API. You don't need a separate Business Service Provider account — DMtoLead is the BSP. Conversation pricing on Meta's side falls inside Cloud API's free monthly tier for most small businesses.
From the dashboard, click Integrations → Connect WhatsApp. A picker shows both methods. Pick one — the rest of this page walks through each.
Method 1 — Connect Cloud API
Standard Meta embedded-signup. Use this if you already manage a WhatsApp Business Account (WABA) on Meta Business Manager, or if you want to register a fresh number directly with Cloud API.
- 1
Pick "Connect Cloud API" in the method picker
A Meta embedded-signup popup opens.
- 2
Sign in to Facebook
Log in as a user with admin access to (or who can create) a Meta Business Account. This is Meta's account system — only Cloud API signup uses Facebook auth; the AI replies themselves don't need a Facebook Page.
- 3
Select or create a Business Account
Meta lists your existing Business Accounts. Pick one, or create a new one inline (name + legal address).
- 4
Add or select a phone number
Add the phone number for the WhatsApp Business profile. Meta sends a verification code by SMS or voice — enter it. The number cannot be currently registered on the regular WhatsApp consumer app; if it is, Meta will offer a migration path (irreversible — read the warning).
- 5
Configure the business profile
Set the business display name (shown to customers), category, description, photo, address. All editable later from the dashboard.
- 6
Finish
Meta hands back to DMtoLead, we register the number and subscribe to message webhooks. The number appears as Connected under Integrations.
Method 2 — Use Your Phone Number (WhatsApp Business mobile)
Pick this when your number already lives on the WhatsApp Business mobile app. Meta's coexistence mode links DMtoLead to that number without taking it away from the mobile app — you keep replying manually from your phone, and the AI replies in parallel from the Cloud API side.
- 1
Pick "Use Your Phone Number" in the method picker
A Meta popup opens.
- 2
Sign in to Facebook
Same Meta account system as Method 1. Sign in with a user that can create or admin a Business Account.
- 3
Enter your WhatsApp Business phone number
Type the phone number you're currently using inside the WhatsApp Business mobile app.
- 4
Confirm in the WhatsApp Business app
Meta sends a confirmation message to that number — it lands inside the WhatsApp Business mobile app on your phone. Open the app to see it.
- 5
Scan the QR code
The Meta popup now shows a QR code. On your phone, open WhatsApp Business → Settings → Linked Devices → Link a Device and scan the QR shown on screen. Once accepted, the popup closes.
- 6
Finish
DMtoLead registers the number on the Cloud API side and subscribes to webhooks. You'll see it under Integrations as Connected. The WhatsApp Business mobile app keeps working — incoming messages land in both places, and replies sent from either surface stay in sync.
- 7
Send yourself a test message
From another phone, message the number. AI replies appear within 2–3 seconds in the DMtoLead inbox; the same conversation is visible inside your WhatsApp Business mobile app.
What DMtoLead handles on WhatsApp
- Inbound text messages (AI reply)
- Inbound media (images, documents) — currently logged and surfaced to a human agent; vision-AI is on the roadmap.
- Read receipts back to the customer (sent automatically when DMtoLead processes the message)
- Quick-reply button responses
What DMtoLead does not currently support: outbound broadcast templates, click-to-WhatsApp ads as a fully-managed flow (you can connect, but template management is manual via Meta Business Manager), and voice calls.
Pricing on Meta's side
Meta charges per conversation (24-hour windows), not per message. The first 1,000 service conversations per month are free. DMtoLead doesn't mark up Meta's conversation fees — you'll see them billed directly to the payment method on your Meta Business Account. Our credit pricing (1 credit per AI reply) is separate.
Disconnecting
Integrations → WhatsApp → Disconnect. The phone number stays registered with WhatsApp Cloud API but DMtoLead stops processing webhooks for it. To fully release the number, go to Meta Business Manager → WhatsApp Manager and delete the phone-number entry.