--- title: WhatsApp Business Cloud API Integration | Integrations description: Connect your WhatsApp Business number to Sembark through Meta's official Cloud API to chat with customers, send templates and quotes, and automate messages. date: 2026-09-24 --- # WhatsApp Business Cloud API Integration 2026-09-24 · by Sudhir Mitharwal Connect your WhatsApp Business number to Sembark through Meta's official Cloud API to chat with customers, send templates and quotes, and automate messages. Sembark connects to WhatsApp through **Meta's official WhatsApp Cloud API** — there is no third-party WhatsApp provider in between. This guide walks you through preparing your Meta business, connecting your number, and checking that everything works before customers receive a message. Once connected, see the [WhatsApp Integration docs](https://sembark.com/travel-software/docs/whatsapp-integration.md) for the inbox, templates, forms and quick sends. ## Before You Start You need: 1. **The WhatsApp Integration add-on** enabled for your organization. Reach out to your account manager if you don't see **Whatsapp Cloud API** under **New Integration**. 2. **The Manage Integrations permission** in Sembark. 3. **A Facebook account that is an admin of your business** on [Meta Business Suite](https://business.facebook.com/). If you don't have a Meta business yet, you can create one during sign-up. 4. **A phone number for WhatsApp** that can receive an SMS or voice call for verification. It can be a new number or one you already use for WhatsApp. 5. **A payment method** added in Meta's WhatsApp Manager. Meta bills template conversations directly to your business. :::caution Using a number that is already on WhatsApp - **On the WhatsApp Business app or WhatsApp Messenger** — delete the WhatsApp account from the app's account settings on the phone first. Your chat history on the app is not moved. - **With another WhatsApp API provider** — turn off two-step verification for the number there (or ask the provider to release it) before you connect it to Sembark. A number can only be connected to one WhatsApp API provider at a time. ::: ## Step 1 — Create the Integration 1. In Sembark, go to **Organization > Settings > Integrations** and click **New Integration**. 2. Under **Messaging Solutions**, pick **Whatsapp Cloud API**. 3. Enter an **Integration Name** (e.g. "WhatsApp Business") and a **Description**. 4. **Recommended:** tick **Start in test mode** and enter a **Test Number** — a WhatsApp number on your team, with the country code and without the plus sign, e.g. `919876543210`. Until you turn test mode off, every message goes to this number instead of the customer. 5. Click **Create Integration**. ## Step 2 — Connect Your WhatsApp Business Account 1. On the integration page, click **Connect WhatsApp Business**. Meta's sign-up opens in a new tab. 2. Click **Continue with Facebook** and log in with the Facebook account that is an admin of your business. 3. Follow Meta's steps: - Select your **Meta business** (or create one). - Select or create a **WhatsApp Business Account**. - Add your **phone number**, set the **display name** customers will see, and verify the number with the code Meta sends. - Allow Sembark the requested permissions. 4. When Meta confirms, you can close the tab. Setup continues in the background. Back in Sembark, the integration shows **Connecting...** and then **Connected** within a few seconds, with a badge for each business account and its phone numbers. Your existing templates and forms are synced automatically. ## Step 3 — Check the Connection 1. From the integration's **⋮** menu, click **Check Connection Health**. 2. Every check should pass. The summary reads "Everything looks healthy. Messages and template updates from WhatsApp will reach Sembark." 3. If a check fails, follow its hint — typically **Reconnect WhatsApp Account** or **Sync with Meta** — and click **Check Again**. Open the **Accounts** tab to review each number's status, quality and messaging tier, and confirm that **Welcome messages** is **On** if you advertise with Click-to-WhatsApp ads. ## Step 4 — Set Up Who Receives New Conversations On the integration page, set the **Default team for new conversations**. Members of this team are notified of every new conversation. If you skip this, new conversations go to all sales heads and admins. ## Step 5 — Create Your First Templates WhatsApp only lets you start a conversation (or message a customer after 24 hours of silence) with a template approved by Meta. 1. Open the **Templates** tab and click **+ Create Template**. 2. Pick your **WhatsApp Business Account** and, optionally, an **Automation Template** — it fills in a ready-made message such as a quotation follow-up or payment reminder, with variables that fill in from the trip. 3. Review the name, category, header, body and buttons, then click **Save Template**. 4. Wait for Meta's review. The template shows **APPROVED** once it can be used (usually within minutes, sometimes up to 24 hours). :::tip Getting templates approved Use **Utility** for messages about a customer's own enquiry or booking (confirmations, reminders, vouchers) and **Marketing** for promotions. Give realistic example values for every variable, and avoid a body that starts or ends with a variable. ::: ## Step 6 — Test, Then Go Live 1. With test mode on, send yourself messages: use **Test Message** on an approved template, send a quote with **Send via WhatsApp**, or start an automation's **Dry Run**. Every message arrives on your test number and is marked **Test mode** in Sembark. 2. From your test phone, reply to your business number and check that the conversation shows up in **Trips > WhatsApp Inbox**. 3. When you are happy, click **⋮ > Disable Test Mode**. Customers start receiving messages right away, including from any active automations. ## Good to Know - **24-hour window** — plain messages, attachments, quick sends and forms only reach a customer within 24 hours of their last message. Templates can be sent any time. - **Messaging limits** — Meta limits how many customers each number can start conversations with in 24 hours, based on its tier (shown on the **Accounts** tab). The limit grows as you send good-quality messages. - **Quality rating** — customers blocking or reporting your messages lowers the number's quality. Keep messages relevant and expected. - **Charges** — Meta charges your business for template conversations according to its pricing, billed to the payment method in WhatsApp Manager. - **Reconnecting** — if you change your Facebook password or remove Sembark's access, use **⋮ > Reconnect WhatsApp Account**. - **Pausing** — **⋮ > Pause** stops all incoming and outgoing messages for the integration until you resume it. ## Troubleshooting ### The integration shows Connection Failure Click the reconnect button shown on the page and sign in again. Make sure the Facebook account you use is still an admin of your business. ### A phone number is shown in red The number is not connected on WhatsApp's side. Complete its verification in Meta's WhatsApp Manager, then click **⋮ > Sync with Meta**. ### A template stays PENDING WhatsApp is still reviewing it. If it shows as approved in WhatsApp Manager but not in Sembark, run **⋮ > Sync Templates** on the **Templates** tab. ### A message failed because it was outside the 24-hour window The customer hasn't written to you in the last 24 hours. Send an approved template instead. ### Customers from ads don't show up until they type Turn **Welcome messages** on for the number on the **Accounts** tab. ### A form made in Meta's Flow Builder isn't in Sembark Run **⋮ > Sync Flows** on the **Flows** tab. ### Messages go to your own number instead of customers Test mode is on. 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