Account Setup¶
WhatsApp Business Platform offers different types of APIs for sending messages through a WhatsApp number. The purpose of this plugin is to cover the functionality of the Cloud API, where messages are sent using a cloud-hosted version of the WhatsApp Business Platform.
To be able to use the features of the WhatsApp Business Cloud API and consequently this plugin, it is necessary to have a Meta developer account configured.
Creating and configuring an account¶
To create an account and configure a project that will use WhatsApp features, just follow the steps in the section: 1. Set up Developer Assets and Platform Access, through the WhatsApp Business Platform documentation.
It is not necessary to follow the steps in the following sections, to use the plugin you just need to have a Meta developer account created and configured.
Getting account information¶
After following the steps in the first section, you will be redirected to the Getting Started screen of the project that was created. On this screen we will collect the information necessary to use the plugin.
All we need is the Access Token and Phone Number ID that were generated. Using the trial version it is necessary to add the numbers that will be able to receive the messages. Just add the numbers you need in the Select a recipient phone number input.
Important
At first, your account will be created with a temporary access token and a test phone number which have some limitations. You can configure later to use a permanent token and also your own WhatsApp numbers.
Warning
This plugin only offers the functionalities available through the WhatsApp Cloud API.
In the examples in the main section a test account is being used demonstrating the basic use of the functionalities.
Please keep in mind that pricing issues, usage policies and limitations should be consulted in the WhatsApp Business Platform documentation.