TopEdge Docs

Connect WhatsApp

TopEdge sends and receives on the WhatsApp Business Platform (Cloud API). This page covers the connection itself, the webhook subscription that makes the inbox work, and what to do when the channel drops.

Connect WhatsApp from Settings → Connections → WhatsApp using the embedded Meta signup, which handles the access token for you. Then confirm the messages webhook field is subscribed — without it TopEdge can send messages but will never receive replies, so the inbox stays empty.

Before you start

  • A WhatsApp Business Account (WABA) in Meta Business Manager, and admin rights on it.
  • A phone number that can receive an SMS or call to verify, and that is not actively registered in the WhatsApp Business app.
  • A verified business on Meta if you want to raise your messaging limits beyond the starting tier.

Connect with embedded signup (recommended)

Embedded signup runs Meta’s own flow inside the dashboard. It creates or selects the WABA, registers the phone number, subscribes TopEdge to the account and stores a long-lived token — which is why it is the recommended path over pasting credentials by hand.

  1. Open WhatsApp connections Settings → Connections → WhatsApp → Connect.
  2. Sign in to Meta Use the Facebook account that administers your business. A personal account with no Business Manager access cannot complete this.
  3. Pick or create the WhatsApp Business Account Choose the WABA that owns the number you want to send from. Creating a second WABA for the same business is a common cause of templates appearing to go missing later.
  4. Add and verify the phone number Enter the number, choose SMS or voice verification, and enter the code. Verified numbers show a green state in Meta.
  5. Finish and return to TopEdge The card should now read Connected, showing the phone number and WhatsApp Business Account it is bound to.
  6. Confirm the messages webhook Open the Webhook tab. The messages field must be subscribed. This is what delivers inbound messages, delivery receipts and button taps to TopEdge. No messages field means no inbox, no bot replies and no read receipts.
  7. Send yourself a test Message your business number from a personal phone. The thread should appear in Live Chat within seconds.

Manual credentials (advanced)

If embedded signup cannot complete — for example on a WABA managed by an agency that will not grant access — you can paste credentials instead. You will need the Phone Number ID, the WhatsApp Business Account ID, an access token and your Meta App ID, all from the Meta developer console.

Phone Number ID
Identifies the specific number messages send from. Not the phone number itself — a numeric ID from Meta.
WhatsApp Business Account ID (WABA ID)
The account that owns your numbers and templates. Templates are scoped to this, which is why connecting the wrong WABA makes your template library look empty.
Access token
Authorises TopEdge to call Meta on your behalf. Use a System User token in production.
Webhook verify token
A shared secret Meta echoes back when it first calls your webhook URL, proving the endpoint is yours.

How to check it worked

  • The WhatsApp card reads Connected with the right phone number.
  • No amber "WhatsApp disconnected" bar at the top of the dashboard.
  • The messages webhook field is subscribed in the Webhook tab.
  • A test message from a personal phone lands in Live Chat.
  • Meta Manager lists your templates — an empty library usually means the wrong WABA.

If something goes wrong

Amber "WhatsApp disconnected" bar across every page
  • Open Settings → Connections → WhatsApp and reconnect. If you are on manual credentials, paste a fresh permanent System User token.
  • A token that stopped working overnight was almost certainly a 24-hour test token.
  • Confirm the number has not been disconnected or migrated inside Meta Business Manager.
  • Reconnect, then send a test message to confirm inbound still arrives.
Connection succeeds but the inbox stays empty
  • Check the messages webhook field is subscribed — sending works without it, receiving does not.
  • Message from a personal phone. A business number cannot message itself.
  • Confirm a flow is Published in Flow Builder, otherwise inbound messages arrive with no automated reply.
Embedded signup says the phone number is already in use
  • The number is registered in the WhatsApp Business app. Either delete that account or enable coexistence on your WABA.
  • Check for a second Cloud API app already claiming the number in Meta Business Manager.
  • As a last resort, verify a different number and keep the old one for manual chats.
Template library is empty after connecting
  • You are almost certainly connected to a different WhatsApp Business Account than the one holding your templates.
  • Check which WABA the connection names, and compare it with the account in Meta Business Manager.
  • Reconnect against the correct WABA, then use Sync from Meta in Meta Manager.

Frequently asked questions

Why is my WhatsApp inbox empty even though the channel is connected?

Connection and webhook subscription are two separate things. TopEdge can send as soon as the token is valid, but inbound messages only arrive once the messages webhook field is subscribed on your Meta app. Check the Webhook tab in WhatsApp settings and subscribe it.

What kind of WhatsApp access token should I use?

A System User token with the whatsapp_business_messaging permission. The token offered on the Meta developer dashboard is a temporary test token that expires in roughly 24 hours, which makes the channel appear to break by itself the next day.

Can I keep using the WhatsApp Business app on the same number?

Only if coexistence is enabled on your WhatsApp Business Account. Otherwise a number can be registered either on the Cloud API or in the WhatsApp Business app, not both, and embedded signup will report that the number is already in use.

Updated 2026-10-04