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WhatsApp Official Business Account

An Official Business Account is a WhatsApp business phone number that Meta accepts as authentically representing the business behind it. Chats with the number carry a blue check mark beside the business name, and WhatsApp opens capabilities to the number that other senders do not get. Meta makes the decision against its own criteria, so Bird can neither approve the request nor accelerate it.
This is a different decision from business verification, which checks the identity of the business portfolio behind the account. Business verification is one of the requirements below, and completing it does not grant this status.
Meta grants the status per phone number, so two numbers on the same WhatsApp Business Account can differ. Its Official Business Accounts documentation carries the current criteria and review process.

What the status gives you

  • A check mark in the chat. A blue check mark appears next to the business name in the customer's contacts view, in place of the raw phone number another sender shows.
  • Discoverability inside WhatsApp. Meta surfaces an Official Business Account in WhatsApp's in-app search. A number without the status reaches search only for people who already saved it as a contact, so a customer who types your brand name does not find you.
  • Group creation. WhatsApp opens groups to an Official Business Account, and refuses a group created from any other number with a 412 E15045 WhatsAppGroupsNotEligible. WhatsApp groups covers what a group is for and how people join one.
The status also fixes the display name. A number that holds it cannot be renamed through PATCH /v1/whatsapp/numbers/{number_id}/profile, and a rename has to go through WhatsApp support instead, so settle the name you want before you request the status.

What Meta requires

Meta reviews the number against each of these:
  • Your messaging complies with the WhatsApp Business Messaging Policy.
  • The number has been registered on the WhatsApp Business Platform for at least 30 days.
  • The business portfolio that owns the WhatsApp Business Account has completed business verification.
  • Two-step verification is turned on for the number.
  • The number's display name is approved.
Meta excludes business employees, test accounts, and numbers running on the WhatsApp Business app from the status entirely.

Request the status in WhatsApp Manager

The request happens in Meta's tools, on the WhatsApp Business Account that owns the number:
  1. Open WhatsApp Manager, select Overview, and select the business phone number.
  2. Turn two-step verification on for the number if it is off.
  3. Open Phone numbers > Profile > Official business account and select Submit Request.
Meta reports the outcome to you once the review finishes. If the Submit Request option does not appear, read the requirements above first; Meta then asks you to confirm eligibility with your Meta point of contact, your solution provider's support, or Meta Support.

Read the status in Bird

Open the Numbers page under WhatsApp. A number that holds the status carries a check mark, and the mark names the status when you hover it. A number without it carries no mark, which is the normal state rather than a fault.
GET /v1/whatsapp/numbers reports the same thing per number as is_official_business_account. The field is absent until WhatsApp has reported a value, and for a number Bird operates on your behalf. Bird reads the value from WhatsApp as of the number's meta_synced_at, so it follows Meta's decision rather than setting it.

If Meta refuses the request

A refusal means the review found the number short of the requirements at that time. Meta holds a refused number to 30 days before it accepts another request, so spend that time on the requirement that was missing rather than resubmitting the same case.
Your business profile stays yours either way. The profile picture, email address, website, and business description on the number reach everyone who opens the chat, with or without the status.

Next steps

Related resources

Continue with the documentation, guides and examples for this topic. Resources are in English.

Watch the guideConnecting WhatsApp to Bird: from buying a number to a live channelUnderstand the conceptWhat is the 24-hour customer service window on WhatsApp?Use the toolWhatsApp message builderExplore the capabilityWhatsApp
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