Glossary

What Is the WhatsApp Business API? Full Definition

What the WhatsApp Business API is, what it unlocks, and what it costs.

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The short answer The WhatsApp Business API is Meta's platform that lets businesses run WhatsApp at scale: a cloud-hosted number, a shared inbox, pre-approved templates, campaigns, and integrations. Unlike the free Business App, it is billed by Meta per conversation, and a provider (BSP) like Wutt connects the number and supplies the tools around it.

01 · Glossary

How the API is different from the app

The Business App lives on one phone. The API hosts the number in the cloud, so any number of agents can work the same conversations from any device.

No SIM or phone needed for the number
Multi-agent shared inbox with assignments
Pre-approved templates for business-initiated messages
Campaigns, flow builder, automations, and AI drafts
Integrations with CRM, booking, store, and billing tools

02 · Glossary

Who connects the number

Businesses do not plug into the API directly; they use a Business Solution Provider (BSP). The BSP connects the number, manages templates and compliance, and provides the dashboard. Wutt is the provider: you connect via the Meta Cloud API, or link an existing number by QR, and run the inbox, templates, and campaigns from one workspace.

A BSP connects the number and manages compliance
Wutt connects via the Cloud API or QR migration
Inbox, templates, and campaigns run from one workspace

03 · Glossary

What the API costs

Two bills exist: the provider plan and Meta's conversation fees.

Meta bills per conversation since November 2024, not per message
Marketing, utility, and authentication conversations bill by country rate; service conversations inside 24 hours are free
US rates: marketing $0.025, utility $0.004, authentication $0.004
Wutt plans run $11/$99/$299 per month with a $1 trial, and zero markup on Meta's fees

04 · Glossary

What the API does not change

The API is a channel, not a license to spam. Opt-in is still required for marketing, templates still need approval, and quality rules still apply. The API raises what you can do; compliance rules decide how far that goes.

Opt-in is still required for marketing
Templates still need approval
Quality rules still apply

Last updated 5 August 2026

Common questions

No. Meta bills per conversation by category and country, and providers charge a plan. Wutt plans start at $11/mo with zero markup on Meta fees.

You need a number to register, but it is cloud-hosted — no SIM card lives in a device. You can also migrate an existing number.

A Business Solution Provider connects your number to the API and supplies the tools around it. Wutt is a BSP.

Yes. That is the point of the API: a shared inbox where the whole team works one number. See the app-vs-API comparison for details.

Master the WhatsApp terms that matter

Plain-English answers to the WhatsApp terms merchants ask about every week.

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What Is the WhatsApp Business API? Full Definition

How the API is different from the app

Who connects the number

What the API costs

What the API does not change

Common questions

Master the WhatsApp terms that matter

Stay up to date

Important Links

Company Links

Contact Info

What Is the WhatsApp Business API? Full Definition

How the API is different from the app

Who connects the number

What the API costs

What the API does not change

Common questions

Is the WhatsApp Business API free?

Do I need a phone number for the API?

What is a BSP?

Can two people use the same WhatsApp number with the API?

Master the WhatsApp terms that matter

Stay up to date

Important Links

Company Links

Contact Info