Meta WhatsApp Cloud Setup Guide

Create your DrusyAI workspace

5 minutes

Request access via https://www.drusy.ai/contact to be manually onboarded. A member of the team will reach out to you. There is no self-registration. Do this first, because your workspace subdomain becomes part of the webhook URL Meta needs later.

Confirm you can log into the right Facebook account

5–30 minutes

Log into https://business.facebook.com with the account that owns, or will own, your business assets, before you do anything else.

Where to do this in Metahttps://business.facebook.com

Logged into Facebook successfully
This is the account that owns the business, not a personal side account
Password recovery access confirmed (email or phone you still control)
Account is not restricted
A Business Portfolio is visible in the left sidebar

This is the single most common place setup stalls. If no Business Portfolio appears in the sidebar, you are almost certainly signed into the wrong Facebook account. Log out and back in before continuing.

Start Meta business verification

30 minutes to submit, days to approve

Meta will not release production WhatsApp access until your business is verified. Submit this as early as possible and continue with the remaining steps while it processes.

Where to do this in MetaMeta Business Settings > Business Info > Security Centre

Legal business name entered exactly as it appears on your registration document
Business type selected correctly (e.g. LLC vs partnership vs LLP)
Registration document uploaded
A document showing business address, phone and email uploaded
Domain verified via TXT record, or verification code sent
Verification submitted (not just saved)

Pro tip: Domain verification by TXT record takes about three minutes: enter your domain with no https:// and no trailing path, choose the TXT record option, copy the value, add it to your DNS, then click Verify.

Your registration certificate alone often will not satisfy Meta, because it may not show an address, phone number and email. A status or annual return document usually does.

Complete your DrusyAI business profile and request verification

10 minutes to submit, allow time for review

With Meta's review under way, submit your DrusyAI business details for verification so both reviews run at the same time. DrusyAI reviews this manually, and your Assistant cannot be switched on until it is approved.

Where to do this in DrusyAIWorkspace > Business Profile

Legal business name entered
Industry selected
Contact email entered
Registration number entered
Country selected
Profile saved
Request verification clicked
Status shows Pending

This is a separate request from Meta business verification in step 3, and you need both. Changing your business name, industry, contact email, registration number or country after submitting resets verification to Not verified and restarts the review, so get these right before you submit.

Verification is required before you can enable your Assistant, and a WhatsApp channel alone is not enough. Submit it here so review happens while you work through the remaining Meta steps.

Create your WhatsApp Business Account

10–15 minutes

Create or select the WhatsApp Business Account (WABA) inside your Business Portfolio that will own your WhatsApp number.

Where to do this in MetaMeta Business Settings > Accounts > WhatsApp accounts

Correct Business Portfolio selected
WhatsApp Business Account created or selected
Admin access confirmed

DrusyAI does not need your WABA ID, only the Phone Number ID from step 8. You can skip copying it.

Create a Meta Developer app and add WhatsApp

10–20 minutes

Create an app at https://developers.facebook.com and add the WhatsApp product to it.

First time at Meta for Developers? Set up developer access

Where to do this in MetaMeta for Developers > My Apps > Create App

Developer app created
WhatsApp use case added
App linked to the correct Business Portfolio
Privacy Policy URL added under App Settings > Basic
Terms of Service URL added under App Settings > Basic

Meta requires live Privacy Policy and Terms of Service URLs on your own domain. Add these now, because a missing URL blocks you later, at a point where the error message will not tell you why.

Register your WhatsApp phone number

10–30 minutes

Where to do this in MetaMeta app > WhatsApp > API Setup > Step 1

Dedicated phone number selected (not already on WhatsApp or WhatsApp Business)
Number can receive SMS or a voice call
Number verified in Meta
Display name submitted

Pro tip: Meta gives you a free test number while your real number is pending. You can complete this entire guide with the test number and swap in your production number later. Just add your own phone under Recipients so the test number is allowed to message you.

Phone verification happens entirely in Meta, not in DrusyAI. A number already registered to a personal WhatsApp account must be deleted from that account first.

Copy your Phone Number ID

2 minutes

Copy the Phone Number ID for your registered number. This is a numeric Graph API ID, not the phone number itself.

Where to do this in MetaMeta app > WhatsApp > API Setup > Step 1

Correct WhatsApp number selected in the dropdown
Phone Number ID copied (10 to 20 digits, no + prefix)
Saved somewhere you can paste from

Entering the visible phone number instead of the Phone Number ID is a common mistake. DrusyAI rejects anything that is not 10 to 20 digits, but a wrong-but-numeric ID will only fail later, during the connection test.

Copy your App Secret

2 minutes

Copy the App Secret from your Meta app. DrusyAI uses it to verify that inbound webhooks genuinely came from Meta.

Where to do this in MetaMeta app > App Settings > Basic > App Secret > Show

App Secret revealed and copied
Saved somewhere you can paste from

Create a System User and generate a permanent access token

10–15 minutes

Generate a permanent access token via a System User. This is the longest step in Meta and the one most people get wrong.

Where to do this in MetaMeta Business Settings > Users > System users

System user created with the Employee role
Assign assets > Apps > your Meta app > Full control
Assign assets > WhatsApp accounts > your WABA > Full control
Generate token > select your app
Token expiry set to Never
whatsapp_business_messaging permission selected
Token copied immediately

Pro tip: Meta shows the token exactly once. Copy it before closing the dialog. Do not use the temporary token from the API Setup page, because it expires in 24 hours and your channel will silently stop working.

You must assign assets twice, once for the app and once for the WhatsApp Business Account. Missing either one produces a token that looks valid but fails DrusyAI's connection test.

Create the channel in DrusyAI and save it as a draft

5 minutes

Create a Meta WhatsApp Cloud channel in DrusyAI and paste in the credentials you collected. Everything goes on one form, and there is no separate credentials area.

Where to do this in DrusyAIAssistant > Channels > New channel > Meta

Meta selected under channel type
Phone Number ID pasted (step 8)
Access token pasted (step 10)
App secret pasted (step 9)
Verify token present, DrusyAI generates this for you
Save draft clicked

Channel type currently offers Meta, Twilio and Web. Pick Meta for this guide; more channel types are being added. DrusyAI generates the verify token automatically, so you do not invent one. It is read-only; use the copy button next to it.

You must save the draft before configuring the webhook in Meta. DrusyAI only answers Meta's verification handshake once a channel holding the verify token exists.

Copy the callback URL and verify token from DrusyAI

2 minutes

Both values are on the channel page, in the webhook section below the credentials.

Where to do this in DrusyAIAssistant > Channels > your Meta WhatsApp Cloud channel

Callback URL copied
Subdomain in the URL is correct
Verify token copied

Callback URL format: https://{your-subdomain}.drusy.ai/webhook/meta/whatsapp

Configure the webhook in Meta

5–10 minutes

Paste both values into your Meta app's WhatsApp configuration and let Meta verify the endpoint.

Where to do this in MetaMeta app > WhatsApp > Configuration > Edit

Callback URL pasted
Verify token pasted
Verify and save clicked
Meta reports the webhook as verified

The verify token must match DrusyAI exactly. If you regenerate it in DrusyAI afterwards, you must paste the new value into Meta again or the connection breaks.

Subscribe to the messages webhook field

2 minutes

Subscribing the app to the messages field is what actually causes Meta to forward inbound WhatsApp messages to DrusyAI.

Where to do this in MetaMeta app > WhatsApp > Configuration > Webhook fields > Manage

messages field subscribed
Subscription saved
Correct WhatsApp Business Account shown

A verified webhook is not a subscribed webhook. Skip this and Meta will report everything as healthy while no message ever reaches DrusyAI.

Test and activate the channel

2–5 minutes

Back in DrusyAI, run Test and activate. DrusyAI checks your configuration, decrypts your credentials, and calls Meta to confirm your number is reachable, then activates the channel in one action.

Where to do this in DrusyAIAssistant > Channels > your channel > Test and activate

Test and activate clicked
All checks passed
Channel status shows Active

If you edit credentials later, the previous test is invalidated and you must run Test and activate again. Statuses: Draft (created, not live), Error (last test failed), Active (live), Needs attention (live but failing background health checks).

Do not stop at a passing test. A channel that has been tested but not activated will reject every inbound message, and Meta's own 'Send test to server' button will appear to do nothing. Inbound messages only reach DrusyAI once the status is Active.

Confirm messages are arriving

5 minutes

Use Meta's webhook test to send a sample payload, then confirm DrusyAI received it.

Where to do this in DrusyAIAssistant > Channels > your channel > Webhook activity

Send test to server clicked in Meta (Configuration > Webhook fields > messages > Test)
Delivery appears in DrusyAI's webhook activity log
No signature or authentication errors shown

Pro tip: An empty activity log after activation almost always means the messages field is not subscribed (step 14). Real messages can lag by a minute or two; Meta's test payload should not.

Prepare Knowledge

15–45 minutes

Add the information your Assistant should draw on when answering customers.

Where to do this in DrusyAIAssistant > Knowledge

Knowledge source added
Content indexed
FAQs and business information covered
Sample answers reviewed

Enable Skills

5–20 minutes

Turn on the Skills your Assistant should be able to use in conversations.

Where to do this in DrusyAIAssistant > Inbuilt Skills

Required inbuilt skills enabled
Skill configuration completed
Custom skills reviewed under Assistant > Custom Skills if applicable

Enable and configure your Assistant

10–20 minutes

Turn the Assistant on and set how it should behave before customers reach it.

Where to do this in DrusyAIWorkspace > Settings

Business verification approved (step 4)
Assistant enabled
Persona configured
Handoff threshold configured
Human handoff behaviour reviewed

An active channel with the Assistant switched off will receive messages but never reply. If your test message arrives in the Inbox and nothing happens, check here first.

You cannot enable the Assistant until your DrusyAI business verification from step 4 is approved. If the toggle is unavailable, check your verification status under Workspace > Business Profile.

Send a real WhatsApp message end to end

10 minutes

Message your connected business number from your own phone and follow the conversation all the way through DrusyAI.

Where to do this in DrusyAIInbox

Inbound message appears in the Inbox
Assistant replies and the reply arrives on WhatsApp
Manual reply from the Inbox arrives on WhatsApp
Handoff to a human works
Teammates can see the conversation

While using Meta's test number, you can only message phone numbers added under Recipients in the API Setup page.

Go live

15 minutes

Put your WhatsApp number in front of customers and watch the first real conversations closely.

Production number registered and verified (if you tested with Meta's test number)
WhatsApp link added to your website
WhatsApp added to email signatures
QR code added where useful
Team briefed on the Inbox
First conversations monitored

Pro tip: Only one WhatsApp channel can be active per workspace, so switching from the test number to your production number means deactivating the old channel first.

NextNeed help? Open troubleshooting

Set up Meta WhatsApp Cloud

Create your DrusyAI workspace

Confirm you can log into the right Facebook account

Start Meta business verification

Complete your DrusyAI business profile and request verification

Create your WhatsApp Business Account

Create a Meta Developer app and add WhatsApp

Register your WhatsApp phone number

Copy your Phone Number ID

Copy your App Secret

Create a System User and generate a permanent access token

Create the channel in DrusyAI and save it as a draft

Copy the callback URL and verify token from DrusyAI

Configure the webhook in Meta

Subscribe to the messages webhook field

Test and activate the channel

Confirm messages are arriving

Prepare Knowledge

Enable Skills

Enable and configure your Assistant

Send a real WhatsApp message end to end

Go live

Put your customer conversations on autopilot