WhatsApp Setup

This is the most important guide in Lynkist. Until your workspace has a connected WhatsApp Business number, you cannot send messages, design real templates, or test campaigns. The whole platform unlocks once setup is complete — and most teams can finish in under an hour if their Facebook Business records are in order.

What you'll need before you start

Have these ready in a tab before you begin. Hunting for them mid-flow is the most common reason setup stalls.

• A Facebook Business Account (or admin access to one). If you don't have one yet, create it at business.facebook.com — takes five minutes.
• A phone number that is not currently registered on the consumer WhatsApp app or the WhatsApp Business app. The number must be able to receive an SMS or voice call for the registration OTP.
• Your business legal name and address as they appear on official documents — these must match what's on file with Facebook.
• A working website URL for the business (used during Facebook verification).
• A display name for the WhatsApp profile (this is what recipients will see).

How the stack works

Lynkist does not connect you to Meta directly. We route through a verified WhatsApp Business Solution Provider (BSP). This matters for two reasons:

1. Pricing transparency. Meta charges Lynkist for conversations; Lynkist passes that through. The BSP handles the Meta billing relationship.
2. Compliance. The BSP holds the Meta partnership status, which is what lets us run embedded signup and template approval without you maintaining a direct Meta partner account.

You'll see this referenced as "your BSP" throughout the dashboard. From your perspective the setup feels seamless — the BSP layer is invisible.

Step 1 — Sign in to Lynkist and open the WhatsApp settings

Log in at lynkist.io, then go to Settings → WhatsApp. If you have never set up a number, you'll see a single primary button: Connect WhatsApp Business.

Click it. This opens the embedded signup flow.

Step 2 — Embedded signup with Facebook

Embedded signup is a guided modal that walks you through:

1. Sign in to Facebook. Use the account that is an admin of your Facebook Business Account. If you have multiple Facebook accounts, double-check you are on the right one before continuing.
2. Select or create a Business Portfolio. This is the legal entity inside Facebook. Pick the existing one if you've used Facebook Business before; create new if this is a fresh setup.
3. Select or create a WhatsApp Business Account (WABA). A WABA is the parent container for your WhatsApp numbers and templates. Most teams have exactly one WABA.
4. Select or add a phone number. Enter the number you prepared earlier (see prerequisites).
5. Choose a display name. This is what recipients see in their WhatsApp chat. It must comply with Meta's display name policy — it should match your brand, not include words like "WhatsApp" or "Free", and not misrepresent the business.

When the modal completes, control returns to Lynkist. You'll see the new number listed with status Pending verification.

Step 3 — Business verification (if Facebook asks)

If your Facebook Business has never been verified, Meta will block WhatsApp setup until you complete it. The flow happens inside Facebook's Business Manager, not inside Lynkist.

Facebook will ask you to upload:

• A business license or registration certificate
• A utility bill or bank statement showing the business name and address
• A phone bill or tax document as secondary proof

Submit clean PDFs or images — bad scans are the most common reason verification stalls. Facebook usually responds within 2–5 business days. You can continue with other setup steps while you wait; you just won't be able to send to numbers outside the test list until verification clears.

Step 4 — Phone number registration (OTP)

Back in Lynkist, click the Pending verification number. You'll be asked to complete the OTP:

1. Choose SMS or Voice call
2. Click Send code
3. Within 60 seconds, you'll receive a 6-digit code on that number
4. Enter the code in Lynkist

The number status will change to Connected and the green dot will appear next to it.

Step 5 — Set the WhatsApp profile

Open Settings → WhatsApp → Profile to set what recipients see when they tap your business name in the chat header:

• About — one-line description (139 chars)
• Description — full business description
• Email and Website — at least one is recommended
• Address — only required for some business categories
• Business category — pick the closest match
• Profile photo — square, at least 640×640px, on-brand

These settings sync to WhatsApp within a few minutes. Recipients will see them in the chat profile screen.

Step 6 — Send your first message

You're now ready to send. The fastest validation:

1. Go to Templates → Library and pick the hello_world starter template (every new workspace ships with one)
2. Click Send test
3. Enter your own WhatsApp number
4. Hit Send

You should receive the message on your phone within 10 seconds. If you do, setup is complete and you can move on to Templates and Campaigns.

Common problems and what to do

What setup gives you

Once a number is Connected:

• You can submit and use message templates
• You can run campaigns to your contact list
• Inbound messages flow into the shared inbox
• You can subscribe to webhooks for every meaningful event
• You can call the API to send programmatically

Next steps