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~10 minutes setup

What You'll Need

Prerequisites and accounts before starting

Choosing Your Number

Use your own number or get a free Meta-provided one

Quick Path

Condensed steps if you know Meta’s tools

Step-by-Step Guide

Complete walkthrough (Steps 1–9)

Update Display Name

Change the auto-assigned default name

Business Verification

Why it matters and how to complete it

Flagged Account

Fix restrictions and request reviews

Quick Checklist

Verify your setup is complete

Troubleshooting & FAQs

Common issues and fixes

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Introduction

WhatsApp is where your customers already are — but handling every conversation manually doesn’t scale. You need your AI agent responding instantly, qualifying leads, and capturing data around the clock, right inside WhatsApp. This guide walks you through connecting your WhatsApp Business number to Irelia.ai using Meta’s . You’ll link your number directly to your Irelia AI agent in minutes — no coding, no API configuration, just a guided signup flow. By the end of this guide, you’ll have: ✅ A working WhatsApp Business connection to Irelia.ai
✅ Your AI agent ready to handle WhatsApp conversations 24/7
✅ Your Display Name updated to show your brand to customers
✅ Business Verification started to protect your account and unlock higher messaging limits

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🗺️ What You’ll Do

Here’s a quick overview of the process:
  1. Access Irelia settings and start the WhatsApp connection (~1 minute)
  2. Log in and authorize with Meta — grant the necessary permissions (~1 minute)
  3. Configure your WhatsApp Business Account — select your Meta , create a , and enter your details (~2 minutes)
  4. Add and verify your phone number — or select a free Meta-provided number (~2 minutes)
  5. Confirm the connection in Irelia — select your number and see the success screen (~1 minute)
  6. Update your Display Name — change from the default to your customer-facing brand name (~5 minutes)
  7. Start Business Verification — submit documents to protect your account and unlock higher limits (~5 minutes)

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📋 What You’ll Need

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Required Information

  • Legal business name — Your company’s official registered name Required
  • Business address — Your company’s official address Required
  • Business website — A working website that matches your business Required

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Account Requirements

  • Facebook account — A personal Facebook account (not a Page) Required
  • Admin access to an existing Business Manager, OR willingness to create one during setup Required
  • Start Business Verification early — If the option is available in your Business Manager’s Security Center, begin the process before or right after setup. It protects your account from restrictions and unlocks higher messaging limits. → Learn more
The process is straightforward — no coding required. If you can click through a few screens and copy a verification code, you can do this.
Agencies and marketers setting up for a client? You need to be added as an Admin with full control (including finance permissions) on your client’s Business Manager. Being added as a “Partner” — which is what Meta’s own guidelines recommend — is not sufficient for the Embedded Signup process. See how to fix this before you begin.

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📞 Choosing Your Phone Number

You have two options when connecting WhatsApp to Irelia:

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📱 Option A: Use Your Own Number

Best for: Businesses wanting a local or branded number that customers recognize. Requirements:
  • Landline number, SIM card, or eSIM (an active subscription is NOT required — the number just needs to receive one code)
  • Number must NOT be registered on WhatsApp or WhatsApp Business app
  • Able to receive SMS or voice call for one-time verification
✅ Why choose this⚠️ Keep in mind
Customers see a familiar local numberCan’t use the WhatsApp app on the same number simultaneously
Better brand recognitionMust disconnect from the WhatsApp app before setup
Landlines work too (verified via voice call)Landlines can often only verify via voice call, not SMS
Consider using your main business phone number — even if it’s a landline. This lets customers reach you on a single recognizable number across multiple channels (phone calls and WhatsApp), maximizing your availability without needing a separate line.
Number already registered on WhatsApp? It must be disconnected before setup:
  • On the WhatsApp app (smartphone): Delete the account first — go to “Settings” → “Account” → “Delete Account” in WhatsApp. Wait 5–10 minutes before proceeding.
  • Connected to an existing WABA: For the smoothest experience, delete that WABA from your Business Manager before starting. This ensures all permissions and partnerships are configured correctly from the start:
    1. Go to Meta Business Suite → “Business Settings”
    2. Click “WhatsApp Accounts” in the left sidebar
    3. Select the WABA you want to remove
    4. Click “Delete” or “Remove from Business Portfolio”
    5. Wait 5 minutes, then start the connection process from Step 1

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🆓 Option B: Use a Meta-Provided US Number

Best for: Businesses without a spare number, or those serving international or US markets. Requirements: None! Meta provides a free US (+1) number automatically. How to get it: During phone setup, select “I don’t have a phone number” or “Use Display Name” — Meta assigns one instantly.
✅ Why choose this⚠️ Keep in mind
No physical SIM neededUS (+1) number only
Completely free to useMay seem less local to non-US customers
Ready instantlyCannot receive SMS or calls outside WhatsApp
This option may only appear for verified Business Managers. If you don’t see it, complete Business Verification first.

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⚡ Quick Path (Experienced Users)

Already familiar with Meta Business tools? Here’s the condensed version:
  1. Irelia: Go to “Settings” → “Channels Configuration” → Click “Connect WhatsApp”
  2. New tab: Review requirements → Click “Continue with Facebook”
  3. Meta popup: Log in → Click “Begin” (or “Get Started”)
  4. Select Business Portfolio and create a new WhatsApp Business Account
  5. Enter: Account name, country, category, website
  6. Phone: Add your number and verify via SMS or voice call — OR select “Use only display name” for a free Meta-provided US number
  7. Irelia: Select your phone number → Click “Confirm”
  8. Done: See the congratulations screen ✅
  9. Display Name: Update in WhatsApp Manager (defaults to your Business Manager name) — see guide
  10. Business Verification: Start the process in Security Center as soon as possible, especially for new Business Managers — why it matters
⏱️ The Quick Path takes about 3–4 minutes for the core connection. Need more detail? Continue with the full guide below.

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🔌 Step-by-Step Connection Guide

1

Access Your Channel Settings

~1 minuteNavigate to your Irelia settings page: 👉 https://irelia.ai/settings?menu=settings&settings_tab=generale
  1. You’ll see the “Channels Configuration” section with connection buttons
2

Start the WhatsApp Connection

Click the green “Connect WhatsApp” button. A new browser tab will open with setup instructions.
3

Review Requirements and Begin the Connection

~1 minuteYou’ll see a page listing the information you need to have ready.
You’ll see a message about not removing “Gupshup” as a partner. Gupshup is Irelia’s WhatsApp technology provider — never remove this partnership or your WhatsApp integration will stop working.
  1. Click the “Continue with Facebook” button
  2. A Meta popup window will appear
4

Log In with Facebook

~1 minuteA Meta authorization popup will open.If you’re already logged in: You’ll see a confirmation screen asking “Continue as [Your Name]?” — Click “Continue as [Your Name]” to proceed.If you’re not logged in: Enter your Facebook credentials first, then click to continue.
Use the Facebook account that has admin access to your Business Manager, or the account you want as the admin of a new Business Manager.
5

Authorize the Connection

You’ll see an information screen explaining the permissions you’re granting:
  • WhatsApp Business Account Access — Allows managing phone numbers, message templates, sending and receiving messages
  • Billing Management — Associates billing for WhatsApp API usage
About billing: You won’t be billed directly by Meta for WhatsApp messages. All WhatsApp messaging costs are charged through your Irelia credits instead.
  1. Click “Begin” (or “Get Started” / “Inizia”) to continue
6

Select Your Business Portfolio and Create a WhatsApp Business Account

~1 minuteOn this screen, you’ll configure two things:
  1. Business Portfolio — Select your existing from the dropdown, or create a new one
  2. WhatsApp Business Account — Select “Create a new WhatsApp Business Account” (don’t select already existing ones in the list)
  3. Click “Continue”
Client’s Business Manager not showing in the dropdown? Partner access is not enough for this process — even though Meta’s guidelines recommend it for agencies. → Jump to the fix: Issue 5 in Troubleshooting
Creating a new Business Manager? If you selected “Create a new Business Manager” in this step, prioritize starting Business Verification as soon as setup is complete. New, unverified Business Managers are more susceptible to automated restrictions from Meta.
7

Enter Your Account Details

~1 minuteFill in the details for your new WhatsApp Business Account:
FieldWhat to EnterExample
Account NameInternal name for this account (customers won’t see this)“Acme WhatsApp”
CountryYour business country”Italy”
Category / VerticalYour business type”Marketing Agency”
WebsiteYour business website”https://acme.com”
  1. Fill in all four fields
  2. Click “Continue”
About your Display Name: Your WhatsApp Display Name (what customers see) is automatically set to your Business Manager name during setup. You’ll update it as your first post-setup step — see Update Your Display Name.
8

Add and Verify Your Phone Number

~2 minutesYou’ll see two options on this screen:

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Option A: Add a new phone number

  1. Enter your phone number with country code (e.g., +1 555 123 4567)
Seeing an error like “This number is registered to an existing WhatsApp account”? The number needs to be disconnected from its current WhatsApp registration first. → See how to fix this
  1. Choose your verification method:
    • 📱 SMS — Receive a text message with a code
    • 📞 Voice Call — Receive an automated call with a code
  2. Enter the verification code when received
Verification tips:
  • Landline? Select Voice Call — landlines typically can’t receive SMS.
  • Auto-dialer or IVR on the line? Temporarily disconnect it before requesting the voice code — automated calls won’t get through otherwise. Reconnect after verification.
  • SMS not arriving? Wait 60 seconds, then switch to Voice Call — it’s more reliable and almost always gets through.

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Option B: Use a Meta-provided US number

  1. Select “Use only display name” — Meta will assign a free US (+1) number automatically. No phone verification needed.
9

Complete the Meta Signup

~2 minutesOnce you’ve verified your number (or selected the Meta-provided number):
  1. Click “Continue”, then click “End”
  2. The Meta popup will close, and you’ll return to the setup page
  3. You’ll see a screen saying “We are almost done!” showing the phone number(s) available for activation
  4. Select your phone number from the list
  5. Click “Confirm”
Don’t close the page! The system is configuring your WhatsApp connection. Wait 1–2 minutes for the connection to be finalized.
  1. You’ll see a success screen confirming your setup is complete
Success! Your WhatsApp Business number is now connected to Irelia.

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🎉 Congratulations! You Did It!

Take a moment to appreciate what you just built: ✅ Your WhatsApp Business number is connected to Irelia
✅ Your AI agent can now handle WhatsApp conversations 24/7
✅ Every incoming message gets an instant, intelligent response
✅ Lead qualification, data capture, and follow-up happen automatically
Seeing warnings or restrictions? In rare cases, Meta may flag a new WABA. If this happens, don’t panic — see Dealing with a Flagged Account.

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What’s Next?

Now that your WhatsApp connection is live, complete these two important post-setup tasks:
  1. 📝 Update your Display Name — It currently defaults to your Business Manager name. Continue to the next section to change it to your preferred customer-facing name.
  2. 🛡️ Start Business Verification — If you haven’t already, head to Security Center and begin the process now. This is especially important for new Business Managers to avoid potential restrictions. → Full guide

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📝 Update Your Display Name

During the Embedded Signup, your WhatsApp Display Name — the name customers see when they chat with you — is automatically set to your Business Manager name. This default likely isn’t the name you want customers to see, so updating it should be your first post-setup action. Before heading to WhatsApp Manager to change it, review the guidelines below so your new name gets approved on the first try.

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📏 Display Name Guidelines

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How approval works

Meta’s approval system checks the alignment between your Business Manager profile information and your Display Name. Here’s how it works:
  1. Your BM profile contains your official company name (e.g., “SalesX SPA”)
  2. Business Verification confirms this with official documents
  3. Display Name should align with this verified company identity
For example: If your company is officially “SalesX SPA” and you’ve verified this with official documents through Business Verification, your Display Name should be consistent with this identity — like “SalesX”, “SalesX Support”, or “SalesX Italia”.

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Approved examples

Business TypeGood Display Name
Agency”Acme Marketing”
E-commerce”GreenLeaf Store”
Local Business”Mario’s Pizza Roma”
SaaS”Irelia.ai”

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Rejected examples

Bad ExampleWhy It’s Rejected
”Support”Too generic
”WhatsApp Help”Contains “WhatsApp"
"Best Company Ever!!!”Excessive punctuation
”click.here.now”Looks like a URL
”Test Account”Not a real business name
”Random Brand XYZ”Doesn’t match verified business name

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Display Name rules

  1. Must be related to your business — Clearly represent your brand.
  2. Must match your documentation — Align with your BM profile and verification documents.
  3. No prohibited words — Avoid “WhatsApp”, “Meta”, “Facebook”, etc.
  4. No generic terms alone — “Customer Service” alone won’t work, but “Acme Customer Service” will.
  5. Proper grammar — No AlL cApS, excessive punctuation!!!, or $pecial ch@racters.

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🔄 How to Change Your Display Name

Once you’ve chosen a name that follows the guidelines above, here’s how to update it:
  1. Go to Meta Business Suite → “Business Settings” (gear icon)
  2. Click “WhatsApp Accounts” in the left sidebar
  3. Select your WABA → scroll down → click “WhatsApp Manager”
  1. In WhatsApp Manager, click “Phone numbers” in the left menu
  1. Click on your phone number to open its settings
  2. Click the pencil/edit icon next to your current Display Name
  3. Enter your new Display Name and click “Submit” for review (approval takes 24–48 hours)
Display Name changes require re-approval, and you can only change it a limited number of times per month. If your account is flagged or restricted, fix those issues first before attempting a name change (see Dealing with a Flagged Account).

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🏢 Business Verification Explained

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What Is Business Verification?

Business Verification is Meta’s process to confirm your business is legitimate. It involves submitting official documents to prove your business identity.

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🎯 Why Business Verification Matters

StatusCapabilities
Not VerifiedReply to unlimited incoming messages; send templates to max 50 unique customers per day
Verified ✅All of the above PLUS: send templates to 1K–100K+ unique customers per day
If the verification option is available to you, start it right away — ideally before or immediately after connecting WhatsApp. This is especially important for new Business Managers. Here’s why:
  1. 🛡️ Avoid future problems — New, unverified Business Managers are more likely to be flagged or restricted by Meta’s automated systems. Verifying early significantly reduces this risk.
  2. 📈 WhatsApp longevity — Verified accounts are more stable and less likely to face sudden restrictions down the road.
  3. 🔮 Future-proofing — Meta increasingly favors verified businesses with new features and higher limits.
  4. 📞 US number access — The free Meta-provided US phone number option may not appear if your Business Manager isn’t verified.

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Can You Start Without Verification?

Yes — you can connect WhatsApp and start using it immediately without verification. You won’t be blocked from setting up. Without verification, you can still:
  • ✅ Respond to unlimited customer-initiated conversations
  • ✅ Send business-initiated messages to 50 unique customers per 24-hour rolling period
  • ✅ Use your AI agent for all incoming conversations
The verification process runs in the background and typically takes 2–5 business days — so the sooner you start, the better.

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How to Start Verification

  1. Go to Meta Business Suite → “Business Settings” → “Security Center”
  2. Click “Start Verification”
  1. Submit one of the following documents:
    • Business registration certificate or business license
    • Tax registration certificate or articles of incorporation
    • Utility bill or bank statement (showing business name and address)
    • Government-issued ID of business admin
Timeline: Verification typically takes 2–5 business days.

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❓What If Verification Isn’t Available?

If you don’t see the verification option, Meta doesn’t have enough information about your business yet. Complete your Business Manager profile:
  1. Go to Meta Business Suite → “Business Settings” (gear icon) → “Business Info”
  2. Fill in all required fields:
    • ✅ Complete business address
    • ✅ Working website URL
    • ✅ Business details (legal name, phone, email)
  3. Save your changes and wait 24–48 hours for the verification option to appear
Shortcut: Registering a new WABA through the Irelia connection process automatically provides Meta with key business information. This often immediately unlocks the verification option — so if you just completed the WhatsApp setup, check back in Security Center right away or within 24 hours.

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🚩 Dealing with a Flagged Account

Sometimes your WABA setup completes successfully, but the account is immediately flagged or restricted by Meta. Don’t panic — it’s usually fixable!

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What Does Flagged Mean?

A flagged account means Meta’s automated systems detected something that seems to violate their policies — even if nothing is actually wrong.
Warning SignCommon Cause
”Restricted” or “Flagged” statusBusiness name mismatch with website or documents
”Policy Violation” warningsWebsite issues (misleading content, missing info)
“Low” quality rating from the startPrevious violations on other BM assets
Can’t send business-initiated messagesHigh-risk business category

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How to Check Status and Request a Review

Both tasks happen in the same place. Follow these steps:
  1. Go to Meta Business Suite → “Business Settings” (gear icon)
  2. Click “WhatsApp Accounts” in the left sidebar
  3. Select your WABA → scroll down → click “WhatsApp Manager”
  1. Click “Overview” — you’ll see warning banners if your account has been flagged
  2. Click the blue link in the warning banner to review the specific restriction reason
  1. To request a review: Click the “Request Review” button and explain that you’ve fixed the root issue
Before requesting review — fix the root cause! Meta will reject your appeal if the underlying problem isn’t resolved. If Meta gives you a vague error like “policy violation,” check the two most common culprits: your website might have issues (see Issue 3 in Troubleshooting), or your Business Manager profile has incomplete or inconsistent information. Fix these first, then submit your appeal.

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What to Expect

  • ⏱️ Review time: 24–72 hours (up to 7 business days)
  • ✅ If approved: Restrictions are lifted automatically
  • ❌ If denied: Fix remaining issues and appeal again
Complete Business Verification — verified accounts get faster, more favorable reviews.

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✅ Quick Checklist

Use this checklist before, during, and after setup:

Before You Start

  • Facebook account ready with login credentials
  • Business information prepared (name, address, website)
  • Phone number ready (not connected to the WhatsApp app) OR plan to use a Meta-provided number
  • Phone nearby to receive verification code (if using your own number); if landline with auto-dialer, plan to disconnect it temporarily
  • Clicked “Connect WhatsApp” in Irelia settings
  • Logged into the correct Facebook account
  • Created or selected Business Portfolio and WhatsApp Business Account
  • Entered account details (name, country, category, website)
  • Added and verified phone number (used Voice Call if SMS didn’t arrive or if using a landline) OR selected Meta-provided number
  • Waited 1–2 minutes for confirmation page to load (didn’t close the page!)
  • Selected phone number in Irelia confirmation screen
  • Saw the “Congratulations” success screen
  • Updated Display Name from default (Business Manager name) to your preferred name — see guide
  • Started Business Verification process — Do this right away if available; critical for new Business Managers → guide
  • Tested sending a message to the WhatsApp number
  • Noted: Never remove Gupshup as a partner!
✅ All checked? You’re ready to automate WhatsApp conversations with Irelia.ai!

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🛠️ Troubleshooting & FAQs

What this means: Your phone number is still active on another WhatsApp platform, and a number can only be active on one WhatsApp platform at a time.You may see one of these messages:
  • “This number is registered to an existing WhatsApp account. To use this number, disconnect it from the existing account. Then, return to this page and re-enter the number.” — Number is active on the WhatsApp or WhatsApp Business app
  • “This phone number is already connected to another WhatsApp Business Account” — Number is tied to an existing WABA in a different Business Manager
  • “The phone number was already registered on our platform (i.e., WhatsApp Messenger, WhatsApp Business App or WhatsApp Business API)” — General variant covering any of the above
How to fix it:Step 1: Disconnect the number from its current registration
  • Number active on the WhatsApp app (smartphone)? Delete the account from the app: go to “Settings” → “Account” → “Delete Account” in WhatsApp. Wait 5–10 minutes.
  • Number tied to an existing WABA? Delete that WABA from your Business Manager — see the deletion instructions in Choosing Your Phone Number.
Step 2: Restart the connection process
  • Go back to Step 1 and begin again.
What this means: The SMS or voice call with your verification code isn’t reaching your phone.How to fix it:Step 1: Switch to Voice Call
  • Voice Call is more reliable than SMS and almost always works.
Step 2: Remove interference from the line
  • Disconnect any auto-dialer or IVR system on the line — these intercept the automated verification call and prevent the code from reaching you. Temporarily disconnect, receive the code, then reconnect.
Step 3: Check common causes
  • Verify you entered the correct country code
  • Check if your carrier blocks automated messages
  • Make sure your phone number can receive calls or SMS
  • Make sure the phone has signal and service
Step 4: Request a new code
  • Wait 60 seconds, then request a new code.
What this means: Meta requires a working website to verify your business, and issues with your site can block the entire signup flow.How to fix it:Step 1: Verify your site is accessible
  • Make sure your website is live and accessible — no downtime or server errors
  • Remove any password protection, “coming soon” pages, or maintenance mode
  • Check for a valid SSL certificate (https:// not http://)
Step 2: Verify your site content matches your business
  • Ensure the website clearly displays your business name (matching what you entered)
  • Make sure your site has real content (not just a single landing page with no info)
Step 3: Verify global accessibility
  • Verify the site loads properly on mobile devices
  • Make sure your site isn’t geo-blocked (accessible from different countries)
  • Check that Meta’s crawler can access your site — no robots.txt blocking
Debug tool: Use Meta’s official debugging tool to check how Meta sees your website: 👉 https://developers.facebook.com/tools/debug/. Enter your website URL and click “Debug” to see any errors or warnings. Fix the issues shown, then click “Scrape Again” to refresh Meta’s cache.
What this means: Meta didn’t approve your chosen Display Name because it doesn’t align with their naming policies.How to fix it:Step 1: Review the guidelinesStep 2: Align your name with your verified business identity
  • Make sure your Display Name matches your verified business name in Business Manager.
  • Choose a name that clearly represents your business.
  • Avoid generic terms, special characters, or prohibited words.
Step 3: Resubmit
What this means: At Step 6, the Business Manager you need doesn’t appear in the dropdown because your Facebook account doesn’t have the required permission level for the Embedded Signup process.How to fix it:Step 1: Check quick fixes first
  • Logged into the wrong Facebook account? The dropdown only shows Business Managers where your Facebook account has admin access. Make sure you’re logged into the correct account.
  • Don’t have a Business Manager yet? No problem. Select “Create a new Business Manager” directly in the dropdown during signup.
  • You have a BM but it’s still not showing? You likely don’t have the right permission level. Read on.
Step 2: Identify the most common cause (agency or marketer connecting for a client)This is by far the most frequent reason. If you’re a marketer or agency setting up WhatsApp on behalf of a client, your client likely added you as a Partner on their Business Manager — which is exactly what Meta’s own guidelines recommend for agencies.The problem? Partner access is not enough for the Embedded Signup process.
Access LevelBM Appears in Dropdown?
Partner (Meta’s recommendation for agencies)❌ No
Partial access (Employee)❌ No
Full control (Admin) without finance❌ No
Full control (Admin) with finance ✅✅ Yes — this is what you need
Step 3: Ask your client to add you as Admin with finance permissionsShare the instructions below directly with your client:

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Instructions for your client

  1. Go to Meta Business Suite and click the gear icon (⚙️) to open “Business Settings”
  2. In the left sidebar, click “People”, then click the “Invite People” button
  1. Enter the email address associated with the marketer or agency’s Facebook account
  2. Select “Full control” (Admin access) — this is critical, don’t select “Partial access”
  3. Make sure Finance permissions are enabled — toggle on both “Finance analyst” and “Finance editor” if shown as separate options. In some interfaces this appears as a “Finance access” toggle.
  1. Click “Send Invitation”
Step 4: Accept the invitation and restart
  • Check your email and Facebook notifications for the invitation
  • Accept the invitation
  • Restart the WhatsApp connection process from Step 1
  • At Step 6, your client’s Business Manager should now appear in the dropdown
If you’re concerned about keeping elevated permissions long-term, you can ask your client to downgrade your access back to Partner after the WhatsApp setup is fully complete and working. The connection will continue to function as long as Gupshup remains as a Partner on the Business Manager.
Even after downgrading, make sure Gupshup (Irelia’s WhatsApp technology provider) remains listed as a Partner in the client’s Business Manager — never remove it, or the WhatsApp integration will stop working.
What this means: The Meta popup closed unexpectedly or got stuck during the authorization flow.How to fix it:Step 1: Reset your browser environment
  • Clear your browser cache and cookies
  • Disable browser extensions (especially ad blockers)
  • Disable any VPN you might be using
Step 2: Retry in a clean session
  • Open Google Chrome in incognito mode
  • Restart the process from Step 1
What this means: Your newly registered number isn’t appearing in the “We are almost done” page selection list.How to fix it:Step 1: Wait and refresh
  • Wait 30–60 seconds and refresh the page.
Step 2: Restart if it persists
  • Repeat the process from Step 1 and make sure the phone verification completed successfully.
Step 3: Contact support if needed
  • If the issue continues, contact Irelia support (see Need Help?).
What this means: Your WhatsApp connection was working before, but messages aren’t being sent or received through Irelia anymore.How to fix it:Work through these common causes in order. Each one includes instructions to check and fix the issue:
  1. Gupshup removed as a partner — Someone may have accidentally removed Gupshup from your Business Manager.
  2. WABA flagged or restricted — Meta may have restricted your account.
  3. Phone number registered on the WhatsApp app — Someone may have registered your business number on the WhatsApp or WhatsApp Business app, disconnecting it from the API.
  4. WABA or phone number deleted — Another admin may have accidentally deleted the WhatsApp Business Account or removed the phone number.
If none of these apply, contact Irelia support.

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1️⃣ Gupshup was removed as a partner

Someone may have accidentally removed Gupshup (Irelia’s WhatsApp technology provider) from your Business Manager.How to check:
  • Go to Meta Business Suite → “Business Settings” → “Partners”
  • Look for “Gupshup” in the list
How to fix: Contact Irelia support. You may need to re-run the connection process.
Prevention: Never modify partner settings without consulting Irelia support first.

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2️⃣ Your WABA was restricted or flagged by Meta

👉 See Dealing with a Flagged Account for detailed steps.

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3️⃣ The phone number was registered on the WhatsApp app

If someone registered your business number on the WhatsApp or WhatsApp Business app, it disconnects from the API.How to check: Open the WhatsApp app on your phone(s) and see if your business number is active there.How to fix:
  • Delete the account from the app: go to “Settings” → “Account” → “Delete Account”
  • Wait 5–10 minutes
  • Contact Irelia support to re-register the number

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4️⃣ Your WABA or phone number was deleted

Another admin may have accidentally deleted the WhatsApp Business Account or removed the phone number.How to check:
  • Go to Meta Business Suite → “Business Settings” → “WhatsApp Accounts”
  • Verify your WABA still exists
  • Click into it and confirm your phone number is still listed
How to fix: Contact Irelia support. You may need to re-run the connection process.
What this means: Meta’s automated systems detected a potential policy issue with your new WABA, even though setup completed successfully.How to fix it:Don’t panic — it’s usually fixable! Check the complete guide: Dealing with a Flagged Account.
Solution: This option is sometimes only available for verified Business Managers. Complete Business Verification first, then try again.
This is normal! Without Business Verification, you’re limited to 50 unique customers per 24-hour period for business-initiated messages. You can still respond to unlimited incoming conversations.Solution: Complete Business Verification. Limits increase automatically based on quality and volume.

🆘 Need Help?

Irelia.ai Support:
  • Contact support in the WhatsApp priority support group or send an email to info@irelia.ai
  • Include: screenshots of your configuration, the error message, and what you expected vs. what happened
Meta Support: