Overview and architecture
Three-layer model
WhatsApp’s Multi-Partner Solution uses a three-layer model. Meta sits at the top as the platform owner, Plivo operates as the BSP (Business Solution Provider) in the middle, and you operate as the Tech Provider that serves your customers.| Layer | Role | Responsibilities |
|---|---|---|
| Meta | Platform owner | Owns the WhatsApp Cloud API, enforces policies, reviews apps, and manages the Multi-Partner Solution program. |
| Plivo (BSP) | Business Solution Provider | Hosts the Cloud API infrastructure, manages credit lines, processes messages, and provides the Embedded Signup API. |
| You (Tech Provider) | Reseller / ISV | Builds the customer-facing product, implements Embedded Signup, manages your customers’ onboarding, and handles billing to your customers. |
Multi-Partner Solution — who controls what
| Capability | Plivo (BSP) | You (Tech Provider) | Your customer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cloud API message sending | Yes | Via Plivo API | - |
| Credit line and billing | Yes | Bills your customer | Pays you |
| WABA creation (Embedded Signup) | Backend processing | Frontend implementation | Completes signup flow |
| Phone number registration | Yes | Triggers via API | Provides phone number |
| Template management | Via API | Via Plivo API | Submits templates |
| Webhook delivery | Configures per WABA | Receives and routes | - |
| Business verification with Meta | - | Must complete own verification | Must complete own verification |
Prerequisites
What you need (Tech Provider requirements)
Before you begin the integration, make sure you have the following in place.| Requirement | Details |
|---|---|
| Meta Business Portfolio | A verified Meta Business Portfolio in Meta Business Suite. This is the top-level entity that owns your Meta assets. |
| Meta Developer Account | An active account at developers.facebook.com linked to your Meta Business Portfolio. |
| Business Verification with Meta | Complete Meta Business Verification for your business. This typically takes fewer than 5 business days. |
| Meta App (type: Business) | Create a Meta App with the type set to Business and add the WhatsApp product to it. |
| Facebook Login for Business | Configure the WhatsApp Embedded Signup variant of Facebook Login for Business within your Meta App. This generates the config_id you need for the frontend SDK. |
| App Review submission | Submit your app for Meta App Review with two screen-recorded demo videos (details below). |
| Plivo account with WhatsApp enabled | An active Plivo account with the WhatsApp channel enabled. Contact your Plivo account manager or Plivo support if you do not have this. |
What Plivo sets up
Once you share your Meta App details, Plivo configures the following on the backend.| Item | Description |
|---|---|
| Partner Solution acceptance | Plivo accepts your Multi-Partner Solution request, linking your Tech Provider app to Plivo’s BSP infrastructure. |
| Credit line configuration | Plivo extends the Meta credit line to cover conversation charges for WABAs onboarded through your integration. |
| Webhook endpoint registration | Plivo registers webhook endpoints so that inbound messages and status callbacks route correctly for each WABA. |
| API credentials | Plivo provides an Auth ID and Auth Token scoped to a Tech Provider sub-account. Use these credentials for all Embedded Signup API calls. |
Setup steps — Meta configuration
3.1 Create a Meta App and add WhatsApp
Follow these steps to create your Meta App and add the WhatsApp product.- Go to developers.facebook.com and log in with your Meta Developer Account.
- Click Create App and select the app type Business.
- Enter your app name and contact email, then select the Meta Business Portfolio you verified earlier.
- On the app dashboard, find WhatsApp in the product list and click Set Up.
- Confirm that the WhatsApp product appears in the left sidebar of your app dashboard.
You do not need to configure a WhatsApp phone number or WABA in your own app. Your app serves as the container for the Embedded Signup flow that your customers complete.
3.2 Create a Multi-Partner Solution
- In your Meta App dashboard, navigate to WhatsApp > Multi-Partner Solutions.
- Click Create Solution and give it a descriptive name (for example, “Plivo WhatsApp Integration”).
- Select Plivo as the BSP partner from the list.
- Submit the solution request. Plivo receives a notification and accepts the request on the backend.
- Wait for confirmation from Plivo that the Multi-Partner Solution is active before proceeding.
3.3 Configure Facebook Login for Business
- In your Meta App dashboard, go to Facebook Login for Business in the left sidebar. If you do not see it, click Add Product and add it.
- Click Settings under Facebook Login for Business.
- Under Login Type, select WhatsApp Embedded Signup.
- Configure the Redirect URI to point to your backend endpoint that handles the OAuth callback.
- Save your settings and note the Config ID generated on this page. You need this value for the frontend JavaScript SDK integration.
- Under Permissions, ensure that
whatsapp_business_messagingandwhatsapp_business_managementare listed.
The Config ID is specific to your Facebook Login for Business configuration. You pass this value to the
FB.login() call in your frontend code. Do not confuse it with your Meta App ID.3.4 App Review submission
Submit your Meta App for App Review to gain production access. You must request two permissions and provide a screen-recorded demo video for each.| Permission | Video requirement |
|---|---|
whatsapp_business_messaging | Record a demo showing your app sending a WhatsApp message through the Plivo API on behalf of a test WABA. |
whatsapp_business_management | Record a demo showing your app creating a WhatsApp message template through the Plivo API. |
- Each video must demonstrate the full end-to-end flow, from your application’s UI to the API call and the result.
- Use a real test WABA (not a mock) for the demo.
- Keep each video under 5 minutes.
- Upload the videos as part of the App Review submission at App Review > Requests in your Meta App dashboard.
Meta typically reviews App Review submissions within 5 business days. You cannot use the Embedded Signup flow in production until Meta approves your app.
Embedded Signup implementation
4.1 Full Embedded Signup flow
The Embedded Signup flow involves coordinated actions between your frontend, your backend, Meta, and Plivo. Here is the complete sequence.| Step | Actor | Action |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Your customer | Opens your onboarding page and clicks the “Connect WhatsApp” button. |
| 2 | Your frontend | Calls FB.login() with the config_id, response_type: 'code', and override_default_response_type: true. |
| 3 | Meta | Displays the Embedded Signup dialog where your customer logs in to their Meta account. |
| 4 | Your customer | Creates or selects a Meta Business Portfolio in the signup dialog. |
| 5 | Your customer | Creates a new WABA or selects an existing one. |
| 6 | Your customer | Creates a new WhatsApp business profile and registers a phone number, including OTP verification. |
| 7 | Your customer | Grants the requested permissions (whatsapp_business_messaging, whatsapp_business_management) and completes the flow. |
| 8 | Meta | Returns an authorization code to your frontend via the FB.login() callback. The sessionInfoVersion: 2 response also includes the WABA ID, phone number ID, and business ID in the authResponse extras. |
| 9 | Your frontend | Sends the authorization code and session info (WABA ID, phone number ID, business ID) to your backend. |
| 10 | Your backend | Calls the Meta Graph API debug_token endpoint to exchange the code for a validated token and extract the WABA ID, phone number ID, and business ID if not already available from step 8. |
| 11 | Your backend | Calls the Plivo Embedded Signup API (POST /WhatsApp/EmbeddedSignup/) with the WABA ID, phone number ID, and business ID to complete the onboarding. |
4.2 JavaScript SDK integration
Add the following code to your onboarding page to load the Meta SDK and trigger the Embedded Signup flow.Replace
YOUR_META_APP_ID with your actual Meta App ID and YOUR_CONFIG_ID with the Config ID from your Facebook Login for Business settings (step 3.3).4.3 Backend — exchange code and share WABA
Your backend performs two steps after receiving the authorization code and session info from the frontend. Step A: Validate the authorization code with Meta Call the Meta Graph APIdebug_token endpoint to validate the code and retrieve the associated WABA details.
sessionInfoVersion: 2 response in step 4.1, you can use those values directly.
Step B: Call the Plivo Embedded Signup API
Send a POST request to the Plivo Embedded Signup endpoint with the WABA ID, phone number ID, and business ID. This tells Plivo to onboard the WABA, attach it to the credit line, register webhooks, and activate the phone number for messaging.
Replace
{auth_id} and {auth_token} with the API credentials Plivo provided for your Tech Provider sub-account.Embedded Signup API reference
Endpoint
Authentication
Use HTTP Basic Authentication with your Plivo Auth ID as the username and Auth Token as the password. These credentials are scoped to your Tech Provider sub-account.Request parameters
The WhatsApp Business Account ID returned by the Embedded Signup flow. This is the WABA that your customer created or selected during the signup dialog.
The Meta Business ID associated with your customer’s Meta Business Portfolio. Returned by the Embedded Signup flow.
The phone number ID registered during the Embedded Signup flow. This is the WhatsApp-enabled phone number your customer verified with an OTP.
An optional reference string you can use to map this WABA to your internal customer identifier. Maximum 64 characters.
Sample request
Success response
HTTP 200 OKError responses
HTTP 401 Unauthorized Returned when the Auth ID or Auth Token is invalid or missing.| Scenario | Error message |
|---|---|
Missing waba_id | waba_id is required. |
Missing business_id | business_id is required. |
Missing phone_number_id | phone_number_id is required. |
Invalid waba_id format | waba_id is not a valid WhatsApp Business Account ID. |
| WABA already onboarded | This WABA is already registered with Plivo. |
| Phone number already registered | This phone number is already registered under another WABA. |
| Multi-Partner Solution not active | Multi-Partner Solution is not active for your app. Contact Plivo support. |
HTTP status summary
| Status code | Meaning | When it occurs |
|---|---|---|
| 200 | OK | Embedded Signup completed successfully. The WABA, phone number, and webhooks are configured. |
| 400 | Bad Request | One or more required parameters are missing, invalid, or the WABA/phone number is already registered. |
| 401 | Unauthorized | Auth ID or Auth Token is missing or invalid. |
| 403 | Forbidden | Your account lacks Tech Provider permissions or WhatsApp is not enabled. |
| 500 | Internal Server Error | An unexpected server-side error occurred. Retry after a short delay. |