Glossary / WhatsApp

Industry terms

WhatsApp Business Platform

The WhatsApp Business Platform (the WhatsApp Business API) lets businesses message customers at scale through software, using Meta-approved templates and opted-in contacts.

Also called: WhatsApp Business API, WhatsApp Cloud API, WABA

By Aulto · Last reviewed

How is it different from the app?

There's no phone app. Messages are sent through software: your own system or an approved provider. It can reach any opted-in contact, run automations and handle many conversations at once.

What does it need?

A Meta business account, a phone number for the platform, approved message templates for business-started messages, and opt-in from each contact.

What does it cost?

Meta charges for most business-started template messages, by type and country, and publishes its current rates.

Example

An artist connects their number to the platform through an approved app and sends release-day messages to 2,000 opted-in fans.

Doing it with Aulto

Aulto connects your own WhatsApp number to the platform, then sends release messages from it to fans who opted in.

See how it works →

  • WhatsApp Business app

    The WhatsApp Business app is WhatsApp's app for small businesses, with a business profile, catalogue, quick replies, labels and broadcast lists, run from a phone.

  • Message template

    A message template is a pre-approved WhatsApp message format a business must use to start a conversation with someone on the WhatsApp Business Platform.

  • 24-hour customer service window

    On the WhatsApp Business Platform, when someone messages a business, the business can reply freely for 24 hours; after that it must use an approved template.

  • Release flow

    A release flow is a set of messages sent automatically around a release: an announcement before it, a reminder the day before, an out-now message and a follow-up.

  • WhatsApp broadcast

    A WhatsApp broadcast is one message sent to many opted-in contacts at once, each receiving it as a private chat rather than in a group.

Sources

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