Government entities can be onboarded to the WhatsApp Business channel through a structured process that ensures authenticity and compliance. They are required to complete an additional approval process to ensure compliance with Meta’s government use policies.

High-level Steps

1. Procure a valid phone number

2. Create or access a Meta Business Manager

3. Create a WhatsApp Business Account (WABA)

4. Submit Government Entity approval (if applicable)

5. Complete Business Manager Verification

6. Submit Display Name approval

7. Request Official Business Account (OBA)

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Regular vs Government Entities Onboarding

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Onboarding Steps

The WhatsApp onboarding process includes the following steps to ensure that the government entity is legitimate and authorized to use the WhatsApp Business Platform.

Step 1: Procure a Valid Phone Number

A valid phone number must be registered before it can be used to send and receive messages via WhatsApp Cloud API.

Requirements:

• Must be procured and owned by the client.

• Must include country and area code (short codes not supported).

• Must be able to receive international SMS or calls for verification.

Step 2: Create Meta Business Manager (BM)

Your organization must own a Meta Business Manager (BM).

Process

• Create a Facebook profile using your official business email domain (for example, @sprinklr.com).

• Use this profile to set up a Meta Business Manager.

• Ensure Admin access is granted to the BM for onboarding.

• Add multiple Admins to avoid loss of access if one account becomes unavailable.

Requirements

• Admin access to the Business Manager is mandatory for onboarding.

• If you already have an existing Business Manager, it is recommended to use it rather than creating a new one.

• WhatsApp Business Pricing Reports will only be accessible via your Client Business Manager.

Step 3: WhatsApp Business Account (WABA) Creation

A WhatsApp Business Account (WABA) represents your organization on the WhatsApp Business Platform.

Process

• In Sprinklr, create a WhatsApp Business Account. For steps, see WhatsApp Business Account Addition Process.

• OTP verification is performed during the WABA creation process to confirm ownership of the registered phone number.

Requirements

• Admin access to your Meta Business Manager is required to complete the setup.

• Your Meta Business Manager Admin and the point of contact with access to the registered phone number or SIM must be available to complete OTP verification.

• If migrating a number from another vendor, two‑factor authentication (2FA) must be turned off before migration.

• If registering a 1‑800 number with IVR, IVR whitelisting must be completed beforehand.

• Display name, legal business name, and country details must be finalized and consistent before proceeding.

• Numbers already in use with WhatsApp cannot be registered again unless they are deleted first.

Timeline

• WABA creation: 15–30 minutes

• IVR whitelisting (if applicable): ~24 hours

Step 4: Government Entity Approval & Form Submission

Government entities must go through an additional approval process before accessing the WhatsApp Business Platform. If your use case involves collecting PII, Meta may apply additional review, which can extend the approval timeline. This request is submitted by Sprinklr on behalf of the client.

Process

• You provide the required government entity information to Sprinklr over email.

• Sprinklr completes the approval form and submits it to Meta along with your WABA ID (created in Step 3).

• Meta reviews the submission to verify jurisdiction, display name relevance, and compliance with their policies.

• Approval status is tracked in Meta’s use case portal, monitored by the appealer team.

Requirements

• Share verifiable and accurate information in your form responses.

• Be prepared to provide supporting documents if requested by Meta, such as:

  • Phone utility bill

  • Official government letterhead

  • Other documents proving government legitimacy

• Share the details required.

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Timeline

• Sprinklr submission: 1–3 days

• Meta official SLA: 1–7 days

• Observed timeline: 1–4 weeks

Government Entities Form Requirements

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Information Filled by Sprinklr:

• Sprinklr POC details

• WABA ID created during onboarding

• Display name aligned with the government entity

• Verified jurisdiction of the entity

Information Required from Client:

The client must provide the following details via email:

• Government entity name (must match legal documentation)

• Confirmation that the entity is not prohibited

• Detailed description of the WhatsApp use case

• Whether PII information will be collected from users

• Whether the entity is an Electoral Authority

• Whether the entity acts as a Fact Checker

• Location where the government entity operates

Government Entities Case Timelines - Examples​

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Use Case With PII – 4 weeks

Use Case Without PII – 1 week

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Step 5: Business Manager Verification

Business Manager Verification is the process Meta uses to confirm the authenticity of your organization on its platform.

Process

• You initiate the verification request directly from your Meta Business Manager.

• Eligibility for verification depends on successful WABA creation.

• Meta offers several verification methods: email, phone, text message, WhatsApp message, or domain verification.

• Once submitted, Meta reviews the information and confirms whether your business meets the verification criteria.

Requirements

• Provide accurate business details, including:

  • Legal business name

  • Business address

  • Phone number

  • Official website

• Ensure the details exactly match your legal business entity records.

• Your website must be HTTPS‑compliant, and the domain must match your email domain.

• Meta may request supporting official documents to validate authenticity. See the full list of supported documents here: Upload official documents to verify your business.

Timeline

Meta typically completes Business Manager Verification within 1–2 weeks.

Step 6: Display Name Approval

This is the name your customers will see when they interact with you on WhatsApp, so it needs to accurately represent your organization and comply with Meta’s guidelines. Each phone number in your WhatsApp Business Account (WABA) must have a recognizable display name.

Process

• You provide a display name that represents your government entity.

• Sprinklr submits the chosen display name to Meta.

• Meta reviews the name against their guidelines and either approves or rejects it.

• Once approved, the display name is linked to your WABA number.

Requirements

• The display name must be an accurate and clear representation of your business.

• It must have a direct relationship with your legal business name.

• Test or demo accounts must maintain association with the business.

• Display names cannot be formatted as websites or email addresses.

• Changes to display names are subject to Meta approval, with a maximum of 10 changes allowed in a 30‑day period.

• Full guidelines are available here: Meta Display Name Guidelines.

Step 7: Official Business Account (OBA – Blue Tick)

At this stage, your WhatsApp Business profile can be upgraded to an Official Business Account (OBA), which adds the verified badge (blue tick) to show authenticity. This badge reassures end users that they are interacting with a legitimate government entity.

Process

Sprinklr will raise the request with Meta on your behalf.

Requirements

• Business Verification is required (or 1000 conversations in last 30 days).

• Two‑step verification must be enabled for the registered number from the WhatsApp Business Manager.

• Business must be registered on the WhatsApp Business Platform for at least 30 days.

• Submit up to five supporting news article links to show that your business is notable.

Timeline

2-7 days