This article explains the end‑to‑end onboarding process for government entities on the WhatsApp Business channel.

High-level Steps

1. Valid Phone Number Procurement

2. Client Business Manager (BM) Creation

3. WhatsApp Business Account (WABA) Creation

4. Government Entity Approval & Form Submission

5. Business Manager Verification

6. Display Name Approval

7. Official Business Account (OBA – Blue Tick)

Step 1: Valid Phone Number Procurement

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

Ensure that the phone number meets the following the following 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.

Step 2: Client Business Manager (BM) Creation

To be onboarded on WhatsApp, 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.

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

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

Requirements

• 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.

Step 4: Government Entity Approval & Form Submission

This step is mandatory for all government use cases on the WhatsApp Business Platform. Meta requires additional checks and documentation to confirm that your organization qualifies as a legitimate government entity.

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

• You must provide the following information:

  Field	Description
  Government Entity Name	Must match the name in official legal documents.
  Signoff	Confirmation that the entity is not a prohibited entity as defined by Meta.
  Description of Use Case	Detailed and accurate description of how WhatsApp will be used.
  PII Request	State whether the entity will request personally identifiable information (PII) from end users.
  Electoral Authority	Indicate if the entity is an electoral authority.
  Fact Checker	Indicate if the entity is a fact checker. See WhatsApp FAQ.
  Location	Provide the location where the government entity is based.

Timeline

• Sprinklr submission: typically within 1–3 days after receiving complete information.

• Meta review and approval: usually 1–7 days, though observed timelines can extend to 1–4 weeks.

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

Each phone number in your WhatsApp Business Account (WABA) must have a recognizable display name. 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.

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