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WhatsApp Business Platform (API) - Glossary

Core Concepts & Platform Structure​

  1. WhatsApp Business Platform (WBP) / WhatsApp Business API: The official, cloud-based API provided by Meta that allows medium to large businesses to communicate with customers at scale. It's the programmable backbone for tools like the WhatsApp Business App and Business Manager.
  2. WhatsApp Business Account (WBA): The official business identity on WhatsApp, registered and verified by Meta. It's required to use the API.
  3. Business Solution Provider (BSP): A third-party company (e.g., Twilio, MessageBird, 360dialog) authorized by Meta to provide access to, manage, and support the WhatsApp Business API for businesses. Most businesses access the API through a BSP.
  4. Phone Number (Business Phone Number): The dedicated number used for business messaging. Must be unique (cannot be used on the standard WhatsApp app simultaneously) and can be a standard long code (e.g., +1 234-567-8900) or, in some cases, a toll-free number.
  5. Display Name: The public-facing name of your business as shown to users in their chat list and during conversations. Subject to Meta's approval and naming policies.
  6. Business Profile: The informational card users see when they click on your business name. It can contain your website, address, email, description, and category. Managed via the API or BSP dashboard.
  7. Meta Business Manager (BM): The central hub for managing business assets on Meta (Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp). It's where you create your WhatsApp Business Account, assign phone numbers, manage roles, and view insights.
  8. System User: A special type of user account within Business Manager with specific permissions (e.g., "WhatsApp Administrator") used to securely connect your BSP or backend systems to the WhatsApp platform via API access tokens.

Messaging & Communication​

  1. Message Types:
    • Session Messages (User-Initiated / Business-Initiated within 24-hour window): Messages sent in response to a user's message within the 24-hour customer service window.
    • Template Messages: Pre-approved, structured message formats used to send notifications or initiate conversations outside the 24-hour window (e.g., shipping updates, appointment reminders, login codes). Cannot be used for marketing/promotions within the 24-hour session.
    • Authentication Templates: A specific category of templates for sending one-time passcodes (OTPs) for login, verification, etc.
    • Utility Templates: Templates for facilitating a specific, agreed-upon transaction or update related to an ongoing transaction (e.g., post-purchase notifications, bank alerts).
    • Marketing Templates: Templates for promotions or offers, requiring explicit user opt-in. Subject to the strictest approval criteria.
  2. Quality Rating (Phone Number Quality): A metric (Green, Yellow, Red) assigned by Meta based on user feedback, block rates, and spam reports. Affects messaging limits and template approval.
  3. Conversation: A 24-hour messaging session initiated by either a user message or a business using an approved template. All subsequent messages within that window are "session messages."
  4. Message Templates: The pre-approved message structures mentioned above. They contain:
    • Header, Body, Footer: The structured components.
    • Buttons: Can be Quick Reply buttons (text responses) or Call-to-Action (CTA) buttons (linking a URL or phone number).
    • Variables/Dynamic Parameters: Placeholders ({{1}}) in templates populated with unique information for each user (e.g., {{name}}, {{order_number}}).
    • Category: Must be selected upon creation (AUTHENTICATION, UTILITY, MARKETING).
    • Language & Localization: Templates can be created and approved in multiple languages.
  5. Interactive Messages: Features that enhance user engagement:
    • Quick Replies: Pre-defined text response buttons (up to 3) that users can tap to send a specific message.
    • List Messages: A menu of up to 10 options (with sections) that users can select from.
    • Reply Buttons: Similar to quick replies but used within template messages.
    • CTA Buttons: "Visit Website" or "Call Number" buttons in templates.
  6. Media Support: Types of files that can be sent/received: Images, Video, Audio, Documents (PDF, spreadsheets, etc.), Stickers.

Pricing & Metrics​

  1. Conversation-Based Pricing: The current pricing model. Businesses are charged per conversation, not per message. A conversation includes all messages exchanged in a 24-hour session from the initiating message.
  2. Conversation Categories: Each conversation is categorized for billing:
    • User-Initiated: Started by a user messaging the business. Typically the highest rate.
    • Business-Initiated: Started by a business using a template. Sub-categorized as Marketing, Utility, or Authentication, each with different rates (Authentication is usually the lowest, Marketing the highest).
  3. WABA Tier: A limit structure assigned to your phone number, determining how many unique customers you can initiate conversations with daily. Tiers are upgraded automatically by Meta based on volume and quality metrics.
  4. Rate Limits: Controls on the number of messages that can be sent per second to prevent spam. Enforced per phone number.

Technical & API Components​

  1. Webhooks: HTTP callbacks used by the WhatsApp platform (via your BSP) to notify your server of events in real-time (e.g., messages, message_statuses, message_template_status_update).
  2. API Endpoints: The URLs provided by your BSP or Meta to perform actions like sending messages (/messages) or managing media (/media).
  3. Access Token: A secure key (generated via Business Manager) used to authenticate API requests.
  4. Webhook Verification: The initial handshake process where your server must respond correctly to a challenge from Meta/BSP to confirm the webhook endpoint is valid and owned by you.
  5. Message Statuses: Updates on the lifecycle of a sent message, delivered via webhooks: sent, delivered, read, failed.
  6. Media ID & Media Handshake: To send media, you must first upload the file to the API to get a media_id, which is then referenced in your message object. Similarly, media from users is accessed via a temporary URL.
  7. Backend Integration: The process of connecting your company's systems (CRM, ERP, Helpdesk) to the WhatsApp Business API via a BSP to automate and manage communications.

Policies, Compliance & User Experience​

  1. Opt-in: The explicit, documented permission a user must provide before a business can send them marketing/promotional messages via templates. Required by WhatsApp's policies.
  2. Opt-out: The user's ability to stop receiving messages from a business by using a "STOP" keyword. Businesses must honor these requests immediately and are notified via a system message webhook.
  3. Report/Block: User actions that directly impact a business's Quality Rating. A high rate of blocks/reports can lead to rate limiting or number banning.
  4. Commerce Policy / Acceptable Use Policy: Meta's official rules governing what can and cannot be sold (e.g., restricted goods like alcohol, firearms, tobacco) and how businesses should communicate on the platform.
  5. Two-Step Verification (Customer): An optional security feature where a business can require users to enter a 6-digit code (sent via SMS/call) before they can start a chat, helping to prevent spam and abuse.
  6. Message Guidelines: Rules for template message content (e.g., no excessive punctuation, emojis, or vague calls-to-action like "Click here").

Note: This glossary covers the foundational terms. Specific BSPs may have additional proprietary features or slightly different naming conventions, but the core concepts defined here are universal to the official WhatsApp Business Platform.