Getting Started

Connect your WhatsApp number

8 min readUpdated October 2026All plans
Connecting your WhatsApp number is the first and most important step in setting up Tanvik. Without it, no messages can be sent or received. Tanvik connects your number directly to Meta's official WhatsApp Business Platform through a secure Facebook sign-in popup, so messages go out from your own number under your own business account. Everything about your channels lives on one page: Settings → Channels & WhatsApp.
Before you begin
Check the number first. Meta generally won't register a number on the WhatsApp Business Platform while it is active in the regular WhatsApp or WhatsApp Business app. If the number you want to use is already running on WhatsApp (in the app or with another provider), talk to our team before you connect, so we can pick the right route for it.
  • A Facebook account that can manage (or create) your business's Meta Business account
  • The phone number you want to use, and access to it to receive a verification code by SMS or voice call if Meta asks for one
  • Your business display name. This is shown to customers on WhatsApp, and Meta reviews it
The Channels page

The page has up to three tabs at the top:

TabWhat it is for
OverviewYour WhatsApp card with its health, then every other channel in one list: Instagram, Facebook Messenger, RCS and SMS (SMS is under development). Below it, Data and developers links to Google Sheets sync and API keys.
Business profileWhat customers see when they tap your business name in WhatsApp. See below.
Opt-inConsent for your contacts. Shown when opt-in is part of your plan. See Set up opt-in.
app.tanvik.io/channels
The Channels page with your WhatsApp number connected
Step-by-step
01
Open Channels & WhatsApp
In the left sidebar, open Settings and click Channels & WhatsApp. On the Overview tab, the WhatsApp card at the top says Not connected.
02
Click "Connect WhatsApp", then "Connect with WhatsApp"
The card's Connect WhatsApp button opens the Connect WhatsApp page. Click the green Connect with WhatsApp button there, and a Facebook popup opens. Allow popups for app.tanvik.io if your browser blocks it.
03
Log in and pick your business account and number
Log in with Facebook and follow Meta's steps: select (or create) your WhatsApp Business Account, choose or add your phone number and display name, and verify the number with the code Meta sends if asked. Click Finish at the end.
Display name matters. Meta reviews your display name. Use your actual business name, not a generic word like "Sales" or "Support". Names that don't match your business can be rejected.
04
Let Tanvik finish the setup
After you click Finish, Tanvik sets everything up automatically. This usually takes about 10 seconds. Keep the page open until you see the result screen.
After connecting

When setup finishes you'll see one of two screens:

  • WhatsApp connected! Your number is live and ready to send. The screen shows your phone number, business name, WhatsApp Business Account ID and token status.
  • Almost there — finish setup. The number is linked to Meta but can't send yet. The screen shows the reason. Complete the pending step, then retry, or send us the reason shown if you're not sure what it means.

Below that, a Complete your setup checklist walks you through the next steps: Connect WhatsApp, Set your business profile, Create your first template, Invite your team, and Launch your first campaign.

Back on the Overview tab, the WhatsApp card now says Connected with your number. To test, message your WhatsApp Business number from your personal phone and reply to it from Inbox.

Tip: Add your own number as a contact and opt it in first. That way you can test templates and campaigns safely before going live with customers.
Account health

Once WhatsApp is connected, the WhatsApp card shows three facts in plain words. Click Check connection to refresh them from Meta.

What you seeWhat it means
QualityMeta's rating of how customers respond to your messages. Good = Green, in good standing. Watch it = Yellow, fewer blocks and reports will lift it. Needs attention = Red, and your daily limit may drop. A low rating usually comes from customers blocking or reporting your messages.
Daily limitHow many new conversations you can start in a day, for example "1,000 people". Meta raises it over time when you send consistently with good quality.
ConnectionThe link between Tanvik and Meta. All good means nothing to do. Renew in N days or Expired comes with a Renew now link. Reconnect once means Tanvik could not read when your connection expires: use the Reconnect link.

Open Technical details on the card to see your WhatsApp Business account ID and phone number ID.

Business profile

Open the Business profile tab (or click Business profile on the WhatsApp card) to set what customers see when they tap your business name in WhatsApp:

  • Photo: click Change photo (JPG, PNG or WEBP, under 5 MB)
  • Business name and About, up to 139 characters, shown under your name
  • Category, Email, Website and Address

Profile strength shows how complete the profile is (for example 4 of 6) and which items to add next. The phone Preview updates as you type, and you can switch it between Profile and Chat to see how your name and photo look in a chat.

A bar at the bottom shows Unsaved changes or All changes saved. Click Save to WhatsApp to send the changes to your live profile (they show on customers' phones within a few minutes), or Discard to undo them.

WhatsApp does not let apps delete a profile photo. If you click Remove, the photo is removed in Tanvik only. To remove it from WhatsApp, use Meta Business Manager → your phone number → Edit Profile.
app.tanvik.io/channels#profile
The Business profile tab
Other channels on the same page

Under More channels on the Overview tab:

ChannelWhat to do
InstagramClick Connect to reply to DMs and comments from your Inbox. Once connected, Manage and Reconnect appear. If it says replies are off, click Enable replies. Steps in Set up Instagram.
Facebook MessengerClick Connect and pick your Facebook Page. Brings in Messenger chats and Facebook lead ad leads. If you manage a Page through a Business account, it is listed too. If you connect more than one Page, all are listed on the card.
RCSOur team sets it up for you. Click Request activation. The row then shows Being set up and later Live. See RCS.
SMSUnder development. Not available yet.

Instagram and Facebook Messenger are part of the Pro plan. On other plans their rows show Pro and an Upgrade button. Disconnecting Facebook or Instagram fully releases the account, so you can connect the same Page to another workspace straight away.

Manage, reconnect or disconnect WhatsApp

On the connected WhatsApp card:

  • Check connection: re-checks the connection with Meta and refreshes the facts above.
  • The more button (three dots): Connection settings opens a side panel with the status, display name, number, last health check and last error. From there you can Reconnect WhatsApp, Run health check or Disconnect. Reconnect WhatsApp in the menu runs the Facebook popup again: use it to renew your access, fix an error, or change the connected number.

If the connection needs attention, the card says Needs attention and shows the last error.

Common problems
?
The Facebook popup didn't open
Your browser probably blocked it. Allow popups for app.tanvik.io and click Connect with WhatsApp again. If you closed the popup before clicking Finish, you'll see "Setup cancelled". Just start again.
?
"Did not receive WABA/phone info from Meta"
The popup closed before you picked both a WhatsApp Business Account and a phone number. Run it again and complete every step before clicking Finish.
?
It says the number is already connected elsewhere
That number is already linked to another Tanvik workspace. Connect it from the workspace that owns it, or contact support to move it.
?
Can I use a number that's already on the WhatsApp Business app?
Talk to our team first. Depending on your setup, the number may need to be removed from the app before Meta will register it, or it may need a special migration route.
?
Can I connect multiple numbers?
Yes. A workspace can have more than one WhatsApp number. Contact support to add another one. Once two or more numbers are active, a number switcher appears at the top of pages like Inbox, so you can choose which number you're viewing or sending from.
?
My verification code didn't arrive
Wait a couple of minutes and ask Meta to resend it, or choose the voice call option. The number must be able to receive SMS or calls. If you're connecting a landline, pick the voice call option.
?
I see "Test mode is active"
Your channels can be configured, but sends are simulated. Contact your account manager to turn on live sending.