Whats App Setup Guide

WhatsApp Integration Setup Guide

WhatsApp Integration Setup Guide

ProjKonnect — Meta WhatsApp Cloud API

Generated: September 4, 2026

Overview

You are using the Meta WhatsApp Cloud API. You will need:

  • A Meta Business Account
  • A Facebook Developer App (Business type)
  • A WhatsApp Business phone number
  • 4 secrets set in your Base44 app environment variables

PART 1 — Meta / Facebook Setup

1

Create a Meta Business Account

  1. Go to https://business.facebook.com
  2. Click "Create Account"
  3. Enter your business name, your name, and business email
  4. Complete verification steps (email, possibly phone)
2

Create a Meta Developer App

  1. Go to https://developers.facebook.com
  2. Click "My Apps" (top right) → "Create App"
  3. Select "Business" as the app type → click Next
  4. Enter an App Name (e.g., ProjKonnect WhatsApp)
  5. Enter your Business Account email
  6. Select your Business Account from the dropdown
  7. Click "Create App"
3

Add WhatsApp Product to Your App

  1. On your app dashboard, scroll to find "WhatsApp"
  2. Click "Set Up" next to WhatsApp
  3. You'll land on the WhatsApp Getting Started page
  4. Under "Step 1: Select phone numbers", click "Add phone number" OR use the free Test Number Meta provides
4

Get Your Phone Number ID & Access Token

  1. On the WhatsApp > Getting Started page, copy the "Phone number ID" → save as WHATSAPP_PHONE_NUMBER_ID
  2. Copy the "WhatsApp Business Account ID" → save as WHATSAPP_BUSINESS_ACCOUNT_ID
  3. Under "Step 2: Send messages with the API", copy the Temporary Access Token → save temporarily as WHATSAPP_ACCESS_TOKEN
⚠️ The Temporary Access Token expires in 24 hours. Replace it with a permanent one in Step 6.
5

Add a Real Phone Number (Skip if using test number)

  1. Go to WhatsApp > Phone Numbers in the left sidebar
  2. Click "Add Phone Number"
  3. Enter a real phone number (new SIM or existing business line)
  4. Verify via SMS or call
  5. Once verified, use this number's Phone Number ID going forward
6

Create a Permanent System User Token

  1. Go to https://business.facebook.com/settings
  2. Click "Users" → "System Users" in the left sidebar
  3. Click "Add" → name it (e.g., projkonnect-bot) → set role to "Admin"
  4. Click "Generate New Token"
  5. Select your App from the dropdown
  6. Enable permissions: whatsapp_business_messaging and whatsapp_business_management
  7. Click "Generate Token" → copy and save as WHATSAPP_ACCESS_TOKEN
✅ This token does NOT expire.
7

Set Up the Webhook

  1. In your Meta App dashboard, go to WhatsApp > Configuration
  2. Under "Webhook", click "Edit"
  3. In "Callback URL", enter your Base44 function URL:
    https://api.base44.com/api/apps/YOUR_APP_ID/functions/whatsappWebhookReceiver

    Find the exact URL: Base44 Dashboard → Code → Functions → whatsappWebhookReceiver → copy endpoint

  4. In "Verify Token", enter a secret string you make up (e.g., projkonnect_verify_2026) → save as WHATSAPP_VERIFY_TOKEN
  5. Click "Verify and Save" — Meta will auto-verify your webhook
  6. After saving, click "Manage" next to Webhook Fields
  7. Subscribe to "messages" → click Subscribe

PART 2 — Base44 Secrets Setup

8

Add All 4 Secrets to Base44

Go to Base44 Dashboard → Settings → Environment Variables and add:

Secret NameValueWhere to get it
WHATSAPP_ACCESS_TOKENYour system user tokenStep 6
WHATSAPP_PHONE_NUMBER_IDe.g., 123456789012345Step 4
WHATSAPP_BUSINESS_ACCOUNT_IDe.g., 987654321098765Step 4
WHATSAPP_VERIFY_TOKENYour chosen secret stringStep 7

PART 3 — Testing

9

Test the Webhook

  1. In Meta App → WhatsApp > Configuration → click "Send Test Message"
  2. Or text your WhatsApp number from your personal phone
  3. Check Base44 Dashboard → Code → Functions → whatsappWebhookReceiver logs to confirm message received
10

Verify Full Flow

  1. Send a message like: "Explain photosynthesis"
  2. You should receive an AI-generated educational response back on WhatsApp
  3. If the topic benefits from a visual (e.g., a diagram), you'll also receive an image

PART 4 — Going Live (Production)

11

App Review (Required to message non-test numbers)

  1. In Meta App dashboard, go to App Review
  2. Request permission for: whatsapp_business_messaging
  3. Submit your use case description:
    "Educational AI tutoring bot that answers student academic questions via WhatsApp"
  4. Meta review takes 1–5 business days
12

Set App to Live Mode

  1. In Meta App dashboard, toggle from "Development" to "Live" (top of the page)
  2. ✅ Now any WhatsApp user can message your number

Troubleshooting

ProblemFix
Webhook verification failsCheck WHATSAPP_VERIFY_TOKEN matches exactly in Base44 and Meta
Messages not receivedEnsure the 'messages' webhook field is subscribed in Meta
Token expiredReplace with System User permanent token (Step 6)
Can only message test numbersComplete App Review (Step 11)
phoneNumberId errorConfirm WHATSAPP_PHONE_NUMBER_ID is set correctly in Base44
ProjKonnect — WhatsApp Integration Setup Guide — 2026