Meta Business Verification: A Checklist Before You Apply

Most of the delays we see on WhatsApp Business API projects have nothing to do with code. They sit in the verification stage, where a business name on a form does not quite match the name on a document, and the whole thing goes back for another round.

Meta's requirements and the list of accepted documents change, so use this as a preparation checklist, not as the rulebook. Your final reference is what Meta's business tools ask for on the day. Doing the groundwork below just means fewer surprises.

Why verification exists

Meta wants to know that a real business stands behind a sender. Verification is part of how it decides what you may do, including higher messaging allowances in some cases. You may be able to start with limited access before it is complete, but the details depend on current rules. Do not plan a launch date on the assumption that verification will be quick.

Step one: make your names agree everywhere

This is the single most common trip-up. Take the legal name of your business exactly as it appears on your registration documents. Now compare it with the name in your Meta business account, on your website footer, and on any invoice or letterhead you might upload.

• 'Sharma Traders' versus 'Sharma Traders Pvt Ltd' counts as different.
• 'Sri' versus 'Shri', or a missing 'and', can be enough to cause a mismatch.
• A trading name that differs from the registered name needs explaining somewhere reviewers can see it.

Pick the legal name and use it everywhere you can control.

Step two: the documents

Reviewers generally look for something that shows your business exists at an address, under the name you gave. Depending on what is accepted at the time, that may include registration or incorporation papers, a tax registration, a utility bill or bank statement showing the business name and address. Your CA can tell you which of yours are the cleanest. The requirements for what Meta accepts are on Meta's side, so confirm there.

1. 1Gather the registration document for your business type.
2. 2Check that the name and address match your account entry exactly.
3. 3Make sure scans are sharp, whole, and not cropped at the edges.
4. 4Avoid documents that are expired or that show a different address.
5. 5Keep copies in one folder so you can resubmit quickly.

Step three: a website that looks like a business

A reviewer may check your website. A one-page 'coming soon' site is a weak signal. Aim for a site that shows who you are, what you sell, your address or contact details, and a way to reach you. Put the same business name in the footer. A proper privacy policy page is also a good idea, and you will need one for the data you collect anyway.

Step four: the admin side

• Create the business account under a company email, not a personal one that might disappear if someone leaves.
• Make sure at least two trusted people have admin access, so a lost login does not lock you out.
• Turn on two-step protection for the admin accounts.
• Decide who owns the account on the business side. Verification links go to whoever created it, and that is awkward to change later.

Step five: line up the number and the messaging plan

Verification and the phone number are separate tasks, but they run in parallel. Work out which number you will register, as we describe in which phone number to use for the WhatsApp Business API. Also decide your first templates, since you cannot start campaigns without approved ones. Our template approval tips will save you a resubmission or two.

If you are rejected or stuck

Read the reason given and fix the specific thing. Resist resubmitting the same documents unchanged. If the cause is a name mismatch, correct the account or get a document that matches. If your site is the issue, improve it before trying again. Repeated blind resubmissions rarely help.

What to do while you wait

Use the time. Build your opt-in capture, draft your templates, and decide your message flows, then test the plumbing. WA Getway supports the official Meta route with an inbox, contacts, template sync and campaigns to opted-in contacts, so the setup on our side can be prepared while Meta does its review.

If you would rather not do the setup alone, we can walk through the account, number and gateway connection with you; start from the contact page. The paperwork is yours, but the sequence does not have to be a mystery.