Meta Business Verification for the WhatsApp Business API: step by step

Updated on October 29, 2026

Business verification is the process Meta uses to confirm that a business portfolio belongs to a real company. You do it in the portfolio’s Security Center: enter the legal name, address, phone number and website exactly as they appear on your documents, upload proof if Meta asks for it, and confirm the connection by email, phone call, SMS, WhatsApp or domain. On the WhatsApp Business API, verification is one of the ways to move past the initial limit of 250 recipients per day, and it is a prerequisite for requesting an Official Business Account.

This guide covers the steps, the documents that usually work (with notes for Brazilian companies), the most common problems with company names and domains, and what changes in your operation after approval.

Do I need to verify my business to use the WhatsApp Business API?

Meta does not require verification to start sending messages: every new business portfolio starts with a limit of 250 unique recipients in a rolling 24-hour period outside the customer service window, according to the messaging limits documentation. To grow, though, verification shows up on almost every path.

Vectalk’s quickstart lists a verified Meta Business account among the requirements for connecting a number. So if you plan to run on Vectalk, treat verification as part of the project, not as something for later. The official WhatsApp API guide covers the other prerequisites, and how to get WhatsApp API access walks through the whole onboarding.

Feature	Unverified portfolio	Verified portfolio
Messaging limit	250 unique recipients per 24 h	Verification is one of the paths to 2,000; after that, automatic increases
Templates per Messaging account	Up to 250	Up to 6,000, if at least one number has an approved display name
Display name review	Happens when the limit goes up	Happens when the limit goes up, and verification is one path to that; an approved name shows at the top of the chat and in the chat list
Official Business Account (OBA)	Not eligible	Eligible, together with the other criteria

Sources: messaging limits, WhatsApp accounts and Messaging accounts and display names.

Since September 23, 2026, what used to be a single WhatsApp Business Account (WABA) is split into a WhatsApp account, which holds the phone number, and a Messaging account, which holds templates, billing and webhooks. Your existing WABA ID now identifies the Messaging account, which is why the template limit above is counted per Messaging account. The article on the new WABA structure explains the change.

Before you start: what to have ready

Most rejections come from data that doesn’t match between the form, the documents and the website. It’s worth spending half an hour checking before you submit:

• Admin access. Only someone with full control of the portfolio can start verification.
• Exact legal name. Use the registered legal name of the company with the same spelling, not a trade name. In Brazil, that is the razão social shown on the CNPJ (the national company registration number).
• Complete, identical address. The address you enter must match the document, including street number and suite.
• A phone that someone answers. If you choose confirmation by call or SMS, the number has to receive the code right away.
• A live website with HTTPS. Meta asks for a website that loads over a secure connection.
• A domain you control. Access to DNS or to the homepage code unlocks the domain confirmation option.
• An email address on the company domain. An address like contact@yourcompany.com makes email confirmation easier.

Want to try it while you read? Create a Vectalk account and send your first message through the official API. Create free account →

Verification step by step

The flow below follows the help page How to verify your business in Meta Business Suite. Menu names may vary slightly depending on the interface version.

1. Open the business portfolio at business.facebook.com and go to Settings > Security Center.
2. Click Start verification. If the button doesn’t appear or is disabled, the portfolio may not be eligible at that moment.
3. Fill in the company’s legal name, address, phone number and website. Meta tries to find a public record that matches the data.
4. If no record matches, upload the documents Meta asks for. They must show the legal name and the full address exactly as you typed them.
5. Choose the confirmation method: email, phone call, SMS, WhatsApp message or domain verification.
6. Complete the confirmation and track the status in the Security Center.

If Meta asks for additional information, answer quickly and keep an eye on the admins’ email inbox: the request and its deadline come in Meta’s notice. The verification troubleshooting page lists the most frequent reasons for rejection.

Domain confirmation

Domain confirmation is the most predictable option when the company email is not on the same domain as the website. It’s done in Settings > Brand safety > Domains, where you add the root domain and pick one of three methods: a meta tag on the homepage, uploading an HTML file, or a DNS TXT record. Once the domain is verified, Meta says you can remove the tag, file or record without losing the status (domain verification).

Before you click verify, make sure the tag or record is actually published. Copy the content exactly as Meta generated it and test from outside:

# The tag must be in the HTML served by the server, inside <head>
curl -s https://yourcompany.com/ | grep -i "<meta"

# The TXT record must show up in a public DNS lookup
dig TXT yourcompany.com +short

If the tag shows up in the browser but not in curl, it’s probably being injected by JavaScript or a tag manager. Put the tag directly in the site template.

Which documents to use

When Meta can’t find a record that confirms your data, it asks for official documents, such as a business license or articles of incorporation. The help page stresses two requirements: the document must show the company’s legal name, and the full address must match what you entered.

Meta does not publish, on the pages we checked, a country-specific list. In practice, choose official documents that show the legal name and address exactly as typed. For Brazilian companies, these usually work:

• the CNPJ registration and status certificate (comprovante de inscrição e de situação cadastral), issued by the federal tax authority;
• the articles of association (contrato social) or the latest amendment registered with the state commercial registry (junta comercial).

Outside Brazil, look for the equivalent official company registration certificate in your country. According to the troubleshooting page, Meta rejects:

• forms filled in by the company itself without an official signature or stamp;
• expired, blurry or low-resolution documents;
• documents whose name, address or phone number don’t match the portfolio settings;
• documents in unsupported languages without an English translation bearing the translator’s official stamp.

Common problems with company names and domains

Problem	Likely cause	What to do
“The details don’t match the document”	Trade name on the form and legal name on the document	Type the legal name exactly as registered, including suffixes such as LTDA, LLC or Inc.
Address rejected	Different abbreviations, branch address on the form and headquarters on the document	Use the same address as the document, without changing “Ave.” to “Avenue” or dropping the suite
Phone won’t confirm	The number on the form belongs to someone else or can’t receive SMS	Enter a company phone that can receive a call or SMS at the moment of confirmation
Website not accepted	Site without HTTPS, offline or with no clear link to the company	Publish the site with a valid certificate and show the legal name and registration number in the footer
Domain already verified by another portfolio	An agency, former vendor or another company portfolio already claimed the domain	Ask the admin of the other portfolio to remove the domain under Brand safety
Document rejected	Illegible or expired file, or an unsigned self-declaration	Upload an original, legible PDF issued by a government body or with official registration
Verification button doesn’t appear	Portfolio not eligible at the moment or no admin permission	Confirm the user’s role; if you are an admin, wait and try again

Two situations deserve special attention. The first is a company that just changed its legal name or address: the old document no longer matches the registry, so update the registration first and use the new certificate. The second is a portfolio created by an agency on the client’s behalf: the domain and the portfolio must belong to the company that owns the brand, otherwise verification and the WhatsApp assets end up tied to a third party. If the portfolio itself gets restricted, see restricted Business Manager and WhatsApp.

How to check the status through the API

Besides the Security Center, you can check the status through the Graph API. The WhatsApp accounts documentation shows the business_verification_status field queried on the WABA ID, which now identifies the Messaging account:

curl 'https://graph.facebook.com/v26.0/YOUR_WABA_ID?fields=name,status,business_verification_status' \
  -H 'Authorization: Bearer YOUR_META_TOKEN'

Expected response when the business is already verified:

{
  "name": "My Company",
  "status": "ACTIVE",
  "business_verification_status": "verified",
  "id": "102290129340398"
}

On Vectalk, the WABA details endpoint accepts the fields parameter and uses the instance token. The documentation shows examples with id, name, currency and timezone_id but doesn’t list business_verification_status, so test the field on your account before relying on it in production.

curl 'https://apis.vectalk.com.br/api/analytics/waba?fields=id,name,currency' \
  -H 'Authorization: Bearer YOUR_INSTANCE_TOKEN'

For the display name, the verified_name and name_status fields on the phone number show the name and the review status, according to the display names page. The current messaging limit is in the whatsapp_business_manager_messaging_limit field of the phone number (the old messaging_limit_tier field is deprecated).

What changes after verification

Verification alone doesn’t increase anything right away. It unlocks paths:

• Messaging limit. Completing verification is one of three paths to request the 2,000 limit; the other two are verification done by the partner that onboarded you and delivering 2,000 messages to unique recipients outside the service window within 30 days with high-quality templates. Meta still reviews message quality before approving. After 2,000, the limit goes up one level within 6 hours if you used at least half of your current limit in the last 7 days and kept quality high. The article on WhatsApp API messaging limits details the tiers.
• Display name. When the limit goes up, the display name goes through an automatic review. Once approved, it shows at the top of the chat and in the chat list. You can change the name up to 10 times per 30-day period, and each change is reviewed again. The rules for choosing the name are in WhatsApp display name.
• More templates. The ceiling goes from 250 to up to 6,000 templates per Messaging account, as long as a number in the portfolio has an approved display name. See how to organize that catalog in WhatsApp API message templates.
• Official Business Account. Verification is one of the criteria for requesting the official account badge. The other criteria and realistic expectations are in the WhatsApp official business account badge.

The limit is calculated per portfolio and shared by all of its numbers. If your company has several numbers, one of them can use up the entire capacity on a campaign day.

Business verification is not the WhatsApp badge

People often confuse the two. Portfolio verification confirms to Meta that the business exists. The verified badge customers see on WhatsApp depends on a separate request, the Official Business Account, or on a paid subscription. Having a verified portfolio is a necessary condition for the official account, but it doesn’t guarantee the badge.

Frequently asked questions

How long does verification take?

Meta doesn’t state a fixed timeframe on the help pages we checked. Track the status in the Security Center and respond quickly to any request for additional information, within the deadline stated in Meta’s notice.

Can a sole proprietor or very small company verify?

Meta’s page doesn’t treat sole proprietors separately (in Brazil, the MEI micro-entrepreneur category). The same rule applies: the data you type must match an official document showing the business name and address. Use the business name exactly as it appears in the registration.

Can I verify with a site built on a website builder, or only an Instagram page?

Meta asks for a website that loads over HTTPS. A site built with a website builder works, as long as it’s online, has a valid certificate and is clearly linked to the company. Showing the legal name, registration number and address in the footer helps the review.

Can a partner verify for me?

Meta provides a partner-led verification path for businesses that were onboarded by one. In Vectalk’s flow, the number is connected to your company’s portfolio through Meta’s Embedded Signup, and verification happens in that portfolio. For questions about the process, contact the team through the Help Center.

I was rejected. What now?

Read the reason shown in the Security Center, fix the data or document that doesn’t match, and submit again. The most frequent reasons are in the common problems table above and on Meta’s troubleshooting page.

Get started with Vectalk

With a verified portfolio, connecting your number and sending your first message through the official API takes only a few steps. With Vectalk you use the same payloads and webhooks as Meta, with one token for all accounts, and you don’t add a card at Meta: you pay a monthly fee and keep a prepaid balance, each delivered message is deducted from that balance, and Vectalk pays Meta. Create your account at apps.vectalk.com.br/register or read the documentation.

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Sources checked on October 29, 2026: Messaging limits, WhatsApp accounts and Messaging accounts, Display names, How to verify your business in Meta Business Suite, Business verification troubleshooting, Domain verification.