❓ How to Get Started?

On this page, you learn about how to install and start using the WhatsApp Business App and how to set up a business profile.

To start using the WhatsApp Business App you need 3 things:

  • A phone (iOS or Android)
  • A phone number to receive an SMS on

Step 1: Install the WhatsApp Business App and Create Your Account

First, download the WhatsApp Business app on your phone. You can do that through the Google Play Store or the Apple App Store. Once it’s downloaded, select the WhatsApp Business app icon on your screen:

WhatsApp Business icon on a mobile phone.

At the first launch, you’ll be asked to accept the WhatsApp Terms of Service. Make sure to read these carefully, and then click on Agree and Continue to accept the terms:

Agree and Continue to accept the terms.

If you already have the personal WhatsApp Messenger installed on your phone, you’ll be asked if you wish to convert that account over to WhatsApp Business app. Doing so will retain your conversation history and media, and you’ll keep the same phone number.

Select Use +XXXXX if you want to migrate your account, or Use a Different Number if you’d prefer to use another number, keeping your personal and business accounts separate. Whatever number you choose, you must be able to receive an SMS on it for the following step. In this example, we’ll select Use a Different Number:

Selecting Use a Different Number

On the following screen, select your Country from the dropdown list, and then enter the phone number you’d like to use on the app. Click Next to verify the phone number. You’ll receive a 6-digit code via SMS, which you’ll enter on the following screen:

Verifying a phone number.

On the next page, you’ll be asked to grant the app access to your contacts and media. If you wish to send WhatsApp messages to people in your contact list and to be able to make use of your media gallery, click Continue. You’ll then be asked to restore a backup if you have one on Google Drive. Tap Continue if you do, or Cancel if you don’t:

Restore a backup if you have one on Google Drive

Step 2: Set up Your Business Profile

You’ll be asked to create your business profile. This is what your contacts and customers will see when they chat with you on WhatsApp. You can enter your business name, add your logo, address, description, and your business category. Later on, you’ll be able to add even more information to your profile, such as your opening hours:

Creating a WhatsApp business profile.

Once you’ve created your profile, you’ll be asked to create a catalog. This is a way to showcase the products and services you’re selling and allow your customers to browse through them before or while they chat with you. We’ll skip this step for now, you can come back to it later. Select Not now at the bottom of the page:

WhatsApp Business catalog.

Congratulations! 🎈 You’ve now created a WhatsApp Business app account. You should now see this:

WhatsApp business account.

Step 3: Complete Your Business Profile

On the top right corner of your screen, click on the three-dotted menu ⁝, and then select Business tools:

WhatsApp Business tools.

Here, you’ll be able to edit your business profile, create a product catalog, connect WhatsApp with your Facebook and Instagram accounts, create automated greeting and away messages, quick replies, labels, and more. For now, let’s select the Business profile:

Selecting Business profile.

As you can see, this business profile is a little more detailed than the one we created earlier:

WhatsApp Business profile.

Setting your business/office hours

Select Business hours, and on the following page, select your business schedule. In this case, we choose Open for selected hours. This will allow you to set your exact business hours**:**

Selecting Open for selected hours.

You’ll be presented with the seven days of the week. You can choose which days your business is open and then add sets of hours to those days. In the following example, we’ve selected Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday and added two sets of hours on Tuesday to indicate a lunch break. You can customize this to fit your schedule. Once you’re done, hit Save:

Choosing open hours.

Your business profile will show your office hours, as seen in the following image. You can also add your email address, website, industry, business description, and address to your profile:

WhatsApp Business profile.

Your business profile is now complete! 🥳