waiaconnect

WhatsApp Coexistence: use the API without giving up WhatsApp Business

Yes: with WhatsApp Coexistence the number keeps working in the WhatsApp Business app on the phone while your software runs it in parallel through Meta's Cloud API. WAIA Connect connects the number with Meta's Embedded Signup, gives you an API to send and receive, and a signed webhook that also tells you what your team types on the phone.

What this page says about Meta and third parties was checked against their official documentation on 2026-09-28 (sources at the bottom).

What problem it solves

Before coexistence, moving a number to the API meant taking it out of the app: the team stopped answering from the phone and everything had to move to a new system. With Coexistence you don't have to choose: the same number, the same account and the same conversations, in the app and in your system at the same time.

It fits when the number already exists, customers already write to it, someone answers from the phone, and you want to add automation, a CRM or a bot without cutting that service.

How it connects

Onboarding runs through Embedded Signup, Meta's official window. The number's owner logs in with Facebook, picks or creates their business portfolio and, at the end, scans a QR code from the WhatsApp Business app (Settings → Linked devices). It needs a second screen: the code shows on the computer and is scanned with the phone.

You can onboard the number yourself from the panel, or send your customer an onboarding link with your brand so they do it without handing you their Meta credentials.

Step by step and what usually blocks it: While you connect · where to scan the QR.

What your system sees

  • Incoming messages (message.received), with one webhook for all your numbers.
  • What your team types on the phone (message.echo): the content of those messages reaches your system, and it does not count against your plan.
  • The status of each send (message.status: sent, delivered, read, failed).
  • A summary of the history Meta shares on connection (history.synced).

All events and their format: Event types · Receive the webhook.

Coexistence limitations (according to Meta)

They are Meta's, not WAIA Connect's, and apply with any provider. Meta's official documentation says that, after connecting a number through coexistence:

  • The app must be WhatsApp Business 2.24.17 or later.
  • Broadcast lists and view-once messages are disabled; groups, disappearing messages, live location and calling through the API are not supported.
  • The last 6 months of history can be synchronized, within 24 hours of onboarding.
  • The number is capped at 20 messages per second.
  • Linked devices are unlinked on connection and must be linked again; the documentation lists exceptions by platform.
  • If the primary phone is not used for about 14 days, Meta disconnects the number.

Messages sent from the app stay free; messages sent through the API carry Meta's usual pricing.

What it costs

A flat fee per connected number, with no message cap and a 14-day trial:

  • Starter — US$ 12 per month, 1 number
  • Studio — US$ 25 per month, 5 numbers
  • Agencia — US$ 45 per month, 12 numbers
  • Escala — US$ 99 per month, 30 numbers, plus US$ 3 for each extra number

Meta bills its own messages separately, to the card on your Meta account; WAIA Connect adds no markup. Details in Help.

Frequently asked questions

Can I keep replying from the phone after connecting the number to the API?

Yes. With Coexistence the WhatsApp Business app keeps working on the phone, and whatever is typed there reaches your system as a message.echo event.

Do I lose my chats when connecting?

They are not deleted from the app. Meta lets the business share the last 6 months of history with the API within 24 hours of onboarding, if the business agrees to it.

Does my customer have to give me their Facebook login?

No. You send an onboarding link with your brand, they onboard in Meta's window with their own session, and the number is connected to your WAIA Connect account.

What does not work in coexistence?

According to Meta: broadcast lists, view-once messages, groups, disappearing messages, live location and calling through the API. The number is capped at 20 messages per second.

Is it for me if I won't write any code?

Probably not: WAIA Connect connects WhatsApp to a system of yours. If you want an inbox to answer with your team and an AI assistant, without coding, that is WAIA.

Sources

Checked on 2026-09-28.

Keep reading

Connect your first number today

Meta-verified technology provider. Coexistence in one click.

Get started