WhatsApp Cloud API: Everything you need to know!

With the launch of WhatsApp Cloud API, Facebook has opened up access to WhatsApp business for all businesses across the world. WhatsApp Cloud API offers businesses the opportunity to offer customized experiences to customers. Businesses had to rely on business service providers to get access to the WhatsApp business API.

With the WhatsApp Cloud API, businesses would get free access to WhatsApp Cloud API accounts provided by Facebook. Detailed information on WhatsApp Cloud API such as the key features and major benefits of WhatsApp Cloud API have been included in this piece. 

The WhatsApp Business API has two important features for businesses: the WhatsApp Cloud API and the WhatsApp Catalog API. The WhatsApp Cloud API lets businesses add WhatsApp messaging to their apps and systems.

This helps them talk to customers quickly, share order updates, and give support. This connection makes it easier for businesses to give special help and make customers happy. The WhatsApp Catalog API does something else.

It helps businesses show their products or services well. Businesses can make a list of things they have, with pictures, explanations, and prices. This makes it better for customers to look at things and shop on WhatsApp. When businesses use both of these tools, they can become strong online, give easy shopping, and make better friendships with customers.

What is WhatsApp Cloud API? 

WhatsApp Cloud API is the cloud-based version of WhatsApp business API. WhatsApp Cloud API allows businesses to provide customized experiences to users in an easy and quick manner. Businesses get direct approval for WhatsApp Cloud API from Facebook. This makes the process quick and easy for businesses.

Businesses get to build on top of WhatsApp. This makes the experience of engaging with the customers seamless. Earlier only the official business service providers and WhatsApp partners could build on top of WhatsApp but with the WhatsApp Cloud API businesses have been given the power to do so themselves.

Facebook provides direct approval of WhatsApp API to the businesses for which they had to earlier rely on WhatsApp business service providers. This restriction has been removed with WhatsApp Cloud API. Businesses can create WhatsApp Cloud API accounts and get them approved directly from Facebook.  

What are the key features of WhatsApp Cloud API?

Some of the most exciting features of WhatsApp Cloud API are:

1. Sending bulk messages to thousands of users in one go. 

2. Facility of integration with more than two thousand customer relationship management platforms. WhatsApp Cloud API also integrates with e-commerce platforms. 

3. Automated responses for events such as placing orders, shipping, and payment confirmation among many other events. 

4. Live chat support on multiple devices. 

5. Text, image, audio, and video-based template messages. 

6. Creating lists in a seamless manner.  

7. Quick replies and call-to-action buttons on messages. 

8. Free green tick verification for businesses. 

What is the difference between WhatsApp Business API and WhatsApp Cloud API?

There exist some key points of difference between WhatsApp Business API and WhatsApp Cloud API. Important points of difference between the two have been covered. 

1. Seamless Access

Facebook provides access to WhatsApp Cloud API within minutes. In the case of WhatsApp business API, businesses require WhatsApp business service providers as intermediaries to get the businesses the approval required for WhatsApp business API.

2. Charges

In the case of WhatsApp business API, WhatsApp business service providers charge hosting charges from the businesses. In the case of WhatsApp Cloud API, there are no hosting charges. Facebook would bear all the charges for hosting and providing access to WhatsApp business API. 

3. Approval directly from Facebook

WhatsApp Cloud API is approved directly by Facebook. Providing access by WhatsApp business service providers is not required in the case of WhatsApp Cloud API.  

4. No maintenance and upgradation cost 

In the case of WhatsApp business API, WhatsApp business service providers roll out annual plans for updates. In the case of WhatsApp Cloud API, Facebook bears the maintenance cost. It is important to mention that there is not much cost difference between WhatsApp business API and WhatsApp Cloud API.   

How to get WhatsApp Cloud API? 

Businesses as well as developers can get access to WhatsApp Cloud API for free. Following steps can be followed to get the access. 

Step 1: 

Log on to https://www.developer.facebook.com. 

Step 2:

Click on “Create App”.

Step 3: 

Select an app type for business and click next. 

Step 4: 

Type business name for the app and add associated contact email address for the business. In case the business is having a WhatsApp business account, that is to be selected as well. 

Step 5: 

Again click on “Create App”.

Step 6: 

Select “Add products to your app” menu and click on “Setup” for WhatsApp.

Step 7: 

Select the associated WhatsApp business account and click on “Continue”. 

Step 8: 

Temporary access token is generated. Keep the token safe for future access. 

Step 9: 

Select the phone number provided for testing and also enter the phone number on which the business wants to receive messages from Meta. This provides the confirmation to Meta that it can send messages from their servers. 

Step 10:

Click on “Send Message”.

Step 11: 

Check the WhatsApp blast message sent by the WhatsApp Cloud API team.

What are the benefits of WhatsApp Cloud API?

There are many benefits of using WhatsApp Cloud API. Major benefits of WhatsApp Cloud API have been covered. 

1.Quick Approval 

Facebook provides approval to WhatsApp Cloud API accounts within minutes. Approval for WhatsApp Cloud API is quick in comparison to the approval for WhatsApp Business API. 

2.Free Subscription 

Businesses can get access to WhatsApp business API without paying anything. It is important to highlight that Facebook does not provide access to platforms where businesses can broadcast messages and solve problems of the customers. 

3.Instant new updates 

Businesses can get instant access to updates on the WhatsApp business APIs through the WhatsApp Cloud APIs. 

4.Less Resource Intensive

WhatsApp has made the entire process less resource intensive for the businesses. Providing access to the WhatsApp Cloud API platform without a business partner made the process less resource intensive for the businesses. 

5.Partnership Capabilities

Meta allows businesses to partner with WhatsApp customer relationship platforms to make the process of contacting the customers less cumbersome for the businesses.  

WhatsApp Cloud API Pricing 

Getting access to WhatsApp Cloud API is free. Businesses need to make payments for making conversations with the customers. Businesses are required to pay for both user initiated conversations and business initiated conversations. When businesses reply to a user’s message within the twenty four hour duration, a user initiated conversation (UIC) is initiated with the message. Pricing of UIC is different for different countries. When businesses initiate the conversation (after the completion of a twenty four hour period or new message), it is considered as a business initiated conversation. Pricing of BIC is different for different countries. For example, in the case of India, the pricing for user initiated conversations is INR 0.35 per conversation and the pricing for business initiated conversations is INR 0.55 per conversation.   

Conclusion 

WhatsApp Cloud API is the cloud version of WhatsApp business API. This platform is offered by Meta which helps businesses in providing curated marketing content for the businesses. One of the most important features of the platform is that access is free of any cost. Even partnering with business service providers is not required. Meta provides direct access of WhatsApp Cloud API to the businesses. Another significant feature of WhatsApp Cloud API is that the live chat option is accessible on multiple devices. To sum it up, WhatsApp Cloud API offers businesses the convenience of reaching out to customers that suit their particular requirements.

Also Read: How can Facebook be used as the best marketing tool for your business?