Nowadays, effective communication is the backbone of any successful business. With the rise of remote work and global collaboration, having a reliable and efficient messaging service is crucial. The Alibaba Cloud Chat App message service offers a robust solution for businesses looking to enhance their communication capabilities. This comprehensive onboarding guide will walk you through the process of setting up the Alibaba Cloud Chat App, including creating a WhatsApp Business Account (WABA)and so on.

Why Choose Alibaba Cloud Chat App?

Alibaba Cloud Chat App Message Service is a WhatsApp business API designed to facilitate seamless and secure communication for businesses of all sizes. Whether you're a small startup or a large enterprise, this service provides a range of features, like OTP verification, sending notifications in text, image, video, and document formats, and a chatbot that can help improve customer engagement, streamline operations, and boost overall productivity. Some of the key benefits include:

• Reliable Message Delivery: Ensure your messages reach your customers promptly, regardless of their location.

• Scalability: Easily scale your communication needs as your business grows.

• Security: Benefit from Alibaba Cloud's robust security infrastructure to protect your data.

• Trusted Partnership: As a Meta business partner, Alibaba Cloud Chat App ensures direct access to WhatsApp’s API, guaranteeing that businesses benefit from the latest features and updates.

Onboarding Guide

To help you get started with Alibaba Cloud Chat App Message service, we’ve broken down the onboarding process into six easy steps. Each step is designed to ensure a smooth setup and integration of the Chat App into your business operations.

Step 1: Information Preparation

Before you begin, gather the following information:

1. Alibaba Cloud Account:

Register an account: Alibaba Cloud Registration
Complete business authentication: Business Authentication
Open Chat App Service:
For China:Chat App Service China
For International: Chat App Service International

2. Facebook Account:

Ensure your Facebook account is in good standing, with accurate personal details matching your ID, and no prior violations on Meta products.
Register here: Facebook Registration

3. Complete Company Information:

Company name and address (matching business license)
Company website (with visible company name)
Company phone number (for BM authentication)
Bank statement or tax bill (for BM authentication)
Email with the same domain as the company website

4. Mobile Phone Number:

Ensure the number can receive verification codes or voice calls.

Step 2: Creating a Business Manager Account (BM)

Creating a Business Manager account is essential for managing your business’s assets and permissions on Facebook. You can create the BM account via two methods:

1. Directly via Facebook:
Log in to your Facebook account and navigate to Facebook Business. Here, you can submit your company information to create a BM account.

2. Through Alibaba Cloud Chat App Console:

Log in to both your Facebook and Alibaba Cloud Chat App accounts.
Click the register button and link your Facebook account.
Fill in the necessary company details and proceed to create WABA.

Step 3: Creating WABA

With your BM account set up, you can now create your WhatsApp Business Account (WABA). Follow these steps:

1. WABA Registration:

Use the details from Step 2 to enter the WABA information filling interface.

2. Adding a Number:

Go to the Alibaba Cloud Chat App console, click "Add Number" under Channel Management, and fill in the required details.

PS: The display name（in the above picture） needs to be related to the brand name, and it is best not to have duplicate display names for multiple numbers. For example, if the brand name is “ABC”, the display name can be “ABC plus“or “ABC support”.

3. Service Activation:

Receive a verification code and complete the authentication process.

Step 4: Creating a Template

Meta regulations require that the first message sent to a customer be template-based. This step ensures compliance and provides a standardized way to communicate with customers initially. Here’s how you can create a template.

1. Log in to the Alibaba Cloud Chat App Console:

Navigate to the Template Management section.

2. Create a Template:

Follow the instructions to create a template that suits your business needs. Ensure it complies with Meta’s guidelines.

3. Submit for Approval:

Once created, submit the template for Meta’s approval.

Step 5: Business Manager Verification

Though optional, completing Business Manager Verification is highly recommended to avoid account-related issues and improve credibility. Here’s how:

1. Complete BM Information:

Ensure that all information matches the details on your business license.

2. Submit Certification Information:

Provide a copy of your business license, bank statements, and proof of domain ownership.
The review process typically takes 48 hours.

3. Advantages of Business Manager Verification：

Daily conversations increased from 250 to 1000；and numbers increased from 2 to 25.
The display name instead of numbers is presented to the end user.
Business Manager Verification is a prerequisite for OBA application, which helps businesses apply for OBA smoothly.

Step 6: OBA Application (Optional)

The Official Business Account (OBA) provides additional credibility and features for your business. Requirements for OBA application include:

1. BM Verification:

Ensure your BM account is successfully verified.

2. Approved Display Name:

Your display name should be relevant to your business and brand.

3. Submit Application:

Submit your request to Alibaba with more than five brand-related websites. Alibaba will initiate the application process, which typically takes 24-48 hours for review.

Common Issues and Solutions

WABA Account Blocked:

Ensure that BM and WABA names are relevant to your company and brand names.
Complete BM certification to avoid issues that may occur in the future.

Account-Related Problems:

Verify that your website and company association are clear to prevent invalid URL judgments. You need to submit a request for review. and describe in detail the relevance of your website content and the company's business.

Establish effective association between enterprise and website to avoid being judged as an invalid URL.

1) The website is built, the link is not broken, and it is accessible to other users. (check the debugger for website accessibility, the status of code should be 200 ( https://developers.facebook.com/tools/debug ).

2) The website should display the company's brand logo and clearly display the products and services provided by the company.

3) The website domain name and email domain name should be consistent. For example, the website is www.abcwebsolutions.com and the email address is bob@abcwebsolutions.com.

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4) Set up Facebook dynamic verification code settings to avoid missing verification codes.

For more detailed assistance, refer to Chat App official help document.

Conclusion

The Alibaba Cloud Chat App Message Service provides a powerful platform for enhancing your business communication. By following this comprehensive onboarding guide, you can ensure a smooth setup and seamless integration of the Chat App into your business operations. Whether you're looking to improve customer engagement, streamline internal communication, send OPT verifications, or scale your messaging capabilities, the Alibaba Cloud Chat App is an excellent choice. Embrace the future of business communication and take the first step today with Alibaba Cloud. You can get a free trial here or join Alibaba Cloud Discord community to learn more.

Community

Follow Alibaba Cloud Chat App Onboarding Guideline to Begin Your WhatsApp Business Communication

Why Choose Alibaba Cloud Chat App?

Onboarding Guide

Step 1: Information Preparation

Step 2: Creating a Business Manager Account (BM)

Step 3: Creating WABA

Step 4: Creating a Template

Step 5: Business Manager Verification

Step 6: OBA Application (Optional)

Common Issues and Solutions

WABA Account Blocked:

Account-Related Problems:

Conclusion

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