Coexistence is how you connect an existing WhatsApp number to the official WhatsApp Business Platform through Boomer. You keep your number and your pool stays intact, but the channel now sits on a sturdier foundation. That sounds simple, and it is, as long as you come prepared.
Walk into the onboarding meeting half-prepared and you run into avoidable waiting time. Below are the three things to arrange in advance.
A payment method with Meta is not one of them. You need that only after connecting, and Meta asks for it itself. More on that at the bottom.
Would you rather start with a brand new number than connect your existing one? You can, in the same screen. Point 2 below then does not apply to you, and you will not carry over existing conversations and contacts.
1. A number that actually works
You need a phone number that can receive an SMS or a call. That sounds obvious, but there is a catch: Meta regularly blocks VoIP numbers at the verification step. If the SMS does not arrive, you cannot continue.
Use one of these:
- An ordinary SIM card. This always works.
- A business telephony provider. Make sure the provider explicitly supports WhatsApp verification, and check it before the meeting rather than during it.
In doubt? Test the day before the meeting whether you can receive an SMS on the number you want to connect.
2. The WhatsApp Business app is already live
This is the most common misunderstanding: you cannot start connecting if the Business app is not active yet. The order is fixed:
- Activate the WhatsApp Business app on your phone with the number you want to connect
- Only then connect it to the Meta Business Platform through Boomer
The other way round does not work. So make sure the app is running, the number is set up in it, and everything is in order before the meeting starts.
Starting with a brand new number? Then you do not have to do anything in the Business app in advance: you create the number in the connection screen itself.
3. Access to business.facebook.com
This is the part that causes delays most often. You need access to your full business portfolio on business.facebook.com. An account alone is not enough: you also need the rights to open Settings.
Meta protects that page extra carefully. If you log in from a new browser or an unknown device, you may be blocked temporarily. A cooldown period then applies before you can reach that section, and you cannot speed it up.
So do this before the meeting: log in to business.facebook.com, go to Settings and check that you can actually get in. If that works, you are ready. If you see a message telling you to wait, you have time to sort it out.
Connecting, step by step
Once the three points above are ticked off, connecting goes like this:
- In Boomer, go to Integrations → WhatsApp Business
- Click Connect
- A popup opens. Log in with the Facebook account that has access to the business portfolio
- Enter the phone number you want to connect
- You receive a verification code by SMS or a call
- Choose Connect a WhatsApp Business app. The Business app is now linked to your Meta portfolio
- The remaining steps speak for themselves
After connecting: add a payment method
This is explicitly not a precondition. You can connect without a payment method, and at the end of the Meta screen a Add payment method button appears by itself. That is the moment.
What you do need it for: Meta only approves your message templates once a payment method is attached to your business portfolio, and without an approved template you cannot message anyone first. If you skipped the button in the popup, you can still arrange it in your payment settings at Meta, or through Settings → Billing and payments → Payment methods. A credit card always works; a debit card is not accepted everywhere.
There is no rush. Your connection is already in place and you can do this the next day.
Still have questions about the preparation? Get in touch and we will go through it together.