What is the WhatsApp Business Platform?

WhatsApp Business Platform akes the world's most used messaging app into the commercial world. It gives you a specialized chat app built for businesses, plus an API that adds enterprise-scale capabilities, so you can reach the more than 3 billion people who use WhatsApp every month.

Unlike the consumer WhatsApp app, WhatsApp Business Platform isn't an app at all. It's an interface that lets businesses connect to WhatsApp at scale through APIs.

What APIs Make Up WhatsApp Business Platform?

WhatsApp Business Platform runs on two APIs: the Cloud API and the Business Management API.

WhatsApp Cloud API

The Cloud API lets you send and receive messages through servers Meta hosts and manages. Because Meta runs the infrastructure, you don't carry hosting costs, and the platform scales with your message volume without extra setup. Since October 2025, the Cloud API is the only way to send and receive WhatsApp Business Platform messages: Meta retired the older On-Premise API, and any business still running on it has since moved to the Cloud API.

WhatsApp Business Management API

The Business Management API lets you manage your WhatsApp Business Account: your templates, phone numbers, and account settings.

How Do You Get WhatsApp Business Platform?

Working with a WhatsApp Business Solution Provider (BSP), such as CM.com, is the easiest way to get access to WhatsApp Business Platform. Meta selects BSPs directly, giving them access it doesn't extend to businesses that want to integrate on their own.