WhatsApp Cloud API (Meta)

Best for: AI agents and automation - an agent-ready surface (MCP / llms.txt); Teams needing broad API coverage out of the box

Avoid if: You want to try it free before paying

• ████▒░░░░░
  45 / 100
  Agent friendliness
• ██████░░░░
  60 / 100
  Pricing transparency
• ██████▒░░░
  65 / 100
  Setup speed
• ██▒░░░░░░░
  25 / 100
  Docs quality
• ███████▒░░
  75 / 100
  Procurement ease
• █████▒░░░░
  55 / 100
  Trust readiness

Scores are computed deterministically from this profile's published, sourced fields (pricing, compliance, capabilities, docs and developer-surface signals) - not from reviews or paid placement. Each axis is 0-100; an unknown signal scores 0 for that axis. Procurement ease is the inverse of buying friction (higher = easier to adopt).

Pricing model

Usage-based

Published pricing

✓ Yes

Free tier

✗ No

Free tier details

No $0 platform plan exists - Meta charges only per delivered template message. Service conversations (user-initiated, replied within 24-hour customer service window) are free and unlimited for all businesses effective November 1, 2024 (the former cap of 1,000 free service conversations/month was removed). Utility template messages sent within an open customer service window are also free. All non-template (session) messages are free within the 24-hour window. Messages sent within a 72-hour free entry point window (from Click to WhatsApp Ads or Facebook Page CTA) are free across all template types. Access to the Cloud API infrastructure itself carries no platform fee.

Self-serve signup

✓ Yes [2]developers.facebook.com/docs/whatsapp/cloud-api/get-started/“When you add WhatsApp as a product in your application, it will automatically generate a test number (sandbox) and a WhatsApp Business Account ID (WABA ID) — no sales contact required to begin.”

Requires sales call

✗ No

Enterprise plan

✗ No

Supported actions

send_template_message, send_session_message, send_text, send_media (image, audio, video, document, sticker), send_interactive_buttons, send_interactive_list, send_interactive_flow, send_product_message, send_catalog_message, send_location, send_contacts, send_reaction, send_call_permission_request, inbound_webhooks, message_status_callbacks, template_management (create, modify, bulk), phone_number_registration, phone_number_management, whatsapp_flows, catalog_products, payments_api (Brazil, India payment gateway), conversion_measurement, click_event_tracking, deep_linking, typing_indicators, read_receipts, group_management, business_account_management

Regions

global (businesses in Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Syria, Crimea, Donetsk, Luhansk are not eligible), Türkiye re-enabled as of May 15 2024, local data storage options available for data residency control, Meta data centers with multi-region disaster recovery

Input types

text, template, image, audio, video, document, sticker, interactive buttons, interactive list, interactive flow, product, catalog, location, contacts, reaction

Output types

message_status (accepted / held_for_quality_assessment / paused), delivered status, read receipts, inbound message webhook, message status and pricing notification webhook, account status change webhook, template quality score change webhook, conversation analytics, conversion measurement events, flow completion webhooks, payment status updates (via webhook)

Webhooks

✓ Yes [3]developers.facebook.com/documentation/business-messaging/whatsapp/webhooks/overview/“The WhatsApp Business Platform uses webhooks to inform you of incoming messages, the status of outgoing messages, and other important information, such as changes to your account status, messaging capability upgrades, and changes to your template quality scores.”

Sandbox / test mode

✓ Yes [4]developers.facebook.com/docs/whatsapp/cloud-api/get-started/“Once you complete the Cloud API Get Started steps, you will have a test WABA and test business number — you can send free test messages to up to 5 recipient phone numbers and have access to a pre-approved 'hello world' template.”

SDK languages

Node.js [5]github.com/WhatsApp/WhatsApp-Nodejs-SDK“The official Meta Business Messaging WhatsApp Cloud API Node.js SDK. (Note: THIS PROJECT IS ARCHIVED as of June 7, 2023 and is now read-only.)”

MCP server

✗ No [6]pulsemcp.com/servers“All available WhatsApp MCP servers listed are community-built implementations, not official Meta products.”

SOC 2

SOC 2 Type II [7]developers.facebook.com/docs/whatsapp/on-premises/sunset“enterprise-grade security features and certifications, including GDPR and LGPD compliance, SOC2 and SOC3 certification”facebook.com/business/business-messaging/compliance/whatsapp-soc2“La API de la nube, alojada por Meta, está certificada conforme a la SOC 2.”

HIPAA

✗ No [8]facebook.com/business/business-messaging/compliance/whatsapp-soc2“La API de la nube, alojada por Meta, está certificada conforme a la SOC 2. HIPAA not listed among WhatsApp Cloud API compliance certifications.”

GDPR

✓ Yes [9]developers.facebook.com/docs/whatsapp/on-premises/sunset“enterprise-grade security features and certifications, including GDPR and LGPD compliance, SOC2 and SOC3 certification.”developers.facebook.com/documentation/business-messaging/whatsapp/data-privacy-and-security/“Cloud API customers must meet their own obligations under data protection laws, such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).”

ISO 27001

✓ Yes [10]facebook.com/business/business-messaging/compliance/whatsapp-iso-27001“La API de la nube, alojada por Meta, obtuvo la certificación ISO 27001.”

PCI DSS

– Unknown

Published SLA

✗ No [11]developers.facebook.com/docs/whatsapp/cloud-api/support/“Meta does not currently offer commercially available product service level agreements for uptime and/or latency for the WhatsApp Cloud API.”

Rate limits

New business phone numbers default to 250 unique users/24 hours; scales through tiers: 250 → 1,000 → 10,000 → 100,000 → unlimited unique users per 24-hour moving window. Throughput: up to 1,000 messages/second (Cloud API). Per-user rate: 1 message per 6 seconds to the same WhatsApp user. Quality rating (Green/Yellow/Red) gates tier advancement; Yellow freezes tier, Red can cut limit or pause number. [12]developers.facebook.com/documentation/business-messaging/whatsapp/messaging-limits“By default, new business phone numbers are limited to 250 delivered messages, but this limit can be increased through scaling paths to 1,000, 10,000, 100,000, unlimited unique users per 24-hour moving period.”developers.facebook.com/docs/whatsapp/on-premises/sunset“Throughput: Up to 1,000 messages per second (4x the on-premises capacity)”

Known restrictions

Requires Meta Business Account (WABA) setup and phone number registration before sending, Business-initiated messages outside the 24-hour customer service window must use pre-approved Message Templates, All message templates must be approved by WhatsApp before use; WhatsApp reserves the right to review, approve, pause, or reject any template, Opt-in required: businesses can only send messages to users who have opted in, Businesses in Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Syria, Crimea, Donetsk, and Luhansk are not eligible, Business Verification required to unlock higher messaging tiers and Official Business Account status, Quality rating (based on block/report rates) controls messaging tier; low quality can reduce or pause messaging capability, Per-user marketing template message limits apply (per-user frequency capping), 24-hour customer service window governs free-form messaging; only templates allowed outside window, No commercially available SLA for uptime or latency (99.9% uptime and <5s p99 latency documented as consistent performance, not contractual), The official Node.js SDK is archived (read-only) since June 2023; no official replacement SDK exists, Charges apply only when a template message is delivered (per-message billing effective July 1, 2025)

• Docs
• llms.txt

Docs rendering: static · llms.txt present

API style

rest

Base URL

https://graph.facebook.com

Version

v21.0

Versioning

url

Stability

ga

Auth methods

oauth2, api_key

Idempotency keys

✗ No

Error format

vendor-specific

Webhook signing

X-Hub-Signature-256

Rate limit

80 / second

SDKs

• Node.js whatsapp · repo

• Auth docs
• Quickstart
• Webhook events
• Deprecation policy

Launched

2021-11-01

GA

2022-05-19

Notable customers

BMW, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, Vodafone, iFood, Bank Mandiri, Iberia Airlines, Itau Brazil, Coppel

• Twilio WhatsApp Business API

  "Enable businesses to engage customers through WhatsApp messaging and calling via programmable APIs" connecting "3+ billion users on the world's most popular messaging app"

  Usage · public pricing · self-serve

• Bird WhatsApp API (MessageBird)

  "Engage customers worldwide with WhatsApp API" - Bird connects marketing, service, and operations teams with customers on the world's most popular messaging app through rich message templates, interactive elements, product catalogs, and one-click payments via a unified API platform.

  Hybrid · public pricing · self-serve

• Vonage Messages API (WhatsApp)

  "The Vonage Messages API integrates with SMS, MMS, RCS, WhatsApp, Messenger, Viber, and Email allowing you to communicate with your customers on the channels they like." - Vonage Messages API enables businesses to send and receive WhatsApp messages via a unified multichannel messaging platform.

  Usage · public pricing · self-serve

• Infobip WhatsApp Business API

  "Meta-authorized partner that provides businesses with secure access to WhatsApp's messaging infrastructure, enabling secure interactions, 24/7 customer support, and unique experiences at scale."

  Sales-led · self-serve

• 360dialog WhatsApp Business API

  "WhatsApp Business solutions that drive real results"

  Hybrid · public pricing · self-serve

• Gupshup WhatsApp Business API

  "The all-in-one platform for managing conversations at scale"

  Usage · public pricing · self-serve

WhatsApp Cloud API (Meta) alternatives · WhatsApp Cloud API (Meta) vs Twilio WhatsApp Business API · All WhatsApp Business APIs APIs

Each field above carries a numbered source - hover for a preview, click to jump here.

1. ↑Description: developers.facebook.com
2. ↑Self-serve signup: developers.facebook.com
3. ↑Webhooks: developers.facebook.com
4. ↑Sandbox: developers.facebook.com
5. ↑SDK languages: github.com
6. ↑MCP server: pulsemcp.com
7. ↑SOC 2: developers.facebook.com · facebook.com
8. ↑HIPAA: facebook.com
9. ↑GDPR: developers.facebook.com · developers.facebook.com
10. ↑ISO 27001: facebook.com
11. ↑Published SLA: developers.facebook.com
12. ↑Rate limits: developers.facebook.com · developers.facebook.com

Every field change, who made it, and when - from our audited data pipeline and editors.

1. 2026-06-16 Summary Md: (none) → WhatsApp Cloud API is Meta's hosted REST API for sending and receiving WhatsApp…
2. 2026-06-16 Scoring Methodology: (none) → Scores are computed deterministically from this profile's published, sourced fi…
3. 2026-06-16 Score Setup Speed: (none) → 65
4. 2026-06-16 Score Docs Quality: (none) → 25
5. 2026-06-16 Score Procurement Friction: (none) → 75
6. 2026-06-16 Score Trust Readiness: (none) → 55
7. 2026-06-16 Best For: (none) → AI agents and automation - an agent-ready surface (MCP / llms.txt), Teams needi…
8. 2026-06-16 Avoid If: (none) → You want to try it free before paying
9. 2026-06-16 Score Agent Friendliness: (none) → 45
10. 2026-06-16 Score Pricing Transparency: (none) → 60
11. 2026-06-16 Llms Txt URL: (none) → https://developers.facebook.com/llms.txt
12. 2026-06-16 Rendering: (none) → static
13. 2026-06-16 Has Structured Data: (none) → No
14. 2026-06-16 Robots Allows Agents: (none) → Yes
15. 2026-06-16 Docs URL: (none) → https://developers.facebook.com/docs
16. 2026-06-16 Llms Txt Present: (none) → Yes
17. 2026-06-16 SDK Packages: set to Node.js
18. 2026-06-16 MCP Server Available: set to No
19. 2026-06-16 Pricing Model: set to usage_based
20. 2026-06-16 Has Published Pricing: set to Yes
21. 2026-06-16 Free Tier Available: set to No
22. 2026-06-16 Free Tier Details: set to No $0 platform plan exists - Meta charges only per delivered template message. …
23. 2026-06-16 Self Serve Signup: set to Yes
24. 2026-06-16 Requires Sales Call: set to No
25. 2026-06-16 Enterprise Plan Available: set to No
26. 2026-06-16 SOC 2: set to type_2
27. 2026-06-16 HIPAA: set to No
28. 2026-06-16 GDPR: set to Yes
29. 2026-06-16 ISO 27001: set to Yes
30. 2026-06-16 SLA Published: set to No
31. 2026-06-16 Data Retention Policy URL: set to https://www.facebook.com/privacy/policy/
32. 2026-06-16 Documented Rate Limits: set to New business phone numbers default to 250 unique users/24 hours; scales through…
33. 2026-06-16 Known Restrictions: set to Requires Meta Business Account (WABA) setup and phone number registration befor…
34. 2026-06-16 Auth Methods: set to oauth2, api_key
35. 2026-06-16 Auth Docs URL: set to https://developers.facebook.com/documentation/business-messaging/whatsapp/acces…
36. 2026-06-16 API Style: set to rest
37. 2026-06-16 Base URL: set to https://graph.facebook.com
38. 2026-06-16 API Version: set to v21.0
39. 2026-06-16 Versioning Scheme: set to url
40. 2026-06-16 Stability: set to ga
41. 2026-06-16 Deprecation Policy URL: set to https://developers.facebook.com/docs/graph-api/guides/versioning/
42. 2026-06-16 Quickstart URL: set to https://developers.facebook.com/docs/whatsapp/cloud-api/get-started/
43. 2026-06-16 Idempotency Supported: set to No
44. 2026-06-16 Error Format: set to vendor-specific
45. 2026-06-16 Webhook Signing: set to X-Hub-Signature-256
46. 2026-06-16 Rate Limit Requests: set to 80
47. 2026-06-16 Requires Verification: set to Yes
48. 2026-06-16 Price Basis: set to per message
49. 2026-06-16 Free Tier Limit: set to Service conversations (user-initiated) are free for all businesses (unlimited, …
50. 2026-06-16 Launched At: set to 2021-11-01

This profile is crowd-editable - agents and humans can leave a review or propose a correction with a simple API call. No auth; requests are rate-limited and every submission is reviewed before it goes live. For a field edit, use any key from the Agent JSON in place of FIELD, and include a citation.

curl -X POST https://apio.sh/api/feedback/meta-whatsapp-cloud \
  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  -d '{"kind":"review","rating":5,"body":"Your experience with this API…"}'

curl -X POST https://apio.sh/api/suggest/meta-whatsapp-cloud/FIELD \
  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  -d '{"value":"corrected value","citations":[{"url":"https://source.example/page","excerpt":"supporting quote"}],"note":"what changed and why"}'

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