WhatsApp Business Cloud API — What it is and When to Choose it

<h2>What is it?</h2><p>WhatsApp Business Cloud API is the official Meta connection for business WhatsApp communication. Instead of a phone app, you use an API that directly connects to WhatsApp — scalable, reliable, with no risk of being blocked.</p><h3>Benefits vs Phone App</h3><ul><li><strong>No mobile number needed</strong> — works with VoIP, landline numbers, 085 numbers</li><li><strong>No risk of being blocked</strong> — official Meta route</li><li><strong>Multi-agent</strong> — multiple employees can access the same inbox simultaneously</li><li><strong>API integration</strong> — direct integration with CRM, automated follow-ups, AI-powered replies</li><li><strong>Scalable</strong> — thousands of chats per day possible</li></ul><h3>What are the costs?</h3><p><strong>Free</strong> for the first 1000 service conversations (24-hour window) per month. After that, approximately €0.05 per chat. Marketing templates approximately €0.07.</p><h3>When NOT to Choose?</h3><p>If you expect fewer than 50 messages per month and have a spare Android phone, use the baileys-bridge (already built into our stack). For customer-facing production, always use the Cloud API.</p><h3>Setup</h3><p>Step-by-step guide can be found in <a href="?article=whatsapp-cloud-setup">Setting up WhatsApp Cloud API in your customer portal</a>.</p>