WhatsApp Onboarding & Business Account Connection

Setting up WhatsApp as a messaging channel on Sent requires connecting a Meta (Facebook) Business Account and a WhatsApp Business Account. Because this process involves multiple systems -- Sent, Meta Business Manager, and WhatsApp -- there are several points where things can go wrong. This guide covers the most common issues and how to resolve them.

Prerequisites for WhatsApp setup

Before starting the WhatsApp onboarding flow in the Sent dashboard, confirm that you have the following:

• Meta Business Account (verified) -- Created and verified at business.facebook.com. Verification includes submitting your business documents to Meta and having them approved.
• Facebook personal account -- Required to manage the Meta Business Account. This is the account you will use to log in during the connection flow.
• Phone number not already linked to another WhatsApp Business Account -- A phone number can only be associated with one WhatsApp Business Account at a time. If your number is currently linked elsewhere, you must remove it first.
• Sent account with KYC approved -- Your Sent account must have passed compliance review before you can configure channels. See Account Activation & KYC Review if your account is still under review.

If any of these prerequisites are not met, the onboarding flow will fail at various stages. Address them before proceeding.

"The information could not be verified" connection error

Symptoms: During step 2 of the WhatsApp onboarding flow, a Facebook popup opens for connecting your WhatsApp Business Account. After selecting your WA account and confirming authorization, you see:

The information could not be verified. Please repeat the verification process or cancel the registration. Failed to share the WhatsApp Business Account with partners.

Common causes:

• Your Meta Business Account has not completed Meta's own business verification process.
• Two-factor authentication on your Facebook account is interfering with the OAuth flow.
• Your browser is blocking popups or third-party cookies required by the Facebook login window.
• You are using a browser with known compatibility issues with Facebook OAuth (Safari in particular).

Solutions:

1. Verify your Meta Business Account. Log in to Meta Business Manager and navigate to Settings > Business Info > Business Verification. If verification is not complete, follow Meta's instructions to submit the required documents. This process can take several days on Meta's side.
2. Disable popup blockers temporarily. The connection flow opens a Facebook popup window. If your browser blocks it, the authorization cannot complete. Allow popups from sent.dm and facebook.com for the duration of the setup.
3. Use Chrome instead of Safari. Safari has known issues with Facebook's OAuth flow due to its Intelligent Tracking Prevention (ITP) feature, which blocks third-party cookies. Chrome is the recommended browser for this step.
4. Clear Facebook session cookies. If you have multiple Facebook accounts or recently changed your password, stale session data can cause verification failures. Clear cookies for facebook.com and business.facebook.com, then log in again before retrying.
5. Complete Meta Business Verification first. If you created a new Meta Business Account specifically for Sent, it may not yet be verified. Meta requires business verification before you can share your WhatsApp Business Account with third-party partners like Sent. This is a Meta requirement and cannot be bypassed.

"This phone number is already used and linked to a WhatsApp account"

Symptoms: During WhatsApp channel setup, you receive an error indicating that the phone number you are trying to use is already linked to another WhatsApp Business Account.

Why this happens:

A phone number can only be connected to one WhatsApp Business Account at a time. This is a Meta platform limitation. If the number was previously registered with a different WhatsApp Business Account -- whether through another provider, a previous Sent account, or the standard WhatsApp Business app -- it must be removed from that account before it can be linked to a new one.

Solutions:

1. Remove the number from the previous WhatsApp Business Account. Log in to Meta Business Manager, navigate to the WhatsApp Business Account that currently holds the number, and remove it. After removal, wait a few minutes before retrying the connection in Sent.
2. If you don't have access to the previous account: Contact Meta Business Support to request that the number be released. You will need to verify ownership of the number. This process may take several days.
3. Use a different phone number. If releasing the number is not feasible or time-sensitive, consider using a different phone number for your WhatsApp channel on Sent.

Meta verification code sent to Sent-provisioned number

Symptoms: During the WhatsApp onboarding flow, Meta sends a 6-digit verification code via SMS to the phone number that was provisioned by Sent. You do not have physical access to this number and cannot receive the SMS.

Why this happens:

Meta requires phone number verification as part of the WhatsApp Business API setup. When Sent provisions a number for you, the verification step is handled automatically by Sent's integration with the carrier.

What to do:

1. You do not need to manually enter a verification code. Sent handles the automated verification of provisioned numbers as part of the integration flow. If the system is working correctly, the code is received and submitted automatically.
2. If you see a prompt asking for the code, you may have navigated to Meta's verification page directly rather than going through the Sent dashboard. Go back to the Sent dashboard and follow the WhatsApp onboarding flow from there. The dashboard orchestrates the verification process end-to-end.
3. If the automated verification does not complete after several minutes, contact support@sent.dm with:
   • The phone number that was provisioned
   • The step in the onboarding flow where you are stuck
   • Any error messages displayed in the dashboard

Do not attempt to verify the number manually through Meta Business Manager, as this can interfere with Sent's automated process.

Country or number became unavailable after registration

Symptoms: The country or phone number you originally selected during WhatsApp setup is no longer available. The country may have been removed from the available list, or no numbers are shown for that region.

Why this happens:

Phone number availability depends on carrier partnerships and regional regulations. Countries and number ranges can be added or removed over time due to:

• Changes in carrier agreements
• Regulatory requirements in specific regions
• Temporary inventory shortages

Solutions:

1. Contact support for alternatives. Email support@sent.dm with your original number or country selection and the team can check whether alternative numbers are available or if the region is expected to return.
2. Consider using a US number. US phone numbers for WhatsApp work globally regardless of your business location or your recipients' locations. WhatsApp messages are delivered over the internet, so the number's country code does not affect deliverability. A US number is often the most reliable option if your preferred region is unavailable.

Facebook account required for WhatsApp setup

Symptoms: You are prompted to connect a Facebook account during WhatsApp channel setup and were not expecting this requirement.

Why a Facebook account is required:

The WhatsApp Business API is part of Meta's platform. All WhatsApp Business API access is managed through Meta Business Manager, which requires a Facebook account. This is a Meta requirement, not a Sent limitation.

What you need:

If you don't have a Meta Business Account:

1. Go to business.facebook.com and click Create Account.
2. Follow Meta's setup wizard to provide your business name, your name, and your business email.
3. Complete Meta's Business Verification process (required for WhatsApp Business API access).
4. Return to the Sent dashboard and start the WhatsApp onboarding flow.

The Sent onboarding wizard guides you through connecting these accounts step by step. If you already have a Meta Business Account, the flow will detect it and prompt you to select it during authorization.

Country not available in Meta payment or address forms

Symptoms: When setting up billing or entering address details in Meta Business Manager as part of WABA setup, your country does not appear in the dropdown. Meta recommends adding a payment method to speed up WABA approval, but the form cannot be completed without the correct country selection.

Why this happens:

This is an inconsistency in Meta's platform. A country may appear in some Meta form fields (such as the VAT number entry field) but be absent from others (such as the billing address country selector). The omission is on Meta's side and is not related to your Sent account or WABA configuration.

Impact:

Without a payment method on file, Meta may take longer to approve your WABA. However, the missing country does not block the WABA connection itself. You can complete onboarding on Sent using a provisionally assigned phone number and add payment details later.

Solutions:

1. Proceed without a payment method. Complete the WABA setup flow in the Sent dashboard as normal. A provisional number will be assigned. You can update the number and revisit payment setup once Meta resolves the issue on their end.
2. Submit a support ticket to Meta. Go to Meta Business Help and report that your country is missing from the payment setup dropdown. Reference the inconsistency (e.g., country appears in VAT fields but not billing address) in your report.
3. Check other Meta Business Manager accounts. If you manage multiple Meta Business assets, the country dropdown behavior can differ between them. You may find a path to add billing details through an account or asset where the country does appear.

"Log in with Meta" button is greyed out or pop-up does not open

Symptoms: On the WhatsApp Integration step of onboarding, the Log in with Meta button is disabled and cannot be clicked, or clicking it does nothing — the Meta authorization window never appears.

Why this happens:

The Log in with Meta button loads external scripts from facebook.com before it becomes active. Browser extensions that block ads, trackers, or third-party scripts — such as uBlock Origin, Privacy Badger, or similar tools — can silently prevent these scripts from loading, leaving the button in a permanently disabled state. The same extensions can also allow the button to activate but then block the Facebook authorization pop-up from opening.

Solutions:

1. Try a different browser without extensions. Any browser profile without ad-blocking or privacy extensions installed will typically work. This is the fastest way to confirm whether an extension is the cause.
2. Use an incognito or private window. Most browsers disable extensions in private mode by default. If the button becomes active in incognito, an extension in your normal session is the cause.
3. Disable your extensions temporarily. If you prefer to stay in your regular browser, disable ad blockers and privacy extensions one at a time until the button activates, then re-enable them after completing setup.

Missing admin permissions for WABA connection

Symptoms: During the WABA connection flow, Meta displays a message indicating that your account does not have the required permissions to create or modify WhatsApp Business accounts. You cannot proceed past this step.

Why this happens:

Connecting a WhatsApp Business Account to Sent requires Meta Business Manager admin permissions. If the person completing the setup is not an admin on the Meta Business Account — or if the account was set up with limited roles — Meta blocks the authorization step.

Solutions:

1. Have a Meta Business Account admin complete the connection. Log in to Meta Business Manager, navigate to Settings → People, and verify that the account being used to connect has admin access. If not, ask an admin to complete the WABA connection step in the Sent dashboard.
2. Grant admin permissions to your account. If you need to complete the setup yourself, have an existing admin elevate your role to admin in Meta Business Manager, then retry the connection flow.
3. Use a different Sent account login if needed. Another person on your team can log in to Sent and complete the WhatsApp connection step as long as they have admin access to the Meta Business Account.

General troubleshooting steps

If you are experiencing a WhatsApp connection issue not covered above, try these steps in order:

1. Check Meta Business Manager status. Log in to business.facebook.com and verify that your Meta Business Account is active and verified. Look for any alerts or pending actions.
2. Use Chrome in incognito mode. This eliminates issues caused by cached data, conflicting extensions, or stale sessions.
3. Ensure only one Facebook account is logged in. Multiple Facebook sessions can cause the OAuth flow to authenticate with the wrong account. Log out of all Facebook accounts and log in with only the one associated with your Meta Business Account.
4. Retry the onboarding flow from the Sent dashboard. Navigate to the WhatsApp channel setup in your Sent dashboard and restart the connection process. Do not attempt to configure WhatsApp directly through Meta Business Manager.
5. Check Meta's status page. Occasionally, Meta's APIs experience outages that affect WhatsApp Business API operations. Check metastatus.com for any ongoing incidents.

Still need help?

If you have worked through the steps above and your WhatsApp setup is not completing, contact the Sent support team:

• Email: support@sent.dm
• Include: The email address on your Sent account, the step in the onboarding flow where you are stuck, any error messages (screenshots are helpful), and the browser you are using.
• Response time: The support team typically responds within 1 business day.

For other onboarding issues not related to WhatsApp, see Account Activation & KYC Review or the FAQ.

Related Guides

• WhatsApp Template Issues — once WhatsApp is connected, troubleshoot template creation, approval, and sending
• Messages Not Delivered — diagnose delivery failures after your channels are configured
• Phone Number & Sender ID Issues — if you need a different number or are having trouble with sender routing

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