Glossary
WhatsApp Business API Glossary
40 essential terms covering the WhatsApp Business ecosystem, from APIs and messaging types to marketing strategies and compliance.
WhatsApp Business API
A programmatic interface that lets medium and large businesses send and receive WhatsApp messages at scale through automated systems.
Cloud API
Meta's hosted version of the WhatsApp Business API that runs on Meta's own infrastructure, removing the need for businesses to manage their own servers.
On-Premise API
The legacy self-hosted version of the WhatsApp Business API where businesses run the WhatsApp client on their own servers.
BSP (Business Solution Provider)
A Meta-authorized partner company that provides businesses with access to the WhatsApp Business API along with tools, support, and compliance management.
WABA (WhatsApp Business Account)
The top-level account entity in WhatsApp's system that holds your business information, phone numbers, and messaging configuration.
Phone Number ID
A unique identifier assigned by Meta to each phone number registered with the WhatsApp Business API, used in all API calls instead of the actual phone number.
Business Account ID
The unique numeric identifier for your WhatsApp Business Account, required for account-level API operations like template management and analytics.
API Rate Limits
Throttling rules that restrict how many API requests or messages you can send per second to prevent system overload and ensure fair usage.
Webhook
A server endpoint that receives real-time notifications from WhatsApp whenever a message is received, delivered, or read.
Callback URL
The specific web address where WhatsApp sends webhook notifications for incoming messages and status updates.
Message Status Callback
A webhook notification sent by WhatsApp when a message's delivery status changes, from sent to delivered to read.
Co-existence Mode
A transitional configuration that allows a WhatsApp Business API number to run on both Cloud API and On-Premise API simultaneously during migration.
Template Message
A pre-approved message format that businesses must use to initiate conversations with customers outside the 24-hour messaging window.
Session Message
A free-form message that businesses can send within 24 hours of a customer's last message, without needing a pre-approved template.
Interactive Message
A WhatsApp message type that includes tappable UI elements like buttons, lists, or product catalogs for guided user interactions.
List Message
An interactive WhatsApp message that presents up to 10 options in a scrollable menu, allowing users to select one item from categorized sections.
Reply Button
An interactive message element that displays up to 3 tappable buttons, each triggering a predefined response when pressed.
Carousel Message
A horizontally scrollable message format that displays multiple cards, each with an image, text, and action buttons.
HSM (Highly Structured Message)
The original name for template messages on the WhatsApp Business API, still used in some legacy documentation and BSP interfaces.
Rich Media Message
A WhatsApp message containing media attachments like images, videos, documents, audio, or stickers rather than plain text.
Flow Message
A native WhatsApp UI framework that enables multi-screen forms, surveys, and data collection workflows without leaving the chat.
Catalog Message
A message type that displays products from your WhatsApp Business catalog, allowing customers to browse and add items to a cart within the chat.
Green Tick (Official Business Account)
A verified badge displayed next to a business name on WhatsApp, indicating that Meta has confirmed the business identity as authentic.
Verified Badge
A visual indicator in WhatsApp that confirms a business has been verified by Meta, building trust with message recipients.
Display Name
The business name shown to customers in WhatsApp conversations, which must be approved by Meta and match your official business identity.
Quality Rating
A score Meta assigns to your WhatsApp phone number based on how recipients respond to your messages, directly affecting your messaging limits.
Messaging Limits
The maximum number of unique customers a business can message in a rolling 24-hour period, determined by quality rating and account tier.
Tier Upgrade
The automatic promotion to a higher messaging limit when your account maintains good quality while approaching its current sending capacity.
Commerce Policy
Meta's rules governing what products and services can be sold or promoted through WhatsApp Business, including restricted industries and content types.
Business-Initiated Conversation
A conversation started by a business sending a template message to a customer, billed at a higher rate than user-initiated conversations.
User-Initiated Conversation
A conversation started when a customer messages a business first, opening a 24-hour window for free-form replies at a lower cost.
Meta Business Suite
Meta's centralized management platform where businesses configure their WhatsApp Business Account, submit templates, and monitor analytics.
Broadcast
A feature that sends the same template message to a large list of contacts simultaneously, used for promotions, announcements, and re-engagement campaigns.
Segment
A defined subset of your contact list grouped by shared attributes like behavior, demographics, or purchase history for targeted messaging.
Opt-In
Explicit consent given by a customer to receive WhatsApp messages from a business, required by Meta's policy before sending any outbound messages.
Opt-Out
The process by which a customer withdraws consent to receive WhatsApp messages from a business, which must be honored immediately.
Click-to-WhatsApp (CTWA)
A Meta ad format on Facebook and Instagram that opens a WhatsApp conversation with your business when clicked, bypassing landing pages.
Conversational Commerce
The practice of using messaging platforms like WhatsApp to guide customers through the entire purchase journey, from discovery to payment, within a chat.
Drip Campaign
An automated sequence of WhatsApp messages sent over time based on triggers, designed to nurture leads or onboard customers gradually.
WhatsApp Marketing
The strategic use of WhatsApp Business API to promote products, engage customers, and drive sales through targeted messaging campaigns.
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