WhatsApp Cloud API: Complete Meta Guide for Businesses [2026]

The WhatsApp Cloud API is the version hosted by Meta of the WhatsApp Business Platform. It allows businesses of any size to connect their systems with WhatsApp without the need for their own servers, complex infrastructure, or reliance on intermediaries for hosting. Since its launch in 2022, it has become the primary access path for companies looking to automate their WhatsApp communication at scale. In this guide, we explain exactly what it is, how it differs from the On-Premise version, how to set it up step by step, how much it costs, and what features it offers. If you're looking for a broader view of the ecosystem, check out our complete WhatsApp Business API guide.

What Is WhatsApp Cloud API and How It Differs from On-Premise

The WhatsApp Cloud API is the official programming interface from Meta for WhatsApp Business, hosted entirely on Meta's infrastructure. This means Meta handles the servers, updates, scalability, and maintenance. Your company only needs to connect to the API's REST endpoints and configure webhooks to receive incoming messages.

Before the Cloud API, the only way to access the WhatsApp Business API was through the On-Premise version: you deployed Docker containers on your own servers (or on a BSP's servers) and your technical team handled updates, scaling, and availability. It was powerful but expensive, reserved for companies with significant engineering resources.

Meta launched the WhatsApp Cloud API in May 2022 with a clear goal: democratizing access. Since then, the On-Premise version has been losing prominence and Meta officially recommends migrating to Cloud API. If you want to understand the complete technical architecture, we explain it in detail in how the WhatsApp Business API works.

Cloud API vs On-Premise API

These are the fundamental differences between both versions:

The most notable difference is operational: with the Cloud API, you don't manage infrastructure. There are no containers to update, no databases to scale, no middle-of-the-night incidents from a downed server. Meta absorbs all that complexity.

Advantages of Migrating to Cloud API

Three reasons why migration is practically mandatory in 2026:

1. Meta prioritizes Cloud API. New features arrive on Cloud API first. Advanced interactive messages, WhatsApp Flows, and throughput improvements are deployed weeks earlier on Cloud than On-Premise. Staying on On-Premise means falling behind.

2. Lower total cost of ownership. Although the API itself has the same cost per conversation, you eliminate server expenses, maintenance, DevOps team, and updates. For most companies, Cloud API reduces total cost by 30% to 60%.

3. Implementation speed. A company can be sending messages via Cloud API in under an hour. With On-Premise, the certification, deployment, and verification process took days. If you're starting from scratch, there's no reason to choose On-Premise. You can check our WhatsApp API setup guide for the complete process.

How to Get Started with WhatsApp Cloud API: Setup Guide

Setting up the WhatsApp Cloud API requires four steps. You don't need prior API experience, but some basic familiarity with development tools is needed. If you prefer a BSP to handle everything, you can review the best BSP providers for WhatsApp API.

Create a Meta Business Account

The first requirement is having a Meta Business account (formerly Facebook Business Manager). If your company already manages Facebook pages or Instagram Ads campaigns, you probably already have one.

Go to business.facebook.com and verify that your business is registered. If not, create a new account with the company's legal name, address, and tax information. This step is free.

Important: to use the WhatsApp Cloud API without limitations, you need to complete Meta's business verification. This involves uploading official documentation (tax ID, incorporation documents, utility bill) and waiting 2 to 10 business days for approval. Without verification, you'll be limited to 250 conversations in 24 hours.

Configure App in Meta Developers

Go to developers.facebook.com and create a new application of type Business. Within the app, add the WhatsApp product from the available product catalog.

Meta will automatically provide you with:

• A test phone number (sandbox) for free.
• A WhatsApp Business Account ID (WABA ID).
• Access to the WhatsApp Manager panel within Meta Business Suite.

From this panel, you'll configure your production number, business profile (logo, description, business hours), and message templates.

Obtain Access Token

To make API calls you need an access token. Meta offers two types:

Temporary token: generated from the Meta Developers panel, lasts 24 hours, and is ideal for testing. Don't use it in production.

Permanent token: obtained by creating a System User in Meta Business Suite, assigning it permissions for the WhatsApp app, and generating a token from the System User settings. This is the one you'll use in production.

The base API endpoint is:

https://graph.facebook.com/v21.0/{PHONE_NUMBER_ID}/messages

All messages are sent via POST requests to this endpoint with the token in the Authorization: Bearer {TOKEN}.

Send Your First Test Message

With the token in hand, you can send your first message. Here's an example with curl:

curl -X POST \
  'https://graph.facebook.com/v21.0/{PHONE_NUMBER_ID}/messages' \
  -H 'Authorization: Bearer {ACCESS_TOKEN}' \
  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  -d '{
    "messaging_product": "whatsapp",
    "to": "34600000000",
    "type": "template",
    "template": {
      "name": "hello_world",
      "language": {
        "code": "es"
      }
    }
  }'

If the response includes a messages field with an id, the message was sent successfully. The hello_world template comes pre-approved by Meta, so you don't need to create custom templates for the first test.

For production environments, you'll configure webhooks to notify your server when incoming messages arrive, delivery status changes, or read events occur. The webhook is configured from the Meta Developers panel by specifying an HTTPS URL from your server and a verification token. If you want to dive deeper into API development, we have a specific guide for WhatsApp API developers.

WhatsApp Cloud API Pricing and Costs

One of the most confusing points. Let's clarify it. Access to the WhatsApp Cloud API from Meta is free: there's no monthly fee for using the API. What you pay for are the conversations.

Meta's Conversation Model

Meta charges per 24-hour conversation window, not per individual message. Once a conversation is opened (either because the user writes to you or because you send them a template), you can exchange unlimited messages for 24 hours at the price of a single conversation. This is an important difference compared to BSPs that charge per message.

Service vs Marketing Conversations

Meta classifies conversations into four categories with different prices:

Prices vary by country. Spain falls within the European tier, with mid-range rates. You can check the updated details in WhatsApp API pricing.

Cost Calculator

To estimate your monthly spend:

1. Count how many unique conversations you have per month (not messages, conversations).
2. Classify them by category (service, utility, authentication, marketing).
3. Multiply by the corresponding rate.
4. Subtract the first 1,000 service conversations that are free each month.

Practical example: a company with 3,000 service conversations and 500 marketing conversations per month in Spain would pay approximately: (2,000 x 0.0311) + (500 x 0.0603) = 62.20 + 30.15 = EUR 92.35/month in Meta costs. Add to this the BSP cost if you use one (like GuruSup, which includes automation features with AI agents in its pricing).

The good news is these rates are competitive compared to the cost of a human agent handling those same conversations. If you automate 70% of queries with a chatbot for WhatsApp Business, the ROI is immediate.

Key Features of WhatsApp Cloud API

The WhatsApp Cloud API is not just about sending and receiving text. It offers a complete ecosystem of features for advanced business communication.

Message Templates

The templates are pre-structured messages that Meta must approve before use. They are the only way to initiate conversations with users who haven't written to you first (outbound conversations).

Templates support:

• Dynamic variables: Hola {{1}}, tu pedido {{2}} esta en camino.
• Quick reply buttons: up to 3 predefined options.
• URL buttons: direct link to web or app.
• Media header: image, video, or attached document.

Meta's approval takes between 1 minute and 24 hours. The most common rejections are due to ambiguous content, missing opt-out variable, or non-compliance with commerce policies. We have a dedicated guide on message templates for WhatsApp API with approved examples and best practices.

Interactive Messages

Beyond templates, the Cloud API allows sending interactive messages within active conversations:

• Reply buttons: up to 3 options the user can tap.
• Selection lists: dropdown menu with up to 10 options grouped in sections.
• Single product messages: product card with image, price, and purchase button.
• Multi-product messages: carousel of up to 30 products from your catalog.

Example of sending a message with interactive buttons:

{
  "messaging_product": "whatsapp",
  "to": "34600000000",
  "type": "interactive",
  "interactive": {
    "type": "button",
    "body": {
      "text": "Seleccionad una opcion:"
    },
    "action": {
      "buttons": [
        {
          "type": "reply",
          "reply": {
            "id": "btn_soporte",
            "title": "Soporte tecnico"
          }
        },
        {
          "type": "reply",
          "reply": {
            "id": "btn_ventas",
            "title": "Informacion comercial"
          }
        },
        {
          "type": "reply",
          "reply": {
            "id": "btn_estado",
            "title": "Estado de pedido"
          }
        }
      ]
    }
  }
}

Interactive messages increase response rates by 30% to 50% compared to plain text, because they eliminate the friction of typing. If you want to automate WhatsApp Business effectively, interactive messages are essential.

Multimedia and Catalogs

The Cloud API supports sending and receiving:

• Images: JPEG, PNG (up to 5 MB).
• Videos: MP4 (up to 16 MB).
• Documents: PDF, Word, Excel (up to 100 MB).
• Audio: OGG, MP3 (up to 16 MB).
• Location: GPS coordinates with name and address.
• Contacts: vCard card with contact details.

Additionally, you can link a product catalog from Meta Commerce and allow users to browse your catalog directly within WhatsApp, without leaving the conversation. This is especially powerful for e-commerce and companies that use WhatsApp for business as a direct sales channel.

Webhooks and Notifications

The webhooks are the reverse communication mechanism: when a user sends a message, delivery status changes, or a message is read, Meta sends an HTTP POST notification to the URL you've configured.

The main events you can receive:

• messages: incoming message from the user (text, image, audio, location, etc.).
• statuses: status change of a sent message (sent, delivered, read, failed).
• errors: errors in message delivery.

Your server must respond with a 200 OK within 5 seconds for Meta to consider the webhook processed. If you fail 5 consecutive times, Meta will temporarily disable the webhook.

Current Cloud API rate limits: the base throughput is 80 messages per second, expandable to 250 or more by requesting an increase from Meta. For most companies in Spain, 80 msg/s is more than enough. If you need more, check our guide on WhatsApp marketing for business where we cover optimized bulk messaging strategies.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is WhatsApp Cloud API?

The WhatsApp Cloud API is the version of the WhatsApp Business API hosted directly on Meta's servers. It allows businesses to send and receive WhatsApp messages through HTTP requests without managing their own infrastructure. Meta handles hosting, updates, and scalability, drastically reducing costs and technical implementation complexity.

What is the WhatsApp cloud API?

It's the same concept as the WhatsApp Cloud API. It is the service that Meta offers as an alternative to the On-Premise version. Instead of deploying the API on your servers, you connect to Meta's servers through REST endpoints and webhooks. The functional result is identical, but without the operational burden of hosting.

How much does the WhatsApp API cost?

Access to the WhatsApp Cloud API is free. The cost comes from conversations: Meta charges per 24-hour window, with prices varying by category (service, utility, authentication, marketing) and country. In Spain, a service conversation costs approximately EUR 0.0311 and a marketing one EUR 0.0603. The first 1,000 service conversations each month are free. We have a full breakdown in our article on WhatsApp API pricing.

What's the difference between WhatsApp Business and WhatsApp API?

WhatsApp Business is the free app you download on your phone, designed for freelancers and micro-businesses. It offers quick replies, a basic catalog, and labels. The WhatsApp Business API (including the Cloud API) is a programming interface without its own visual application, designed for companies that need multi-agent support, advanced automation with chatbots or AI agents, CRM integration, and bulk messaging. They are different products for different scales. We compare both in detail in WhatsApp Business vs API.

Is it possible to use WhatsApp Cloud API for free?

Yes, partially. API access is free. Additionally, Meta offers 1,000 free service conversations per month. For testing, you can use the sandbox phone number Meta provides at no cost. However, for production with real volume, you'll pay for each conversation that exceeds the free quota and you'll need completed business verification.

How does the Cloud API affect data privacy?

With the Cloud API, messages pass through Meta's servers. Meta complies with the European GDPR and offers the option of data storage in the European Union for companies that request it. If data residency is a critical requirement for your company (regulated healthcare or financial sector), evaluate whether the location of Meta's data centers complies with your industry regulations.

How GuruSup Enhances Your WhatsApp Cloud API

Having access to the WhatsApp Cloud API is the first step. But the API alone is a technical tool: endpoints, JSON, webhooks. What turns it into a productive support channel is what you build on top of it.

GuruSup Key Features

GuruSup integrates directly with the WhatsApp Cloud API and adds the intelligence layer that the native API doesn't have:

• Conversational AI agents that understand customer context, query your knowledge base, and resolve inquiries without human intervention. They're not rigid flow chatbots: they're AI agents based on LLMs that maintain natural conversations.
• Multi-agent panel where your support team manages conversations escalated by the AI agent, with complete history and context.
• Intelligent automation for responses, routing, and conversation classification. Tickets are automatically assigned to the correct department.
• Resolution analytics with metrics on automatic resolution rate, average response time, and customer satisfaction.

How to Get Started with GuruSup

Integration with the WhatsApp Cloud API is straightforward: connect your WhatsApp Business number, configure the AI agent's knowledge base, and start resolving queries autonomously in minutes.

Try GuruSup for free and see how an AI agent on WhatsApp can resolve 70% of your customers' queries without human intervention. No own infrastructure, no DevOps team, no weeks of configuration.

Request free demo of GuruSup