WhatsApp Business API & Cloud API Glossary

Core Concepts

WABA

WhatsApp Business Account. A WABA is the top-level container that owns one or more phone numbers on the WhatsApp Business Platform. Every Cloud API integration starts with a WABA, and each WABA belongs to a single Meta Business portfolio.

Phone Number ID

A Meta-assigned identifier for a specific phone number registered under a WABA. API calls that send messages, manage templates, or check health status require the phone_number_id rather than the phone number itself.

Cloud API

Meta's hosted version of the WhatsApp Business API. Cloud API eliminates the need for on-premise infrastructure by running entirely on Meta's servers. It delivers inbound messages and status updates via webhooks to your registered endpoint. For the product overview, start with the WhatsApp Business API guide.

Webhook Override

A per-number configuration that routes webhooks directly from Meta to your server instead of through the app-level webhook. Webhook Override is the mechanism that makes WhatsApp Coexistence possible by letting each phone number have its own delivery endpoint. It is also the core reason Dualhook can make a strong WhatsApp API privacy claim.

Coexistence

WhatsApp Coexistence is the ability to use the WhatsApp Mobile App and Cloud API simultaneously on the same phone number. Without Coexistence, registering a number on Cloud API disconnects it from the mobile app. Dualhook configures the Webhook Override that enables this mode. See the full WhatsApp Coexistence guide.

Message Template

A pre-approved message format required for initiating conversations outside the 24-hour messaging window. Templates must be submitted to Meta for review and can include text, media headers, buttons, and dynamic variables.

Template Categories

Meta classifies every message template into one of three categories. Marketing templates are promotional messages such as offers and announcements. Utility templates are transactional messages like order confirmations and shipping updates. Authentication templates deliver one-time passcodes and verification codes.

Dashboard & Monitoring

Heartbeat

A periodic signal that keeps a Coexistence-enabled number active on Cloud API. Coexistence requires opening the WhatsApp Business mobile app at least once every 13 days to maintain the Coexistence link. Dualhook tracks this interval and emails you before the deadline.

Quality Rating

A per-number health score assigned by Meta based on recipient feedback and block rates. The three levels are GREEN (high quality), YELLOW (medium quality, approaching limits), and RED (low quality, messaging limits may be reduced). Dualhook surfaces this rating on the dashboard in real time.

BSUID

Business-Scoped User ID. A unique identifier that Meta assigns to a WhatsApp user, scoped to your business portfolio. Starting March 31, 2026, BSUIDs appear in message webhooks via the new user_idfield. When WhatsApp users later adopt usernames and hide their phone number, the BSUID becomes the primary way to identify and message them. BSUIDs are unique per business portfolio-user pair — the same user has a different BSUID with each business. See the BSUID transition guide for the full timeline and webhook field changes.

WhatsApp Username

An optional, user-facing display name that WhatsApp users can set starting later in 2026. When a user adopts a username, their phone number may be hidden from businesses in webhook payloads. Phone numbers can still appear if certain conditions are met, such as prior interaction within 30 days or the user being in your contact book. Business usernames are also available but do not hide the business phone number.

Contact Book

A Meta-managed feature launching in early April 2026 that automatically stores WhatsApp user phone number and BSUID pairs from prior message or call interactions. If a user is in your contact book, their phone number will continue to appear in webhooks even after they adopt a username. Contact books are scoped to business portfolios and can be toggled in Meta Business Suite.

REQUEST_CONTACT_INFO

A new template button type that can be added to utility and marketing templates. When a user taps this button, their phone number and virtual contact card (vCard) are shared in the message thread. This is the primary mechanism for recovering phone numbers from users who have adopted a username and hidden their number.

Integration

Business Service Provider (BSP)

A third-party company that proxies the WhatsApp Business API on behalf of businesses. Traditional BSPs route messages through their own infrastructure, which means they can read, store, and add latency to your traffic. Dualhook is an official Meta Tech Partner that configures direct routing so messages never pass through a middleman. Compare that architecture with the privacy-first guide.

Embedded Signup

Meta's official OAuth-based onboarding flow for connecting a WhatsApp Business Account to a third-party application. Embedded Signup lets users authorize access, select or create a WABA, and pick a phone number — all within a popup window. Dualhook uses Embedded Signup to connect your account and immediately configure the Webhook Override in a single atomic step.