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.

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.

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.

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. Meta requires at least one API-initiated message every 13 days to maintain the Coexistence link. Dualhook tracks this interval and alerts 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 Service User ID. A BSUID is a stable, opaque identifier that Meta assigns to a WhatsApp user in the context of your WABA. You obtain it by resolving a phone number via the /contacts endpoint. BSUIDs replace raw phone numbers in many API workflows.

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 not a BSP — it configures direct routing so messages never pass through a middleman.

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.