This guide explains how to connect a WhatsApp number to Crisp, when to use each connection option, and how to troubleshoot the most common setup issues.

Crisp is a WhatsApp Business Solution Provider (BSP), which means you can connect a WhatsApp Business number to your Crisp inbox and handle those conversations alongside your other channels. This article is meant to be the single source of truth for connecting a number for the first time, migrating it from another provider, reconnecting an existing setup, and understanding the most common limitations before you begin.

Contents

• Connect WhatsApp Business with Crisp
• Choose the right connection option
• Connect a new WhatsApp number
• Migrate a number from another provider
• Reconnect an existing Crisp connection
• Manage your WhatsApp account after setup
• Create and use message templates
• Pricing details on the WhatsApp Business Platform
• Frequently Asked Questions

Connect WhatsApp Business with Crisp

By connecting WhatsApp Business to Crisp, you can centralize your WhatsApp conversations in your shared inbox and use the rest of your Crisp setup around them, such as Workflows, Knowledge Base, Shared Inbox, shortcuts, and your other connected channels.

Replies from your customers are then handled directly from Crisp, in the same workspace as your website chat, email, Messenger, Instagram, and other channels.

Requirements

Before getting started, make sure the following points are covered:

• You need a Crisp Essentials or Crisp Plus plan
• You must be an owner of the Crisp workspace
• You need a phone number that can receive a verification code by SMS or voice call
• You need admin access to your Meta Business Manager / Meta Business Portfolio

Open the WhatsApp plugin in Crisp

1. Go to Crisp.
2. Open Plugins → WhatsApp.

From there, Crisp will let you start the connection flow with Meta.

Choose the right connection option

This is the part that usually creates the most confusion. In practice, there are only three cases, and each one matches one option from the Crisp setup dialog.

Option 1 — Connect a new WhatsApp Business Account

Use Connect a new WhatsApp Business Account if the number is not currently connected to another third-party BSP.

This is the correct option when the number is:

• brand new
• only used in the WhatsApp or WhatsApp Business app before
• not hosted by Twilio, Intercom, Zendesk, 360dialog, Vonage, or another provider

This option is also the right one if you want to add a fresh number to your Meta business during the setup flow.

Option 2 — Migrate an existing WhatsApp Business Account from my current provider

Use Migrate an existing WhatsApp Business Account from my current provider only if the number is already connected to another BSP and you want to move it to Crisp while keeping that same phone number.

This option is only for provider-to-provider migration. It is not the right option for a number that was only used in the WhatsApp mobile app.

When using this flow, you will generally create a new destination WhatsApp Business Account during the migration process if you do not already have one ready.

Option 3 — Re-authenticate my WhatsApp business with Crisp

Use Re-authenticate my WhatsApp business with Crisp when the number is already connected to Crisp, but the connection needs to be refreshed.

This is the option to use if:

• the connection has become invalid or expired
• Meta permissions changed
• support asked you to reconnect
• the account is already in Crisp and you are only fixing the existing link

Connect a new WhatsApp number

Use this section if your number is not connected to another BSP and should be set up fresh in Crisp.

Before you start

If the number was previously used in the WhatsApp mobile app, it must first be removed there. Once connected to the WhatsApp Business Platform through Crisp, that number should no longer be treated as an app-based number.

Connection steps

1. In Crisp → Plugins → WhatsApp, choose Connect a new WhatsApp Business Account.
2. Click Connect to WhatsApp to open Meta's onboarding window.
3. Select the correct Meta business account and complete the business details requested by Meta.
4. Create or select the WhatsApp Business Account you want to use, then add the phone number.
5. Verify the number by SMS or voice call and finish the onboarding flow.

You will then be redirected back to Crisp to complete the connection.

Selecting your WhatsApp Business Account

At one stage of the flow, Meta asks you to choose the WhatsApp business account to use. Pick the relevant one from the list and continue until the popup closes.

Migrate a number from another provider

Use this section only if the number is already hosted by another WhatsApp Business Solution Provider and you want to move it to Crisp.

What migration is for

Migration transfers the phone number from your current BSP to Crisp. This allows you to keep the same phone number while changing providers.

When Meta's migration conditions are met, the following elements can usually be retained:

• display name
• quality rating
• messaging limits
• Official Business Account status, if applicable
• previously approved high-quality templates, subject to Meta's migration rules

What is not migrated

Some things are not carried over during the migration:

• conversation history
• contacts
• data that only existed inside your previous provider's platform

Preparation

Before starting the migration:

1. Make sure the number can receive a 6-digit verification code by SMS or voice call.
2. Ask your current provider to disable two-step verification (2FA) on that WhatsApp number.
3. Make sure the migration is being done under the same Meta business.
4. Be ready to create a new destination WhatsApp Business Account during the migration flow if needed.

Migration steps

1. In Crisp → Plugins → WhatsApp, choose Migrate an existing WhatsApp Business Account from my current provider.
2. Click Connect to WhatsApp.
3. In Meta's popup, sign in with the correct Facebook account and select the same Meta business tied to the current setup.
4. Create the new destination WhatsApp Business Account if Meta asks you to.
5. Enter the phone number to migrate, choose SMS or voice verification, and enter the code you receive.
6. Complete the flow and return to Crisp.

If Meta asks for the WhatsApp Business ID of the destination account, you can retrieve it from your Meta business settings and continue the process there.

You will then enter the phone number in international format and request the verification code.

After the migration

Once the migration is completed, the number is now connected to Crisp and can no longer keep working through the previous BSP.

Reconnect an existing Crisp connection

If your number is already connected to Crisp and you only need to restore the link, use the Re-authenticate my WhatsApp business with Crisp option.

This is typically useful if:

• the embedded Meta connection expired
• permissions changed on the Meta side
• the number is already in Crisp but the connection needs to be refreshed

In that case, you do not need to create a new setup from scratch. You only need to re-authorize the existing one and complete the Meta popup.

Manage your WhatsApp account after setup

Once the number is connected, some settings are managed in Crisp, while others remain managed directly in Meta.

Access your WhatsApp Business Manager

1. Go to Meta Business Manager, open your business, then go to Business Settings.
2. Open Accounts → WhatsApp Accounts, select the relevant account, then open WhatsApp Manager.

Change your display name or profile picture

Display name, profile picture, website, address, description, and other profile information are managed in WhatsApp Manager, not in Crisp.

1. Open WhatsApp Manager, then go to Account Tools → Phone numbers.
2. Edit the number you want to update, then follow Meta's prompts for the display name or profile.

Disable 2FA on a WhatsApp Business number

If the number is managed directly in your own Meta setup and you have access to the relevant WhatsApp Manager settings, you may be able to disable it from there.

1. Open WhatsApp Manager → Account Tools → Phone Numbers.
2. Open the relevant number, then go to Two-step Verification and turn it off.

Create and use message templates

Message templates are created on Meta's side, then used from Crisp once approved.

Create a template

1. Open WhatsApp Manager → Account Tools → Message Templates.
2. Click Create Template, choose the category, add the content, and submit it for approval.
3. Once Meta approves it, the template becomes available in Crisp.

Meta reviews templates before they can be used, and approval times can vary.

Monitor template usage

You can monitor your template usage directly from the WhatsApp plugin in Crisp, where a dedicated usage section is available for that purpose.

Format template variables

When formatting variables in template content, use WhatsApp's supported text styles:

• Italic → _text_
• Bold → *text*
• Strikethrough → ~text~
• Monospace → text

Send a catalog message template

If you want to use a catalog template:

1. Create your catalog in Meta Commerce Manager.
2. Link that catalog to your WhatsApp business in Meta.
3. Create a Marketing template using the product message format.
4. Once approved, send it from Crisp and fill the catalog variable with the relevant content ID from your catalog.

Pricing details on the WhatsApp Business Platform

WhatsApp pricing is now message-based, not conversation-based.

Business-initiated template messages can incur charges depending on:

• the recipient country
• the message category
• the pricing rules currently applied by Meta and the BSP

The main categories are:

• Marketing
• Utility
• Authentication

Within the 24-hour customer service window, businesses can still reply with free-form service messages, and some template cases are treated differently depending on the category and timing. Since pricing depends on both the destination market and message type, the exact cost can vary from one message to another.

Make the most out of Crisp and WhatsApp

Once your number is connected, you can go further by improving your workflow around it.

Useful related resources

• Use shortcut replies → https://help.crisp.chat/en/article/how-to-use-shortcut-replies-1bmff5q/
• Connect Instagram DM to Crisp → https://help.crisp.chat/en/article/how-to-link-crisp-with-instagram-dm-14xg8xl/
• Connect Facebook Messenger to Crisp → https://help.crisp.chat/en/article/how-to-link-your-facebook-messenger-pages-to-crisp-1gbgm9d/
• Build a chatbot for WhatsApp → https://help.crisp.chat/en/article/how-do-i-create-a-chatbot-with-ai-for-whatsapp-business-10q031f/
• Use the WhatsApp API with Crisp → https://docs.crisp.chat/guides/messaging-apis/whatsapp-api

Frequently Asked Questions

Still have questions which were not covered in this article? Here is a collection of the most frequently asked questions on this topic.

Which option should I choose if my number was only used in the WhatsApp or WhatsApp Business mobile app?

Use Connect a new WhatsApp Business Account.

That kind of number is not considered a provider-to-provider migration. It should first be removed from the mobile app, then connected in Crisp as a new number.

Which option should I choose if my number is already connected to Twilio, Intercom, Zendesk, or another BSP?

Use Migrate an existing WhatsApp Business Account from my current provider.

That flow is specifically for numbers already hosted by another BSP and moved to Crisp while keeping the same number.

Do I need to create a new WhatsApp Business Account during migration?

In most cases, yes. During the migration flow, the destination account in Meta is the new WhatsApp Business Account that will be used with Crisp.

Do I need to disable 2FA before migrating?

Yes, if the number is currently hosted by another BSP. In that situation, the current provider usually needs to disable it for you before the migration can succeed.

Can Crisp import my previous conversations or contacts?

No. WhatsApp conversation history and contacts are not imported into Crisp as part of the migration or connection flow.

Can I keep the same number on Crisp and on another provider at the same time?

No. A WhatsApp API number cannot stay actively connected to two BSPs at once.

Can I add multiple WhatsApp numbers to Crisp?

Yes, as long as those numbers are under the same Meta business account.

Where do I change my display name, profile picture, or business profile?

Those changes are made in WhatsApp Manager, on Meta's side, not directly in Crisp.

Where do I create message templates?

Templates are created in WhatsApp Manager and, once approved by Meta, they can then be used from Crisp.

When should I use the re-authenticate option?

Use it when the number is already connected to Crisp and you only need to refresh or repair that existing connection.

Updated on: 09/04/2026