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Authorization

Follow this guide to create a new WhatsApp Flows API credential that will allow Nexla to authenticate to and exchange data with your WhatsApp Flows API account.
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WhatsApp Flows API

Prerequisites​

Before creating a WhatsApp Flows API credential, you'll need to obtain an access token and WhatsApp Business Account (WABA) ID from your Meta Business account. WhatsApp Flows API uses Meta's Graph API, requiring OAuth 2.0 access tokens with appropriate permissions.

To obtain WhatsApp Flows API credentials:

  1. Log in to your Meta Business account at https://business.facebook.com or navigate to the Meta for Developers portal at https://developers.facebook.com.

  2. Navigate to Meta for Developers > My Apps or access your existing app in the Meta for Developers console.

  3. If you don't have an app, click Create App and select Business as the app type. Fill in the required app information, including app name and contact email.

  4. In your app settings, navigate to WhatsApp > Getting Started or WhatsApp > API Setup.

  5. In the WhatsApp Flows API setup, you'll need to:

    • Create or select a WhatsApp Business Account (WABA)
    • Note your WABA ID (WhatsApp Business Account ID). This is a unique identifier for your WhatsApp Business account and can be found in the WhatsApp Business Account settings or in the API setup section.

  6. To obtain an access token:

    • Navigate to Tools > Graph API Explorer in the Meta for Developers console
    • Select your app from the dropdown menu
    • Select the appropriate permissions (scopes) for WhatsApp Flows API, such as:
      • whatsapp_business_management
      • whatsapp_business_messaging
    • Click Generate Access Token to create a temporary access token
    • For production use, you'll need to set up a long-lived access token or use OAuth 2.0 flow. To create a long-lived token, navigate to Settings > Basic in your app, and use the Access Token Tool to exchange your short-lived token for a long-lived one.

  7. Copy the Access Token and WABA ID. Store them securely, as you'll need them to authenticate API requests.

  8. Note the API Version. The default API version is typically v18.0, but you should use the latest stable version available. You can check the current API version in the Graph API Explorer or in your app's API settings.

WhatsApp Flows API uses Meta's Graph API with OAuth 2.0 access tokens. The access token is sensitive information and should be kept secure. Access tokens may expire, so you may need to refresh them periodically or set up a long-lived token. The WABA ID identifies your specific WhatsApp Business Account and is required for most API operations. For detailed information about obtaining access tokens, refer to the WhatsApp Business Management API Getting Started Guide.

For detailed information about WhatsApp Flows API authentication and setup, refer to the WhatsApp Flows Documentation and Meta Graph API Authentication Guide.

Create a WhatsApp Flows API Credential​

  • To create a new WhatsApp Flows API credential, after selecting the data source/destination type, click the Add Credential tile to open the Add New Credential overlay.

New Credential Overlay – WhatsApp Flows API

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Credential Name & Description​

  1. Enter a name for the credential in the Credential Name field and a short, meaningful description in the Credential Description field.

    Resource descriptions are recommended but are not required. They should be used provide information about the resource purpose, data freshness, etc. that can help the owner and other users efficiently understand and utilize the resource.

Credential Settings​

  1. In the Access Token field, enter the Meta access token that you obtained from your Meta Business account. This is the OAuth 2.0 access token with WhatsApp Flows API permissions.

  2. In the WhatsApp Business Account ID field, enter your WABA ID (WhatsApp Business Account ID) that you obtained from your Meta Business account. This is the unique identifier for your WhatsApp Business Account.

  3. In the API Version field, enter the Facebook Graph API version. The default value is v18.0. You should use the latest stable version available.

    The access token is sensitive information and should be kept secure. Access tokens may expire, so you may need to refresh them periodically or set up a long-lived token. The access token is used as a Bearer token in the Authorization header for all API requests. The WABA ID is required for most WhatsApp Flows API operations.

Save the Credential​

  1. Once all of the relevant steps in the above sections have been completed, click the Save button at the bottom of the overlay to save the configured credential.

  2. The newly added credential will now appear in a tile on the Authenticate screen during data source/destination creation and can be selected for use with a new data source or destination.