Skip to main content

📣 Stay Connected from Day One: Email & WhatsApp Messaging for Waitlisted Families

E
Written by Emily
Updated over a week ago

First impressions matter — and now, you don’t have to wait for enrollment to start building relationships.

With Parent’s new Gmail, Outlook, and WhatsApp integrations, your center can communicate directly with families on your waitlist, even before they’ve officially joined your environment in the app.

This means you can:

  • 💬 Answer questions in real-time

  • ✉️ Send personalized emails

  • 📲 Share tour dates or onboarding details

  • 👋 Welcome prospective families early — and warmly

All from the same Parent platform your team already uses.

Whether you're following up after a tour request or checking in with a parent who's waiting for an opening, these integrations make it simple to stay visible, responsive, and connected — without needing the family to download or access the Parent app.

✉️ What You Can Do with Email and WhatsApp Integration

With Parent’s integration features, you can reach out easily to families who are on your waitlist — families who have expressed interest in joining your center.

✅ Send messages directly from the Parent app to waitlisted families via Email or WhatsApp.
✅ Share updates, next steps, or warm welcomes without switching between different tools.
✅ Manage initial conversations with interested families in a simple, organized way.

Important to Know:
Right now, Parent allows you to send messages out — but replies from families will come directly to your regular email inbox or WhatsApp Business account, not inside the Parent app itself.

🌟 Why This Matters: Insights and Benefits for Your Center

  • Faster First Impressions
    Connect with interested families quickly, showing them your center is organized, caring, and responsive.

  • Keep Families Engaged
    By sharing important updates (e.g., available spots, tours, next enrollment steps) via email or WhatsApp, you stay top-of-mind for families who are exploring options.

  • Save Time and Stay Organized
    No need to copy-paste contacts into external email tools or WhatsApp manually — communicate directly from within Parent in just a few clicks.

  • Build Relationships from Day One
    Friendly, direct communication builds trust early, making it more likely families will choose your center when a spot opens up.

⚙️ How to Set Up Email Integration (Gmail)

Before You Start:
Make sure you are either:

  • An admin, company owner, or

  • A staff member with the "Setup Email and WhatsApp" permission under the "Communication and Events" permission group in Roles Assignment.

✅ You’ll need this permission to set up Email and WhatsApp integrations.

📧 Setting Up Email (Gmail) Integration

Steps to Connect Your Gmail Account:

  1. Log into your Parent portal.

  2. Click on Tools 🛠️ from the menu.

  3. Scroll down to Integrations section.

  4. Click on Gmail.

  5. Under Gmail Integration, click Integrate Gmail.

  6. A window will open — Choose an Account to continue to Parent.

    • Select a saved Google account, or

    • Click Use another account to add a new one.

  7. Authenticate and Allow Parent to connect to your Gmail.

    • This permission ensures emails are sent directly to Gmail without switching apps.

  8. Once completed, your integrated account will be saved and shown in the Gmail section.

To Disconnect Integration:
If you ever need to remove the Gmail connection, simply click Disconnect Integration.

📧 How to Set Up Outlook Integration in Parent

With Parent’s Outlook integration, you can send emails to families directly from the Parent platform, without needing to switch tabs or log into your Outlook separately — making communication even faster and easier!

🚀 Step-by-Step: How to Connect Your Outlook Account

Ready to make communication even easier? Let’s get your Outlook account connected to Parent!

1️⃣ Open the Integration Settings

🔹 Log into your Parent portal or app.
🔹 Go to Settings ⚙️ > Integrations.
🔹 Find the Email Integration section and choose Outlook.

2️⃣ Click on "Integrate Outlook"

🔹 Tap the Integrate Outlook button to start.
🔹 Important! If you’ve already connected a Gmail account, you’ll see a message:

"You can only connect one email account at a time."
If you want to switch to Outlook, you'll need to disconnect Gmail first.

3️⃣ Sign In to Your Outlook Account

🔹 A Microsoft login window will pop up.
🔹 If you’re already signed in, just select your Outlook account.
🔹 Want to use a different account? Click Use another account and sign in with your other credentials.

4️⃣ Grant Permission to Parent

🔹 A Microsoft window will pop up asking you to allow access.
🔹 Review the permissions displayed.
🔹 Click Accept to connect your Outlook account with Parent.

Key Note:
🔹Parent only requests the access necessary to securely send your emails — nothing more!

5️⃣ Connection Successful! 🎉

🔹 Once you click Accept, your Outlook account will be saved and connected.
🔹 You can now send emails to parents directly from Parent using your Outlook address — no need to switch tabs!

🛠️ Managing Your Integration

Need to make changes? No problem!

  • To disconnect your Outlook account, simply go back to Settings > Integrations and click Disconnect Integration next to Outlook.

  • You can then reconnect a different Outlook account — or switch back to Gmail anytime.

Key Note:
Remember, Parent only allows one email account connection at a time — either Gmail or Outlook.

📱 How to Set Up WhatsApp Integration

Connecting your WhatsApp Cloud API to the Parent system is simple — you just need three key pieces of information:

  • Mobile Number 📱

  • API Key 🔑

  • Phone Number ID 🆔

Once you have these ready, you're all set to integrate and start reaching families through WhatsApp!

🔑 Prerequisites: What You’ll Need First

Before diving into the setup, make sure you’ve checked off these important steps:

🧩 Meta (Facebook) Business Manager Account

You’ll need an active Business Manager account with Meta.
This is where you’ll control all your WhatsApp Business settings and connect everything securely.

✅ Verified Business Status

Your business must be verified by Meta.
This means Meta has approved your documents and confirmed you’re a real, trusted organization.
​(You can easily check your verification status inside your Meta Business Manager settings.)

📞 Dedicated Phone Number

You'll need a phone number that’s ready for action!
It should either:

  • Not be connected to any existing WhatsApp account
    ​OR

  • Be ready to migrate from an active WhatsApp account.

Important: Once your phone number is linked to the WhatsApp Cloud API, it can’t be used with the regular WhatsApp app anymore. It's a one-way street!

🛠️ Meta Developer Account with WhatsApp Product Added

You’ll also need a Meta Developer Account.
In there, you should have:

  • Created an App

  • Added the WhatsApp product to it

  • Set up everything ready to send and receive WhatsApp messages through the API.

Key Note:
If you’re unsure whether your business is verified or your number is ready, you can always double-check inside your Meta Business Manager dashboard — or ask your technical support team for a quick review before moving forward!

🚀 Get Started: Create Your Meta App

Let’s begin by setting up the Meta App you’ll need to connect WhatsApp to Parent.

Step 1️⃣ - Create and Configure a Meta App

  • Go to developers.facebook.com 🌐.

  • Log in using your Meta (Facebook) Developer credentials.
    ​(If you don’t have a Developer account yet, you’ll need to create one first — it’s quick and free!)

✨ Quick Steps to Create a Meta Developer Account

(Only if you don't have one yet)

1️⃣ Click Log In at the top right corner.
2️⃣ Choose Create New Account.


3️⃣ Verify your mobile number by entering the code sent via SMS.


4️⃣ Add your contact email when prompted.


5️⃣ Confirm your email with the verification code sent to your inbox.
6️⃣ Complete your profile by selecting your role (e.g., Owner/founder, Developer) and clicking Complete Registration.

🎉 Once done, you'll land back on the main Developer Dashboard.

📋 Continue: Setting Up Your Meta App for WhatsApp Integration

Once you’re logged into your Meta Developer account, it’s time to create and configure your app.


Follow these steps carefully:

🔹 1: Start Creating Your App

  • On your Developer Dashboard, click the green "Create App" button.

  • If you don’t see any apps yet, it’ll also appear in the middle of the screen.

🔹2: Enter App Details

  • First, you'll be asked to fill out:

    • App Name ➔ Give your app a clear name like "Parent WhatsApp Integration" or "[Your Center Name] WhatsApp".

    • App Contact Email ➔ Enter an email address you check regularly (for updates or important notices).

  • Then click Next.

🔹3: Choose Your Use Case

  • You’ll now see a list of use cases (like Facebook Login, Threads API, etc.).

  • Important:
    Since you are integrating WhatsApp (and none of the shown cases fit), scroll down and select "Other" at the bottom of the page.

Why "Other"?
Because your goal is a custom WhatsApp integration, not a login, gaming, or content embedding flow.

  • After selecting Other, click Next.

🔹4: Select App Type

  • Now you’ll be asked to choose the App Type.

  • Here, select "Business".

Why Business?
Because you are connecting Parent’s platform with WhatsApp for business communication with families — it’s not a consumer app.

  • After selecting Business, click Next to continue.

🔹5: Review and Confirm App Information

At this stage, you’ll land on the App Details screen — this is where you simply confirm the information you entered earlier:

  • App Name:
    You should already see the name you entered (for example, "Parent Messenger" or "YourCenterName WhatsApp Integration").

    If needed, you can still edit it before proceeding.

  • App Contact Email:
    Double-check that the contact email is correct and active.

    This is the email Meta will use for important communications about your app.

  • Business Portfolio (Optional at this stage):
    If you are managing several apps or projects, you can link a Business Portfolio here.
    ​If not, you can leave it empty for now and continue.

✅ Important:
If you leave the Business Portfolio empty now, Meta will require you to create and link a Business Portfolio later when setting up WhatsApp.
You must have a Business Portfolio linked before you can add a phone number or continue with WhatsApp setup.

✅ Once you’ve reviewed everything, click Create App to finalize this stage.

Key Note:
If anything needs correcting (like a typo in the app name or email), now is the time to fix it before creating the app!

✅ After this step, you will land in your app’s main dashboard — ready to add the WhatsApp product next!

Step 2️⃣ - Add WhatsApp to Your Meta App and Start Business Confirmation

Now that your Meta App is created, the next step is to add WhatsApp to it and confirm your business details.


This process ensures that your business is officially recognized by Meta and ready to use the WhatsApp Cloud API — to connect with Parent’s system and start sending messages to families.

Follow the steps below:

🔹 1. Open Your App Dashboard

Depending on where you are:

  • If you just created your app:
    Good news — you’ll be taken straight to the "Add Products to Your App" screen (just like in the screenshot).

  • If you're coming back later:
    No problem!
    Go to your Meta Developer Dashboard, click My Apps, choose your app (e.g., "Parent Messenger"), and head to the Add Product section from the sidebar.

🔹 2. Find WhatsApp and Click "Set Up"

  • On the "Add Products" page, you’ll see WhatsApp already listed among available products.

  • Simply find WhatsApp and click the Set Up button under it.

🔹 3. Start Business Confirmation: Select or Create Your Business Portfolio

When you click Set Up WhatsApp inside your Meta App, you will land on the WhatsApp Business Platform API page asking you to Select a Business Portfolio.

✅ If You Already Have a Business Portfolio Linked to Your Meta Account:

  • It will appear automatically in the dropdown menu.

  • Simply select your Business Portfolio from the list.

➔ After selecting, you will immediately be taken to the WhatsApp Business Platform QuickStart page,
where you can begin setting up your WhatsApp Cloud API.

✅ At this stage, no full Business Verification is required yet — you can proceed with a Test Phone Number for API testing.

🚫 If You Did Not Link a Business Portfolio Earlier:

  • Meta will require you to create and link a Business Portfolio before you can continue.

  • ✅ Click "Continue" when prompted.

    ✅ Fill out the Business Portfolio form:

    • Business Name:
      Enter your public business name.
      ​(Example: "Little Luminaries Learning Center" or "Parent Childcare Center")

    • Your Name:
      Enter your full name as the administrator responsible for managing the business account.

    • Your Business Email Address:
      Provide a professional email address where Meta can contact you for important updates.

    ✅ Click "Submit" once the form is complete.

    ✅ Click "Submit" once the form is complete.

🎉 After Submitting Your Business Portfolio:

  • A confirmation pop-up will appear saying your Business Portfolio has been created!

  • You will be asked to confirm your email address.

  • ➔ Check your email inbox for a verification email from Meta.

  • ➔ Click the verification link inside the email to confirm your business email address.

✅ Once your Business Portfolio email is confirmed,
you can proceed to the next stage of your WhatsApp Cloud API setup.rm your business email address.

✅ Once Your Business Portfolio Email is Confirmed

After confirming your Business Portfolio email address,
you can proceed immediately to the next stage of your WhatsApp Cloud API setup.

🌟 Important:
Creating your Business Portfolio is just the first milestone in the Business Confirmation journey!
It officially connects your app to Meta Business Suite, where you’ll manage all your business tools and settings.

🛡️ Heads up:
After linking and confirming your Business Portfolio:

  • You will be able to proceed immediately to WhatsApp API setup and use the provided Test Number for API testing — even if your business is not yet fully verified.

  • However, to unlock full production messaging (adding a real WhatsApp phone number and removing messaging limits),
    you will eventually need to complete Business Verification (submitting your legal business documents).

✅ Full Business Verification is required later to go live with a production phone number and Unlock live messaging capabilities with customers.

🔹 4. Business Verification (If Needed)

After creating your Business Portfolio and confirming your email address, Meta will automatically check the verification status of your connected Business Account:

  • ✨ Here’s What Happens Next:

    ✅ If your business is already verified:

    • 🎉 Great news! You can jump straight into setting up production messaging and add your real WhatsApp phone number — no extra paperwork needed.

    • (This typically applies if your business portfolio was already verified for other Meta services like Facebook Ads, Facebook Login Apps, or Instagram API integrations.)

    ✅ If your business is not yet verified:

    • 🛡️ No worries — Meta will simply ask you to complete Business Verification by uploading your legal business documents.

    • This step is important to make sure Meta can officially confirm your business is real, registered, and ready to use WhatsApp for live customer messaging.

📍 How to Access Business Verification

Depending on your Meta Business Manager layout, you might find the "Start Verification" button in one of two places:

✅ Option 1: Through Business Info

  • Head over to Meta Business Settings.

  • Click Business Info from the left-hand menu.

  • Scroll down until you find the Business Verification section.

  • Tap Start Verification to get things rolling!

✅ Option 2: Through Security Center (if you don’t see it under Business Info)

  • Open Meta Business Settings.

  • Click Security Center from the left-hand menu.

  • Look for the Business Verification area there.

  • Click Start Verification and you’re ready to go!

📣 Heads up:
Wherever you find it,
➡️ the verification process stays exactly the same —
you’ll just need to submit your business details and upload your official documents.

🔹 Steps to Complete Business Verification

Once you click Start Verification (from either Business Info or Security Center), here’s what you’ll experience — step-by-step:

1️⃣ Click Get Started

  • A welcome screen will appear explaining the Business Verification process.

  • Click Get Started to move forward.

Why?
Meta first gives you a brief overview before beginning to collect your details.

2️⃣ Select Your Country

After you click Start Verification,
a small window will pop up asking you to select your business country.

✅ Choose your country from the dropdown list and then click Next.

🌎 Note:
In this guide, we’ll be using Canada as our example country to walk you through the upcoming steps.
(Don't worry — if you select a different country, the process is still very similar.)

Why is this important?
Business regulations and document requirements can vary slightly depending on your country.
Meta tailors the verification process based on the location you choose to ensure all legal standards are met.

3️⃣ Select Your Business Type

Before entering your organization’s information,
Meta will ask you to select the type of business you are operating.

✅ Choose the business type that best describes your organization:

✅ After selecting your business type, click Next to continue.

4️⃣ Add Your Organization Details

You’ll now need to enter key information about your business.
Fill in the following fields carefully:

  • Business Name (exactly as it appears on your official documents)

  • Street Address and City

  • State/Province/Region and Postal Code

  • Phone Number

  • Website URL (optional, but helps with verification if available)

  • Tax Identification Number (optional)

✅ Important: If you enter your Tax ID, Meta may use it to automatically search public records and try to match your organization faster.

Important Tip:
Accuracy matters!
Make sure every detail matches your legal documents exactly.
Even small mismatches (like abbreviations, misspelled names, or outdated addresses) can delay or cause your verification to be rejected.

5️⃣ Select Your Organization (If Found)

After you enter your organization details, Meta will automatically search public records to find businesses that might match the information you provided.

Here’s what happens next:

✅ If Meta finds matching organizations:

  • You’ll see a list of businesses that closely match your provided information.

  • Carefully review the options.

You have two choices:

  • If your organization appears and the information is correct:
    ➔ Select your organization from the list and click Next.

  • If none of the listed organizations match your business exactly:
    ➔ Select "My organization isn't listed, or none of the options are an exact match."
    ➔ Then click Next to proceed manually.

Friendly Tip:
If there’s even a slight mismatch (wrong name spelling, wrong address, etc.), it’s safer to select "None of the options match" rather than picking a wrong match.
It’s better to manually verify your real business than to deal with correction delays later!

6️⃣ Choose a Contact Method

Next, you need to choose how you want to verify that you control the business:

  • Email (Recommended): Meta sends a confirmation code to your official business email address.

  • Phone Call: Meta calls your official business phone number with a verification code.

  • Text Message (SMS): Meta sends a verification code via SMS to your business phone number.

  • Domain Verification: (For advanced users) Use DNS records to prove you own your business website.

Quick Tip: Choose the method that is easiest and fastest for you.
​Email is usually the simplest — but your email domain must match your business name (e.g., [email protected]).

Note:
The contact method you choose here (email, phone, SMS, or domain) is only used to confirm your control over the business.


Final Business Verification approval or rejection updates may come by email, but it's important to also check manually inside your Meta Business Settings or Security Center.

🧠 Why This Step Is Needed:

If Meta could not automatically verify your business through public records —
especially if you selected "None of the options match" earlier —
they require you to manually confirm ownership through one of these methods.

✅ This step ensures that you are the rightful owner of the business you are trying to verify.

7️⃣ Upload Supporting Documents

If Meta cannot auto-verify your business using public records or your selected contact method, you’ll be prompted to upload official documents to manually confirm your business details.

Here’s what you’ll need:

📜 To Verify Your Legal Business Name:

Upload one of the following:

  • Business License

  • Certificate of Incorporation

  • Articles of Organization

  • Tax Registration Certificate

✅ The document must clearly show the full legal name of your business.

🏢 To Verify Your Business Address or Phone Number:

Upload one of the following:

  • Utility Bill (e.g., water, electricity, internet)

  • Bank Statement

  • Lease Agreement

  • Official Letterhead showing the business address or phone number

✅ The document must clearly show the official business address or official business phone number.

✅ Documents must be:

  • Clear and readable

  • Recent (typically issued within the last 6 months)

  • Matching the business information you entered earlier

🌐 To Prove Website Ownership (If Using Email or Domain Verification):

If you chose email verification using your business email domain, or if you selected domain verification,
Meta might also ask you to prove ownership of your website.

You might be required to:

  • Update DNS settings with a verification record (for domain verification)
    ​OR

  • Provide supporting documentation showing clear ownership of the website tied to your business.

8️⃣ Submit and Wait for Approval

After you've uploaded your documents, Meta will begin the Business Verification review process.

🕒 How Long Does It Take?

  • Business Verification typically takes between 1–3 business days.

  • However, in some cases, it may take several weeks, depending on:

    • Document review delays

    • Additional security checks

    • High verification volume at Meta

✅ Be patient — Meta will contact you once your case has been reviewed.

📬 How You'll Be Notified

  • You’ll receive an email notification from Meta once:

    • Your verification is approved,
      ​or

    • Meta needs more information or additional documents.

✅ Keep an eye on your inbox and be ready to respond quickly if needed!

Here’s how:

  • Log in to your Meta Business Settings.

  • In the left-hand menu, you’ll have two possible paths, depending on your account layout:

    • Click Business Info:
      On the Business Info page, you’ll see your:

      • Current Verification Status (look for a green shield if approved!)

    • Security Center:
      If you don’t see the status under Business Info, click Security Center.
      Look for the Business Verification section, where your status will be displayed.

✅ If your business is verified, you will see:

  • A green shield icon next to your company name

  • Your official verification date displayed clearly

🔹 5. Add and Verify Your WhatsApp Phone Number

To start using WhatsApp Business features, you’ll need to add and verify a real phone number—not a test number.

1: Access WhatsApp Manager

To add and verify your real WhatsApp Business number,
you first need to access WhatsApp Manager through Meta Business Suite.

Here’s how:

🔹 Option 1: Quick Direct Link

✅ This will take you straight to the Phone Numbers section where you can manage your numbers.

🔹 Option 2: Manual Navigation (if you prefer or if the direct link doesn’t work)

  1. Open your Meta Business Suite.

  2. From the main dashboard, click "All Tools" (under your Portfolio/Business Name).

  3. Scroll to the far bottom right side of the tools menu.

  4. Find and click WhatsApp Manager.

  5. Inside WhatsApp Manager, go to the Phone Numbers tab.

✅ You’ll now be ready to add and verify your WhatsApp business number.

📣 Quick Tip:

If you don’t see WhatsApp Manager immediately under "All Tools,"
make sure your WhatsApp Product was correctly added to your Meta App, and that your Business Portfolio is confirmed.

🔹 Add a Phone Number

  • Click Add Phone Number.

  • Provide a mobile or landline number that:

    • Is not currently connected to an existing WhatsApp account (personal or business).

    • Is ready to be dedicated for your business messaging use.

Important:
If your number is active on WhatsApp already, you must migrate it before it can be used with WhatsApp Cloud API.

🔹 Enter Business Details and Display Name

  • When setting up your WhatsApp Business Profile:

    • Choose your Time zone (e.g., Asia/Beirut).

    • Select your Business Category (e.g., Education, Food & Grocery, etc.).

    • Enter your Display Name – this is what your contacts and families will see when receiving your messages.

    • Optionally, add a short business description.

🔹Add a Phone Number

After completing your business profile, the system automatically moves you to the number setup screen.

There, you will:

  • Choose your country code and enter your phone number.

  • This number must not already be linked to an existing WhatsApp account (unless you plan to migrate it).

  • Select how you want to verify the number:

    • Text message (SMS) – for mobile numbers.

    • Phone call – for landlines.

🔹 Verify Your Phone Number

  • Choose your preferred method to receive the OTP (One-Time Password):

    • SMS — receive a code via text message.

    • Phone Call — receive a code by an automated voice call.

  • Enter the OTP into the system when prompted to verify the number.

  • Once verified, your phone number is officially linked and ready for use in the WhatsApp Cloud API.

🎉 You’re done! Your business is now set up and verified on WhatsApp.

🔹 Step 6: Get Your API Key – Connect Your System to WhatsApp

Great job — your WhatsApp Business number is verified! 🎉 Now it’s time to move into the integration phase. This step is all about giving your system secure access to WhatsApp, so it can send and receive messages on your behalf.

To do that, you’ll create a System User and generate your official API token — this is like your golden key to the WhatsApp Cloud API.

✅ Create or Select Your System User

Before you can generate your API token, you need to have a System User with the right permissions.

If you don’t have a System User yet:

Follow these steps to create one:

  1. Go to Meta Business Suite → Business Settings → System Users
    Or use this direct link:
    ​🔗 Open System Users in Meta

  2. Click the + Add button (top right or center of the screen).

  3. In the popup window:

    • Enter a name for your system user (e.g., your business name).

    • From the System user role dropdown, select Admin, and click "Create system user"

    Make sure you assign the Admin role during creation — this is important for WhatsApp integration.

If you already have a System User:

  • You can continue using them only if they already have the Admin role.

  • If the role is something else (e.g., Employee), you’ll need to create a new System User with Admin access instead

Once the System User is ready, you’ll move on to assigning your WhatsApp assets and generating the API token.

✅ Assign WhatsApp App and Phone Number to Your System User

Now that your System User is created, it's time to connect the necessary WhatsApp assets so they can generate the API token.

🔹 Step-by-Step:

  1. In Business Settings, go to System Users and click on the user you just created.

  2. In the user’s detail panel, click Add Assets.

  3. Under Select asset type, follow these two steps:

    • Apps → Choose the Meta App you created for WhatsApp API access (e.g., “Parent Messenger”).

      • On the right side, scroll down and turn on the toggle under Manage App (Full Control).

    • Switch to WhatsApp Accounts → Select your verified WhatsApp phone number.

      • Again, enable Full Control if prompted.

  4. Once both are selected and permissions set, click Assign Assets to finish.

✅ Done! Your System User now has everything they need to generate the API token and manage messaging via the WhatsApp Cloud API.

🔐 Generate Your System User Access Token (Your API Key)

Now that everything is assigned, you can generate the token that your system will use to connect to WhatsApp.

This token acts as your permanent API key — so treat it like a password.

🔹 Here’s how:

  1. In Business Settings → System Users, locate your System User and click on their name.
    ✅ You should see an option to Generate Token at the top right.

    1. In the pop-up, under Select app, choose your Meta App (e.g., Parent Messenger).

    2. For Token Expiry, choose Never

    3. Under Assign Permissions, type "what" in the search box and check the following permissions:

      • whatsapp_business_messaging ✅

      • whatsapp_business_management ✅

      (Optionally, you may also see whatsapp_business_manage_events, but it’s not required unless you're handling complex webhook setups.)

    4. Click Generate Token to complete the process.

    5. On the final screen, you’ll see your token string displayed.

      • Click Copy to save it somewhere secure (e.g., an encrypted credentials manager).

      • Click Done to close the window.

🔐 Keep This Token Safe!

This token allows your system to access WhatsApp APIs and send live messages.
​Do not share it publicly or embed it in frontend code. Treat it like a password for your business account.

☎️ Step 7: Retrieve Your Phone Number ID

To send messages through the WhatsApp Cloud API, you’ll need your Phone Number ID. This is not your actual phone number — it’s a unique identifier that WhatsApp uses to process your API requests.

🔹 Here’s how to find it:

  1. Go to your Meta App Dashboard: https://developers.facebook.com/apps

  2. Select your app (e.g., Parent Messenger which was connected to Admin user we created earlier).

  3. In the left-hand menu, click on WhatsApp → API Setup.

  4. In the From section of the page:

    • Click the search bar/dropdown.

    • Select your verified WhatsApp number from the list.

    • This links the view to the correct number and loads its details below.

  5. Scroll down to the Phone Number ID field.

    • You’ll now see the ID specific to the number you selected.

    • Click Copy to save it somewhere secure — you’ll need it for your API requests.

⚠️ Important:
If you have multiple numbers linked to your app, you must manually select the same number you used during the System User and Token setup. Your API token only works with that specific number - Using the wrong number's ID will cause your API calls to fail

🌐 Step 8: Configure Your Webhook

Now that you have your Phone Number ID and API key ready, it’s time to configure the Webhook. This is how WhatsApp Cloud API will send updates (like incoming messages, delivery statuses, etc.) to your system automatically.

🔹 Here’s how to set it up:

  1. Go to your Meta App Dashboard: https://developers.facebook.com/apps

  2. Select your app (e.g., Parent Messenger).

  3. In the left-hand menu, click WhatsApp → Configuration.

  4. Under Webhook settings, click Edit.

  5. In the Webhook configuration pop-up:

    • Enter your public Webhook URL

      ➡️ https://api-prod.parent.eu/api/v1/whatsapp/callback

    • Enter this Custom Verify Token:
      ➡️ k8x7hP12VuQTRFz9WY46AmoLdCXEgBj3

  6. Click Verify and Save.

🔹 Subscribe to Webhook Fields

After verification, you need to subscribe to specific event types so Parent can receive the necessary updates.

Here’s how:

  1. Still under WhatsApp → Configuration, scroll to the Webhook Subscriptions section.

  2. From the list of available fields, check and subscribe to:

    • messages

    • message_template_status_update

    • message_template_quality_update

    • message_template_components_update

  3. Make sure each one shows "Subscribed" and then click Save.

✅ This ensures your WhatsApp account is fully connected and will receive all the necessary updates for use with Parent.

🚀 Step 9: Switch Your App to Live Mode

Now that your setup is complete, it’s time to make your WhatsApp integration go live. This step is required to allow real users to send and receive real WhatsApp messages through the Parent platform.

🔹 How to Switch to Live Mode:

  1. Go to Meta App Dashboard and select your app (e.g., Parent Messenger).

  2. At the top of the screen, locate the Live Mode toggle next to App Mode: Development.

  3. Click the toggle to switch to Live Mode.

  4. You’ll be prompted to confirm. Click Confirm.

⚠️ If You See: “Invalid Privacy Policy URL”

This means Meta requires a valid privacy policy link before letting your app go live.

Follow these steps:

  1. Click the Basic Settings link in the error message popup.

  2. On the Basic Settings screen, scroll down to the Privacy Policy URL field.

  3. Paste the following URL:
    ➡️ https://parentapp.ca/privacy-policy

  4. Click Save Changes (button at the bottom).

🏢 If Your Business is Not Verified

  1. In the Basic Settings section, locate the Business Verification box on the right.

  2. If it says Unverified, click Start verification.

  3. Complete the steps required by Meta to verify your business (e.g., upload legal documents, verify contact info).

🔐 Why this matters: Business verification is required to use WhatsApp Cloud API with real users in Live Mode. Without it, you'll remain limited to development use only.

✅ Final Steps

Once you’ve added a valid Privacy Policy and your business is verified:

  1. Return to the top of the dashboard.

  2. Switch the App Mode from Development to Live.

  3. Confirm the prompt.

🎉 Your app is now live and ready to send and receive WhatsApp messages through the Parent platform.

🤝 Step 10: Connect WhatsApp to Your Parent Account

Now that your WhatsApp Business number is fully set up, it’s time to connect it to your Parent account so you can begin messaging directly from the platform.

🔹 Here’s how to do it:

  1. Log in to your Parent dashboard.

  2. From the top navigation, go to Tools.

  3. Scroll down to the Integrations section.

  4. Click on WhatsApp.

🔐 Add Your WhatsApp Account

  1. On the WhatsApp setup screen, click Add Account.

  2. In the popup:

    • Enter the phone number you used when setting up your WhatsApp Business number in Meta.

    • Paste the API Key you previously generated (the token).

    • Paste the Phone Number ID you copied from Meta.

  3. Check the box to agree to the Terms & Conditions.

  4. Click Confirm to complete the connection.

✅ Once submitted, your WhatsApp number is officially linked to Parent. You're now ready to start receiving and sending WhatsApp messages directly from the platform!

🎉 You Did It!

That was quite a journey — and you made it all the way through!

Your Parent account is now fully connected to WhatsApp and email messaging for waitlist communication. 💌📲

Now that your integration is complete:

  • ✅ Waitlisted families can now receive messages from your center via WhatsApp or email, depending on the contact details they’ve provided.

  • ✅ Your staff chooses whether to send each message by email or WhatsApp — giving you full control over how you reach each family.

  • ✅ Messages are delivered from your center’s verified WhatsApp number or email address, depending on the method selected.

❗ At this time, communication is one-way only — messages go from your staff (via Parent) to the family.

📥 If a family replies, their response will go to your center’s email inbox or the WhatsApp account used for sending — not back into Parent yet.

Did this answer your question?