WhatsApp Business Accounts ( WABA) integration with TimelinesAI

The WhatsApp Business API (WABA) is for businesses that need higher messaging

volume and template-based campaigns. Connecting a WABA number to TimelinesAI

lets you use an official API number directly inside TimelinesAI — reply from

the shared inbox, run broadcast campaigns with approved templates, collaborate

as a team, and sync conversations to your CRM.

New to WABA? Two companion guides go deeper on the two things you'll most

likely want to do with a WABA number:

- Sending mass messaging campaigns

- Creating and managing message templates

WABA conversations sync to your connected CRM exactly the same way

QR-connected chats do — the same contact matching, activity logging, and

deal/lead behavior applies regardless of how the number is connected. For each

CRM (HubSpot, Pipedrive, Zoho, and Close), a WABA chat is treated like any

other chat: contacts are matched by phone number, so an existing record is

reused rather than duplicated.

For setup and behavior specific to your CRM, see:

TimelinesAI supports two onboarding paths to WABA:

If you're already running a WhatsApp Business App, Coexistence is usually the right choice. See WhatsApp Coexistence: setup guide.

Before connecting a number, make sure:

Coexistence-specific prerequisites:

WABA-connected numbers consume seats on your plan exactly like QR-connected WhatsApp numbers. The rule is simple:

One seat = one number, whether it's connected via QR or WABA. Seats cover both

connected numbers and team members. Connecting same number using both QR and WABA will result in consuming two seats.

If you downgrade to fewer seats than you have connected numbers, TimelinesAI

automatically disables the excess numbers (QR and WABA alike). A disabled WABA

number isn't deleted — nothing is lost. After you add seats back, re-enable the

number you want to use.

These apply when you onboard via Coexistence:

Removing a WABA number takes two steps: one in TimelinesAI, one in Meta.

> 1. In TimelinesAI: open WABA accounts and disable the number. This frees the seat and stops the number being used in TimelinesAI. Chats already synced stay in your workspace.

> 2. In Meta: to stop TimelinesAI's access completely, open Meta Business Suite → Settings → Accounts → WhatsApp accounts, select the account, open Partners, and remove Initech Ads (our partner account, see the FAQ below).

> Moving a number to a different team member: WABA numbers belong to the workspace, not to the person who connected them. You don't need to reconnect the number.

> Switching back to a QR connection: after the steps above, the number can be connected again under WhatsApp accounts → Generate QR. Connecting the same number by QR and WABA at the same time uses two seats.

My number doesn't appear in the list during connection

> The number must belong to a WhatsApp Business Account inside the Business Portfolio you selected. In the Meta window, pick the Business Portfolio first, then the WhatsApp Business Account, then the number.

> You must be an admin of that Business Portfolio. If you aren't, ask the portfolio admin to either give you admin access or run the connection themselves.

The WABA shows "Active" but the number shows "Pending" or "Not available"

>The number was verified in Meta but never registered on the Cloud API. Follow How to connect and activate a new WhatsApp Business number, steps 5–8.

> Registering a WABA number has nothing to do with scanning a QR code. The QR connection is a separate product.

Meta created a new, empty WhatsApp Business Account during connection

> This happens when you choose "Create a new WhatsApp Business Account" instead of selecting your existing one. Start the connection again and select the existing WhatsApp Business Account that holds your number.

The number shows "Disconnected — connect again through Meta Embedded Signup"

> Open WABA accounts → Connect a new WABA account and go through the Meta flow again with the same number.

> For Coexistence numbers, the most common cause is not opening the WhatsApp Business App for 14 days.

> Also check that Initech Ads is still listed under Partners for your WhatsApp account in Meta Business Suite. If someone removed it, TimelinesAI loses access.

Messages stopped syncing (for example after a plan renewal or change)

> In WABA accounts, disable the affected numbers and enable them again. If chats still don't update, contact support.

Messages show "Sent" but never arrive

> Check that Initech Ads is still a partner on your WhatsApp Business Account in Meta. Without partner access, TimelinesAI doesn't receive delivery statuses from Meta. Reconnect the number to restore it.