My client signs up on my portal, then what do they experience?

This answers the question that always comes up: "from my client's side, what actually happens?" It matters because there is one step that only the business owner can complete, and you cannot do it on their behalf.

The sequence

1. Your client signs up on your portal. That flow and form are entirely yours.
2. Your system calls POST /api/partner/v1/tenants with the business name, owner name, and email.
3. We create the account and immediately email the owner an invitation. Its header, colour, and sender address use your brand when configured, not ours.
4. The owner sets their own password through the link in that email, valid for 7 days. We never create a password for them, and you never hold one either.
5. The owner connects their WhatsApp number. This is the step that cannot be delegated; see below.
6. Everything else is automatic: the number is registered, webhooks are wired, and the shared team inbox is prepared. Usually within minutes.

Your client pays us nothing. The pay-first gate that applies to direct customers is skipped for partner accounts; billing sits with you.

The step you cannot do for them

Connecting a WhatsApp number uses Meta's own dialog. The business owner must sign in with their own Facebook account and grant access on Meta's screen. This is Meta's rule, not our limitation, and no API bypasses it.

So prepare your client before they reach that screen. They will need:

• An active personal Facebook account
• A Meta Business Portfolio. If they do not have one, it can be created on the same screen
• A phone number able to receive an SMS or call for verification
• A sensible business name for the display name. Personal names or abbreviations that cannot be tied to a registered business are often rejected by Meta

Numbers already used in the WhatsApp Business app

This is the most common case, and the good news is that it works. A number used for years in the WhatsApp Business app can be connected without losing existing chats and contacts, through Meta's official coexistence mode. It requires scanning a QR code from the phone where that number is signed in as the primary account.

Tell your client plainly: do not close the window until it says it is finished. A half-finished pairing has to be started over, and rapid retries are throttled by Meta.

Where clients most often get stuck

• The number is already registered with another WhatsApp API provider. It must be released there first; a number cannot live on two platforms at once.
• Display name rejected. Change it to the business name and resubmit. Completed business verification makes name approval far easier.
• Business verification not finished. The number still works, but is capped at 250 business-initiated conversations per day until it is.
• The window was closed too early. The symptom is confusing: everything appears to have worked, yet no message ever arrives.

Watching from your side

GET /api/partner/v1/tenants lists all your clients with their status and whether a number is connected. It is the simplest way to spot who got stuck halfway, before they complain.