---
title: "Connect WhatsApp via credentials"
method: POST
path: "/v1/connect/whatsapp/credentials"
tags: ["Connect"]
---

# Connect WhatsApp via credentials

`POST /v1/connect/whatsapp/credentials`

Connect a WhatsApp Business Account by providing Meta credentials directly.
This is the headless alternative to the Embedded Signup browser flow.

To get the required credentials:
1. Go to Meta Business Suite (business.facebook.com)
2. Create or select a WhatsApp Business Account
3. In Business Settings > System Users, create a System User
4. Assign it the whatsapp_business_management and whatsapp_business_messaging permissions
5. Generate a permanent access token
6. Get the WABA ID from WhatsApp Manager > Account Tools > Phone Numbers
7. Get the Phone Number ID from the same page (click on the number)

## Request body

- object
  - `profileId` string, required — Your Zernio profile ID
  - `accessToken` string, required — Permanent System User access token from Meta Business Suite
  - `wabaId` string, required — WhatsApp Business Account ID from Meta
  - `phoneNumberId` string, required — Phone Number ID from Meta WhatsApp Manager
  - `pin` string — The 6-digit two-step verification PIN set on the number. Required if you enabled two-step verification for it, otherwise Meta rejects the Cloud API registration with error 133005 and the number cannot send messages.

## Response `200`

WhatsApp connected successfully

- object
  - `message` string
  - `registrationWarning` string — Present when the account was created but Meta rejected the Cloud API registration. The number cannot send messages until this is resolved.
  - `account` object
    - `accountId` string
    - `platform` 'whatsapp'
    - `username` string — Display phone number
    - `displayName` string — Meta-verified business name
    - `isActive` boolean
    - `selectedPhoneNumber` string — The connected phone number

## Other responses

- `400` — Invalid request. Missing fields, a `pin` that is not 6 digits, or the phoneNumberId was not found in the specified WABA. If the phone was not found, the response includes availablePhoneNumbers to help identify the correct ID.
- `401` — Invalid or expired access token
- `403` — Profile limit exceeded for this plan
- `409` — The phone number is a Zernio-provisioned number pinned to a different profile. Connect it from that profile, or move it first with PATCH /v1/whatsapp/phone-numbers/{id}/profile.

---

[API](https://skmtc.net/zernio/apis/zernio-api.md) · [All operations](https://skmtc.net/zernio/apis/zernio-api/llms.txt) · [OpenAPI document](https://skmtc-service-staging.skmtc.workers.dev/v1/apis/zernio/zernio-api/versions/51932b099b2f/schema)