How to Create a WhatsApp Business Account (Step by Step)

If customers already message you on WhatsApp from your personal number, a business account is the sensible next step. It gives you a shop-window profile with your name, hours, address and description, so people see a real business and not a stranger's number. The one thing to decide before you start is which phone number it will use, because that choice trips up more people than any button in the app.

Below are the steps from WhatsApp's own help pages for the WhatsApp Business app, the one made for small businesses. I'll also cover what happens to an existing personal account, what each profile field is for, and the next jobs worth doing once you're in.

Choose the phone number for your WhatsApp Business account first

WhatsApp's help pages are clear on this point. You can use WhatsApp Business and the regular WhatsApp Messenger app on the same phone at the same time, but the two accounts must be linked to different phone numbers. One number can't be linked to both apps at once.

So you have two sensible options:

• Use a separate number for the business and leave your personal WhatsApp as it stands.
• Move your existing number across. WhatsApp says you can migrate an existing WhatsApp Messenger account, including your chat history and media, to a new WhatsApp Business account. If you later decide to stop using the Business app, you can transfer the account and chat history back to WhatsApp Messenger.

Think about which suits you. If you've been using your personal number for customers for years, migrating keeps those conversations in one place. If you want to keep work and home apart, a separate number is cleaner.

Downloading the WhatsApp Business app

The WhatsApp Business app is a separate download from the regular app. On Android, WhatsApp's steps point to the Google Play Store, and on an iPhone to the Apple App Store. Make sure you pick the official app made by WhatsApp. Stay away from copies, modded versions or anything that promises extra features, since WhatsApp warns that unofficial apps may put your account at risk.

Setting up your WhatsApp Business account step by step

1. Open the WhatsApp Business app after you've installed it.
2. Read the WhatsApp Business Terms of Service and, in some regions, the app's privacy policy. To accept, tap Agree and continue.
3. Verify your phone number by following the prompts on screen.
4. If WhatsApp finds a backup tied to your number, you may be able to restore your chat history.
5. If you're new to the app, or the restore isn't possible, WhatsApp guides you through creating your business profile.

That's your account created. The profile is the part customers will see, so give it a few minutes of care.

Filling in your WhatsApp Business profile

The help pages list the profile steps in this order. On both Android and iPhone the buttons are labelled Next or Continue, depending on your phone, and several can be skipped for later.

Profile step	What to enter	Can you skip it?
Business name	The name customers will see	No
Categories	Choose up to three, from the suggested list or See more categories. Custom categories aren't possible	No
Business hours	When you're available	No
Profile photo	A logo or recognisable image	Yes, do it later
Address and website	Where to find you, plus a website link	Yes, do it later
Business description	A short explanation of what you do	Yes, do it later

When you've finished, tap Continue and then Done. If you skip the photo, address or description, I'd come back and add them soon. A profile with a logo and a clear one-line description looks far more trustworthy than a blank one.

Writing your WhatsApp Business description with Meta AI help

WhatsApp's help pages mention that Meta AI business assistant can help refine your description. You type a draft, tap the Refine with Meta AI option, and it generates a list of possible versions. You pick your favourite, or tap Generate new descriptions for more. You can always edit what it gives you. I'd treat it as a prompt for ideas and keep your own voice, so the description still sounds like you.

Whatever you write, keep it plain: what you do, who you help and where. Customers read this on a small screen.

Next steps after creating a WhatsApp Business account

WhatsApp's help pages list four follow-up jobs once your profile exists: create a catalogue, create an ad, create a marketing message and get verified. You don't need all of them on day one. For most small businesses I'd start with the basics, and set up a greeting and an away message so customers get an answer even when you're busy. My guide to setting up an automatic WhatsApp Business reply walks through it.

If you want a longer tour of the app, my guide on how to set up WhatsApp Business for a small company goes deeper, and these WhatsApp Business tips cover how to use it day to day.

WhatsApp Business app or WhatsApp Business Platform

This one confuses a lot of owners. WhatsApp's help page notes that the Business app is meant for small businesses, and that businesses wanting an enhanced experience should look at the WhatsApp Business Platform instead. The Platform is a different product aimed at larger operations. If you're a sole trader or a small team answering messages from a phone, the app described on this page is almost certainly the one you need.

If you can't create your WhatsApp Business account

• Check the number. If it's already linked to WhatsApp Messenger, either migrate that account or use a different number for the Business app.
• Check you're using the official app from your phone's store, not a copy.
• Make sure you can complete the phone number verification step.
• Update your phone's system and the app, then try again.
• If it still won't go through, use the contact option in WhatsApp's help to get support.

Once your account is live, it's worth telling customers where to find you. If you also want a handy overview of the install and first-run steps, my page on how to download and set up WhatsApp Business is a good companion.

For the rest of the series, see the WhatsApp Help: 43 Guides to Transfers, Backups, Business and Privacy.

Frequently asked questions

How do I create a WhatsApp Business account?

Download the WhatsApp Business app from your phone's store, open it, agree to the terms, verify your phone number and then fill in your business profile: name, up to three categories, hours, and optionally photo, address, website and description.

Can I use WhatsApp Business and WhatsApp on the same phone?

Yes, but WhatsApp says the two accounts must use different phone numbers. One number can't be linked to both apps at once.

Can I move my personal WhatsApp account to WhatsApp Business?

WhatsApp says you can migrate an existing WhatsApp Messenger account, including chat history and media, to a new Business account, and transfer it back later if you stop using the Business app.

How many categories can I choose?

WhatsApp says you can select up to three business categories. Custom categories aren't possible.

Does the whole business profile need filling in straight away?

No. You can skip the photo, address, website link and description and add them later, but the name, categories and hours are part of the set-up.