WhatsApp Coexistence
Term 301 of 314 · Technology
In one sentence
WhatsApp Coexistence lets you use the same number on the WhatsApp Business app and the API at the same time. The company adds automation and integrations without changing its number or losing its chat history.
Reviewed by Juan Manuel Garrido
Co-founder of VantegrateLinkedIn
WhatsApp Coexistence definition
Coexistence is the Meta option that lets you connect a number already in use on the WhatsApp Business app to the WhatsApp Business API without removing it from the app. Both channels live on the same number: the team can keep answering from the phone while an AI agent or a platform works on the API.
It solves the classic migration problem: moving to the API used to force you to choose between a new number and giving up the app. With coexistence, the company keeps the number its customers already have saved and can sync its conversation history.
Who it is for
For the company that already sells over WhatsApp from the app, with a number its customers know, and needs to scale without changing numbers: automate replies, integrate with the CRM or ERP, or serve customers with an AI agent. It is the typical case of a distributor or a building supply store that takes orders from a phone and wants to stop entering everything by hand.
What changes when you turn it on
- The number is connected to the API and the app at the same time, and the chat history can be synced to the API.
- Some app features are disabled while coexistence is active, such as broadcast lists, disappearing messages, editing and delete for everyone.
- Sending capacity through the API is lower than with a full migration.
- Availability depends on the country: Meta does not enable it in every region.
Coexistence vs full migration
| Aspect | Coexistence | Full migration |
|---|---|---|
| Number | The same one, on the app and the API | The same one, only on the API |
| Answering from the phone | Yes | No |
| Sending capacity | Lower | Full |
| App features | Some disabled | The app is no longer used |
Common mistakes
- Turning it on without checking whether the number's country is enabled.
- Expecting broadcast lists to keep working: with the API, bulk sends go out with approved templates and opt-in.
- Forgetting that messages sent through the API are charged under the per-message model.
FAQs about WhatsApp Coexistence
What is WhatsApp Coexistence?
What is WhatsApp Coexistence?
It is the mode that lets you use the same number on the WhatsApp Business app and the API at the same time. The company adds automation and integrations without changing its number and can keep answering from the phone.
Do I lose my chat history when I move to the API?
Do I lose my chat history when I move to the API?
Not with coexistence: the number stays on the app and the conversation history can be synced to the API. Some files from old chats may not sync completely.
Which app features do you lose?
Which app features do you lose?
While coexistence is active, some app features are disabled, such as broadcast lists, disappearing messages, view-once messages, editing and delete for everyone.
Is it available in every country?
Is it available in every country?
No. Meta does not enable coexistence in every region. Before planning the migration, it is worth confirming with the official provider whether the number's country is enabled.
From the definition to the conversation that sells
Sellium replies, qualifies and books meetings on WhatsApp without anyone watching the phone, and keeps every conversation synced to the CRM. Tell us how you sell today and we will show you how it would look.
Related terms
- WhatsApp Business APIThe WhatsApp Business API is Meta's official interface that lets mid-sized and large companies connect WhatsApp to their systems (CRM, e-commerce, chatbots) to send messages at scale, automate conversations and serve customers through multiple agents.
- BSP (Business Solution Provider)A BSP (Business Solution Provider) is a Meta-authorized partner that gives a company access to the WhatsApp Business API and adds onboarding, support and tools. Meta sets the rules and limits; the BSP makes access easier and applies its own pricing model.
- WhatsApp 24-Hour WindowThe 24-hour window is the period during which a company can reply on WhatsApp with free-form messages and no template fee, counted from the customer's last message. Each new message from the user restarts that 24-hour clock.
- WhatsApp Message Template (HSM)A WhatsApp message template (HSM), also called an approved template, is a message pre-approved by Meta that a business uses to start conversations with customers on the WhatsApp Business API, outside the 24-hour window, with fixed text and editable variables.
- WhatsApp Delivery RateThe WhatsApp delivery rate is the percentage of sent messages that actually reach the recipient's device, out of the total the platform accepted. It is shown by the double gray check mark and measures whether your messages reach people, not whether they read them.
- WhatsApp Service MessageA service message is the free-form, non-template reply a business sends on WhatsApp within the 24-hour window the customer opens by writing in. Each number gets 1,000 free per month; after that, they are charged at the utility rate.
Related questions
- What is BANT?in BANT
- What is a BDR in sales?in BDR (Business Development Representative)
- What is CPQ (Configure, Price, Quote)?in CPQ (Configure, Price, Quote)
- What is checkout in an online store?in Checkout
- What is conversational commerce?in Conversational Commerce
- What is cross-selling?in Cross-Selling
Sellium
The AI agent that replies, qualifies and books meetings on WhatsApp, with every conversation synced to the CRM.
How Sellium solves itFive AI products that work on top of the CRM you already use. They don't replace your system: they add the layer you do by hand today.
