Set up WhatsApp for your business, the right way

Most Indian customers already talk to small businesses on WhatsApp. The kirana shop takes orders there, the salon confirms slots there, the coaching centre sends batch timings there. Usually it all runs from the owner's own phone. That works until the business grows, a second person needs to reply, or the phone is lost. This guide shows how to set WhatsApp up so it can grow with you.

Use a business account, not your personal number

There are three ways a business ends up on WhatsApp:

• A personal account. Your own number, mixed with family chats. There is no business profile and no way to share the inbox with staff.
• The WhatsApp Business app. Free, on one phone, with a business profile, quick replies and labels. A good start for a very small shop.
• The WhatsApp Business Platform. The official way for software like Hey Tomo to send and receive on your behalf. Several people can answer from one inbox, journeys can send reminders, and an AI employee can reply at night.

Hey Tomo connects only through WhatsApp's official business platform. We never use unofficial tools, scrapers or bots, because they break WhatsApp's rules and can get your number banned.

Pick a number just for the business

Choose a number that will belong to the business for years: a new SIM or a landline that can receive a call or SMS for the one-time code. Do not use the owner's personal mobile. If a number is already active on the WhatsApp app, it usually has to be moved over to the platform, and that can change how you use it on the phone, so check before you switch.

Next, verify the business. This is done in your business portfolio, the same account that runs your Facebook Page. You will need documents that show the business name and address, such as a GST certificate or a shop registration. Verification lets you grow how many customers you can message each day, and it is a step towards an official business account.

Choose a display name customers recognise

Your display name is what customers see at the top of the chat. It goes through a review, so keep it close to your real business name, the one on your signboard or website. "Sharma Dental Clinic" is fine. "Best Dentist Delhi Offers" will likely be rejected.

Then fill in the profile: a short description, your address, opening hours, a website and an email. Add your logo as the profile photo. A complete profile is the first sign to a customer that this is really you.

Get permission before you message

WhatsApp expects you to have a customer's opt-in before you send them anything first. Opt-in means the customer clearly said yes to hearing from you on WhatsApp. Ask in places where they already deal with you:

• A tick box at checkout or on your booking form, not ticked in advance.
• A QR code at the counter that opens a chat with a ready message, like "Hi, please send me order updates".
• A line on the bill: "Get your bill and offers on WhatsApp. Reply YES."

Say what they will get and how often. Keep a record of when and where each person said yes. Hey Tomo stores this with the customer's profile and checks consent before every message, and again just before it is sent. Our guide to consent, opt-outs and quiet hours goes deeper.

Templates, and the 24-hour window

WhatsApp has two kinds of business messages, and the difference matters every day.

Replies inside the customer service window. When a customer messages you, a 24-hour window opens. Inside it you can reply freely: answer questions, share a photo of the product, send a location. Each new message from the customer opens the window again.

Template messages. To start a conversation, or to write after the window has closed, you send a pre-approved template. You write the template once, it is reviewed, and then you fill in details like the name or the order number each time. Templates come in categories such as utility (order updates, reminders), marketing (offers, new arrivals) and authentication (one-time codes). Pick the honest category. A sale message sent as an "update" gets rejected or flagged.

Learn more in the glossary under Template message and Customer service window.

Keep your quality high

WhatsApp watches how customers react to you. If many people block you or report spam, your quality rating drops, the number of customers you can reach each day can shrink, and in bad cases the number is restricted. A few habits keep you safe:

• Message only people who opted in, about what they opted in for.
• Send less, and make each message useful. One good offer beats five average ones.
• Make it easy to stop. A customer who can reply "stop" does not need to hit "block".
• Answer replies quickly, even at night. An AI employee can cover the hours you are closed.

What to send first

Start with messages that customers already expect and thank you for. They build trust and a good quality rating before you send any marketing.

1. Order and booking confirmationsSend them right after the purchase or booking. They prove the number is really yours.
2. RemindersAppointment, pickup or renewal reminders save customers a missed visit. See cut no-shows with reminders.
3. A welcome after opt-inThank them, say what they will get, and tell them how to stop.
4. Answers, fastReply within the 24-hour window. This is where most sales on WhatsApp actually happen.
5. Then, a little marketingOnce these run well, add a small, useful offer for people who said yes to offers.