Key takeaways
- The WABA holds templates and billing; the phone number sits in a linked WhatsApp account.
- Each account belongs to exactly one Meta business portfolio.
- Software built on the API asks for the WABA ID during set-up.
What a WhatsApp Business Account contains
Meta's documentation, read on the date below, describes two account types. A Messaging account, still identified by the WABA ID, holds message templates and billing details. A WhatsApp account holds a single business phone number. You need both to send and receive messages and to manage templates, and each must belong to only one business portfolio.
Limits to know
- Templates: 250 per Messaging account while the portfolio is unverified, rising to 6,000 once it is verified and a number has an approved display name.
- Phone numbers: initially 2 registered business numbers per account hierarchy, which Meta can raise to 20.
- Meta may change these limits, so check its current documentation.
Where to find your WABA ID
In Meta Business settings, open Accounts, then WhatsApp accounts, and click your account. The ID is the long number under its name. Milvao's guide to connecting your WhatsApp number walks through it step by step.
A WhatsApp Business Account for your community
Milvao connects to a WABA under the community's own business portfolio, so the number, templates and Meta's message charges stay with the community. The owner enters the WABA ID and a permanent system user token; Milvao finds the phone number ID itself and checks the number, permissions, webhooks and its four templates.
Sources
- Meta for Developers: WhatsApp accounts and Messaging accounts (checked 5 November 2026)
- Meta for Developers: WhatsApp Cloud API overview (checked 5 November 2026)
Facts about WhatsApp and other services come from the pages listed, on the dates shown, and can change.