What is WhatsApp sandbox?

What is WhatsApp sandbox?

We’ve introduced the unverified trial experience with embedded signups to allow businesses to start messaging before they have completed the Business Verification.

Previously, businesses couldn’t send any messages before getting verified. This meant that if verification took a few weeks, they would have to wait a few weeks to start using the API. Now, while waiting for the verification, businesses can use the unverified trial experience to send business-initiated notifications to 2 phone numbers. This allows businesses to test the functionality of the API and have 10 customer-initiated conversations. Once businesses submit documents for verification, they can have up to 1,500 customer-initiated conversations, allowing them to start using the API for more customer-initiated messages.

Once a business completes the embedded signup flow, it can send messages before its business is verified by WhatsApp. This period is known as the unverified trial experience. There are 2 tiers to this:

  1. Unverified trial experience (upon completion of embedded signup) Notifications: Can be sent to 2 phone numbers, up to 10 messages a day. You can use the pre-approved message templates to send notifications. Customer Service Messages: Can be sent to 10 phone numbers.
  2. Expanded trial (upon submission of documents as part of Business Verification and after we screen the documents) Notifications: Can be sent to 2 phone numbers, up to 10 messages a day. You can use the pre-approved message templates to send notifications. Customer Service Messages: Can have 1500 customer-initiated conversations.
WhatsApp defines a conversation as a 24-hour session of unlimited messaging between a person and a business. The 24-hour conversation session begins when a business reply to a user message is delivered within the 24-hour window. You can use message webhooks notifications to monitor conversations —only messages with status sent delivered, and read are impacted.

For more information, see Message Status Notifications.