Migrate to rather.chat

Use this guide when your WhatsApp business phone number is already active with another provider and you want to move it into rather.chat without changing the number.

Before you start

• Required access: rather.chat admin plus access to the current WhatsApp provider or Meta WhatsApp Manager.
• Your rather.chat account and company should already be ready.
• Estimated time: about 15-30 minutes for the setup steps, plus possible processing time afterward.

Use Connect to WhatsApp instead if you are setting up a new number rather than migrating an existing one.

Migration readiness checklist

• [ ] Your Meta Business Account is verified.
• [ ] Your WhatsApp Business Account is approved and has no pending infractions.
• [ ] A valid payment method is attached to the existing WhatsApp Business Account.
• [ ] Two-step verification is disabled on the phone number.
• [ ] The display name is already approved.
• [ ] There is no pending display name change request.

Do not start the migration until the checklist above is complete.

Migration limits

• WhatsApp test numbers cannot be migrated.
• Migrated numbers can only be used with WhatsApp Cloud API.
• Template quality ratings do not transfer across during migration.
• Migrated templates begin with an UNKNOWN quality rating for the first 24 hours.
• Only eligible templates are duplicated into the destination WhatsApp Business Account.

INFO

A WhatsApp test number is a temporary number used for Cloud API testing or trial setup in Meta. It is not the same as a live business phone number connected to your customers. If you created a number only inside a Cloud API test setup and did not register it as a production business number, treat it as non-migratable.

Steps

1. Disable two-step verification

If you manage your own WhatsApp assets:

1. Open WhatsApp Manager.
2. Select Phone Numbers.
3. Open the phone number you want to migrate.
4. Open Two-step verification.
5. Click Turn off two-step verification.

If your current provider manages the number, ask them to disable two-step verification before you continue.

2. Start the migration in rather.chat

Open the Connect to WhatsApp flow and choose the existing-number path:

1. Select Yes when asked whether you already have a phone number.
2. Continue to the connection step.
3. During the Meta flow, select the existing WhatsApp Business Account and phone number you want to migrate.

This flow is similar to Connect to WhatsApp, but you must choose the existing business assets instead of creating new ones.

3. Complete the embedded signup flow

Finish every Meta screen and do not close the browser tab, popup, or embedded flow early.

Once the flow is complete:

• Meta creates or associates the destination WhatsApp Business Account.
• rather.chat receives the asset details required to continue the migration.

What rather.chat completes after submission

After you finish the embedded signup flow, rather.chat completes the remaining platform-side migration work:

• Linking the migrated number to the destination WhatsApp Business Account.
• Registering the number for WhatsApp Cloud API use.

What happens to templates and messaging

The phone number itself stays the same. The approved display name, number quality rating, messaging limit, and Official Business Account status remain tied to the number when applicable.

Templates are handled separately:

• Eligible templates are duplicated into the destination WhatsApp Business Account.
• Duplicated templates initially keep the same approval status as the originals.
• Meta may re-check duplicated templates later.

Expected downtime and timing

• Number registration begins through the migration flow immediately.
• The new WhatsApp Business Account may still take 1-2 business days to be fully ready.
• Template duplication can take additional time.
• Some templates may be temporarily unavailable until processing finishes.

Billing during migration

• Decide when you will stop sending through the old provider.
• Billing activity should resume from the new setup once the destination account is ready and traffic starts again.

How to know it worked

• The embedded signup flow completes successfully.
• The migrated number appears in the expected rather.chat connection path after processing.
• Templates are duplicated where eligible, or they are clearly identified as needing recreation.
• The old provider is no longer the sending path for the migrated number.

If something goes wrong

Problem	What it means	What to do
Two-step verification is still enabled	Meta will block migration	Disable it and restart the migration flow
The display name is not approved	The number is not migration-ready	Wait for approval before retrying
A display name change is pending	Meta cannot complete the move cleanly	Wait until the request is resolved
Templates are missing afterward	Only eligible templates are duplicated	Recreate and resubmit missing templates if needed
Template quality looks unfamiliar	Migrated templates begin with UNKNOWN	Recheck after the first 24 hours

Related guides

• Sign up
• Connect to WhatsApp
• Platform FAQ