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This guide walks you through the process of onboarding clients to connect their WhatsApp Business accounts using the Zavu dashboard.

Overview

Partner invitations allow you to:
  • Generate unique invitation links for your clients
  • Let clients complete the WhatsApp Business setup themselves
  • Optionally pre-assign a Zavu phone number for the client to use
  • Track invitation status and manage multiple clients

Creating an Invitation

Step 1: Navigate to Partner Invitations

  1. Log in to your Zavu Dashboard
  2. Select your project from the sidebar
  3. Click on Partner Invitations in the navigation

Step 2: Create a New Invitation

  1. Click the New Invitation button
  2. Fill in the invitation details:
FieldRequiredDescription
Client NameNoA name to identify this client (e.g., “Acme Corp”)
Client EmailNoThe client’s email address for your reference
Phone NumberNoOptionally pre-assign a Zavu phone number
Link Expires InYesHow long the invitation link is valid (1-30 days)

Step 3: Choose Phone Number Option

You have three options for the WhatsApp phone number:

Client Provides Number

The client will use their own phone number during WhatsApp Business setup. Choose this when your client already has a number they want to use.

Pre-assign Zavu Number

Select a phone number from your account to pre-assign to this invitation. The client will register this number with their WhatsApp Business Account.

WhatsApp Business App

The client connects their existing WhatsApp Business App account. They keep using the app on their phone while also enabling Cloud API messaging.
Pre-assigning a phone number is useful when you want to provision numbers for your clients or when clients don’t have a suitable number for WhatsApp Business.

WhatsApp Business App Connection (Coexistence)

If your client is already using the WhatsApp Business App on their phone and wants to keep using it while adding Cloud API capabilities, choose the WhatsApp Business App option. This enables coexistence mode where the same phone number works on both:
  • WhatsApp Business App - For personal 1:1 conversations from their phone
  • Cloud API (via Zavu) - For automated messages, broadcasts, and integrations
Coexistence mode has some limitations:
  • Fixed throughput of 80 messages per second
  • Not available in Nigeria and South Africa
  • Maximum 4 linked devices
  • Edit and revoke messages disabled in the app
When your client completes the setup with this option, they can optionally sync their existing message history and contacts into Zavu. Learn more about WhatsApp Business App Connection. After creating the invitation:
  1. Copy the generated invitation link
  2. Send it to your client via email, chat, or any preferred method
  3. The client will use this link to complete the WhatsApp Business setup

What Your Client Sees

When your client opens the invitation link, they’ll see:
  1. Welcome Page - Shows your company name and setup instructions
  2. Requirements - What they need:
    • A Facebook account with admin access to their business
    • A phone number for WhatsApp (unless pre-assigned)
    • About 5 minutes to complete setup
  3. WhatsApp Setup - They’ll complete Meta’s embedded signup flow:
    • Log in with Facebook
    • Select or create a WhatsApp Business Account
    • Register and verify the phone number
  4. Confirmation - Success message when setup is complete

Pre-assigned Phone Number Flow

If you pre-assigned a Zavu phone number:
  1. The client sees the phone number on the invitation page
  2. They copy this number during Meta’s signup flow
  3. When prompted for verification, they select Phone Call
  4. Zavu automatically receives the verification code
  5. The code is displayed on the invitation page for the client to enter
When using a pre-assigned number, instruct your client to select “Phone Call” for verification instead of SMS, as this provides the smoothest experience.

Managing Invitations

Invitation Statuses

StatusDescription
PendingInvitation created, waiting for client to start
In ProgressClient has started the WhatsApp setup
CompletedWhatsApp connected successfully, sender created
ExpiredInvitation expired before completion
CancelledYou cancelled the invitation

Actions

From the invitations list, you can:
  • Copy Link - Copy the invitation URL to share with your client
  • Cancel - Invalidate the invitation so it can’t be used
  • Resend - Generate a new link for expired or cancelled invitations

After Completion

When a client completes the WhatsApp setup:
  1. A new sender is automatically created in your project
  2. The sender has WhatsApp enabled with the registered phone number
  3. The invitation status changes to Completed
  4. You can immediately start sending WhatsApp messages through this sender

Finding the New Sender

  1. Go to Senders in your dashboard
  2. Look for the sender with the client’s WhatsApp number
  3. The sender ID is also shown in the completed invitation details

Best Practices

Set Appropriate Expiration

Use shorter expirations (3-7 days) for urgent onboarding. Longer expirations may lead to stale invitations.

Include Client Details

Always fill in the client name and email to easily track and manage invitations.

Pre-assign for Control

Use pre-assigned numbers when you want to manage phone numbers centrally or when clients need number provisioning.

Follow Up

If an invitation is pending for more than a few days, reach out to your client to assist with the setup.

Troubleshooting

Client Can’t Complete Setup

Common issues and solutions:
IssueSolution
”Invalid invitation” errorThe link may be expired or cancelled. Create a new invitation.
Facebook login failsClient needs admin access to a Facebook Business account.
Phone number already on WhatsAppThe number must not be registered on personal WhatsApp. Client needs to delete their WhatsApp account first.
Verification code not receivedFor pre-assigned numbers, ensure client selected “Phone Call” verification.

Invitation Stuck in “In Progress”

If an invitation shows “In Progress” for an extended time:
  1. The client may have started but not completed the setup
  2. Contact the client to check their progress
  3. If needed, cancel and create a new invitation

Next Steps