Install channels
WhatsApp Business
WhatsApp is the slowest channel to set up, and the reason is Meta rather than Parrot. Talk to your Parrot administrator before you buy a number or a plan.
What you need
- A phone number for the business that is **not already in use on the WhatsApp
app**. If the number is currently on WhatsApp — including WhatsApp Business — it has to be deleted from there first.
- Documents proving the business exists. Meta verifies the business itself, not
just the number.
- Patience: approval usually takes several weeks.
How to connect
- Choose the number.
- Tell your Parrot administrator before committing to it.
- They register and verify it with Meta, then connect it for you.
The 24-hour rule
This one surprises people, so it is worth knowing before you start:
- When a customer messages you, you can reply freely for 24 hours.
- After 24 hours of silence from them, WhatsApp only allows **pre-approved
template messages** until the customer writes again.
This is WhatsApp's rule for every business on the platform. It is why a conversation that has gone quiet cannot simply be followed up with a normal message.
If you want to start quickly, Telegram and Facebook Messenger have
neither the approval wait nor the 24-hour rule.