What is Meta's WhatsApp Business Platform?
It's Meta's official infrastructure (Cloud API) that lets a software platform connect a business's WhatsApp number and send and receive messages programmatically — confirmations, reminders, replies from a conversational agent — instead of a person typing every message by hand from a phone.
To operate on this platform, software needs to be enabled by Meta as a Tech Provider (or rely on a Business Solution Provider, an intermediary already approved by Meta), complete a verification process, and follow Meta's messaging rules around templates and conversation windows.
How does a business's WhatsApp number get connected?
The business verifies its WhatsApp number through the connection flow (Embedded Signup), a guided process using Facebook Business login that authorizes the platform to operate that number — without the business ever needing to create or configure anything directly in Meta's developer tools.
Messages the business wants to initiate on its own (a class reminder, for example) must exist as templates pre-approved by Meta, in a format reviewed ahead of time — while replying to a message the client already sent doesn't require a template.
What's the 24-hour window, explained simply?
When a client messages a business on WhatsApp, a 24-hour window opens during which the business can reply with regular messages, with no template restrictions — it works like any WhatsApp conversation.
Once those 24 hours pass without the client writing again, any message the business wants to send must use a Meta-approved template — that's why a class reminder the business initiates (with no prior reply from the client) goes out as a template, not a free-form message.
- Client writes first → 24h window opens, free-form replies allowed
- Business initiates with no prior reply → requires a pre-approved template
- Rules set by Meta, the same for every business on the platform
How does Ollynk use Meta's platform?
Ollynk connects a studio's WhatsApp number to Meta's WhatsApp Business Platform to run two layers: automatic notifications across the booking cycle (confirmation, reminder, cancellation, waitlist) and, on plans that include it, the Ollynk AI conversational agent, which answers questions, books, cancels, and sells packages directly over WhatsApp.
The studio connects its number once from the Ollynk dashboard through the guided verification flow — it doesn't need to manage templates, tokens, or any Cloud API technical setup on its own; Ollynk manages that layer as part of the platform.
Frequently asked questions
Does the studio need to create a Meta developer account?
No. The number connection happens through the guided verification flow inside the Ollynk dashboard (Facebook Business login) — the studio doesn't interact directly with Meta's developer tools.
Why does a WhatsApp reminder sometimes arrive in a fixed format instead of free text?
Because if the business initiates the message without the client having written in the last 24 hours, Meta requires it to be sent as a pre-approved template — that's a platform rule, not an Ollynk limitation.
Is the studio's WhatsApp number its own, or shared with other businesses?
It's the studio's own number, verified and connected through Meta's WhatsApp Business Platform — it isn't shared with other businesses on Ollynk.