WABA Go-Live Readiness Checklist — 36 Steps to Launch in India
Everything you need to take a WhatsApp Business API number live in India, in the order you need it: Meta Business Verification, GST for going live, display-name rules, a payment method on Meta, DPDP opt-in and consent, and an approved template — plus the one myth to skip (DLT is for SMS, not WhatsApp).
Sample go-live steps
- 1Meta Business Verification
Meta Business Portfolio (Business Manager) created at business.facebook.com and set as the parent for your WhatsApp Business Account (WABA).
- 2Meta Business Verification
Legal business name in the portfolio exactly matches your registration documents (GST certificate / Certificate of Incorporation / Shop & Establishment) — no abbreviations or trading names that differ.
- 3Meta Business Verification
Business Verification submitted with a valid document showing legal name + address (GST certificate, CoI, Udyam/MSME, or utility bill) and, where asked, a business phone number Meta can verify.
- 4Meta Business Verification
A verifiable business website + business email on your own domain is live — a bare Instagram/Facebook page alone often fails verification.
- 5Meta Business Verification
Two-factor authentication enabled on the admin Facebook account that owns the portfolio (Meta blocks verification for accounts without it).
- 6Meta Business Verification
Business admin roles assigned to at least two people so a single locked-out account does not freeze your WABA.
- 7Number & Display Name
A phone number that is NOT currently active on the WhatsApp or WhatsApp Business consumer app — delete that account first, or use a fresh number that can receive an SMS/voice OTP.
- 8Number & Display Name
Number is one you control long-term (not a temporary virtual number a vendor can reclaim) and can receive the 6-digit verification code.
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What does “going live” on the WhatsApp Business API actually mean?
Going live means your WhatsApp Business Account (WABA) is verified, your number is connected and approved, a payment method is attached to Meta, and you have at least one approved template — so you can send and receive real customer messages at scale rather than a handful of test messages. It is not a single button; it is a sequence of Meta, tax and consent boxes that must all be green at the same time.
In India two things trip people up most. First, GST: to take a number live you effectively need an active GST registration for verification and invoicing — a trial can run without it, but going live cannot. Second, DLT: many businesses assume WhatsApp needs the same DLT registration as SMS. It does not — DLT is a TRAI requirement for SMS and voice only, and WhatsApp uses Meta's own template approval instead.
The 36 steps below are grouped into the six stages of a real go-live — Meta Business Verification, number & display name, GST/DLT & going live, payment method on Meta, opt-in & DPDP consent, and templates & messaging readiness — so you clear them in the right order and your first campaign does not stall or tank your quality rating.
Who is this checklist for?
Built for four roles taking a number live in India.
First-time founder
You are moving off the WhatsApp Business app to the API for the first time and keep getting stuck on Meta verification or display-name rejections.
Marketing / growth lead
You have campaigns ready to go but need to be sure the number, templates and opt-in evidence will not get your quality rating throttled on day one.
Agency onboarding a client
You set up WABA for clients and want one repeatable, India-specific runbook so no go-live stalls on a missing GST doc or a number still on the app.
Ops / compliance owner
You need the DPDP opt-in, consent record and payment-method boxes ticked before real customer traffic touches the number.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need GST to go live on the WhatsApp Business API in India?+
For taking a WhatsApp Business number live in India, an active GST registration is effectively required — it is used for Meta Business Verification, tax invoicing and BSP onboarding. You can explore a trial or sandbox without GST, but going live to send templates at scale needs a valid GSTIN kept consistent across your Meta portfolio, BSP account and billing.
Do I need DLT registration for WhatsApp?+
No. DLT (Distributed Ledger Technology registration under TRAI) governs SMS and voice in India — not WhatsApp. The WhatsApp Business API does not use DLT templates or scrubbing. If a vendor tells you that you must complete DLT to send on WhatsApp, that is incorrect; WhatsApp uses Meta’s own template approval instead.
What blocks most businesses from going live on WhatsApp?+
The three most common blockers are: failing Meta Business Verification because the legal name or documents do not match, using a phone number that is still active on the WhatsApp consumer app, and having no valid payment method on Meta so sending stops after the free allowance. This checklist orders every step so you clear all three before your first campaign.
Can I use my existing WhatsApp number for the Business API?+
Only if you first delete its existing WhatsApp / WhatsApp Business (consumer app) account — a number active on the app cannot be onboarded to the API. Many businesses instead use a fresh number that can receive an OTP, so their existing chat number keeps working while the API number handles automation.
How long does WhatsApp go-live take?+
With documents ready, Meta Business Verification is usually the long pole — anywhere from a few hours to a few days. Number connection, display-name approval and a first template approval each typically take minutes to a day. Having GST, verification documents, a clean number and an approved template lined up in advance (as this checklist does) is what compresses go-live to days rather than weeks.
What does it cost to go live on RichAutomate?+
Platform, setup and monthly fees are Rs 0, with a 14-day trial plus 100 free credits. You then pay either Client Pay at Rs 0.10 per message plus Meta’s own per-message conversation charge, or SaaS Pay all-in at Rs 1.20 for marketing and Rs 0.30 for utility messages. Meta always bills per message by category — there is no blanket free tier.
Keep going
- DPDP Act 2023 readiness checklist — the 47-point data-protection audit to run alongside your opt-in setup.
- WhatsApp template approval checker — pre-screen a template against Meta's rules before you submit it.
- RichAutomate pricing — Rs 0 platform, setup and monthly fee, with a 14-day trial and 100 free credits.
Go live on WhatsApp with a team that does the setup for you
RichAutomate is a WhatsApp Business platform built in India — Rs 0 platform, setup and monthly fee, 14-day trial and 100 free credits. We walk you through Meta verification, number connection, your first approved template and go-live.