Reference
WhatsApp Business API glossary
136 terms you meet when you run WhatsApp for a business, each with a 40-word definition first, then why it matters and how it shows up in VGraple CRM.
Reference
136 terms you meet when you run WhatsApp for a business, each with a 40-word definition first, then why it matters and how it shows up in VGraple CRM.
An A/B test sends two template variants to random halves of a sample, measures replies or clicks, and sends the winner to the rest. How it works for WhatsApp and what to test.
Ad referral data is the campaign, ad set, ad and creative information Meta attaches to a WhatsApp conversation that started from a click-to-WhatsApp ad.
A WhatsApp AI agent is a large-language-model bot that answers customers from your knowledge base, follows instructions, and hands off to a person.
The Meta app secret signs webhook payloads and proves app identity to Meta. Where it lives, why it must stay private, and when to rotate it.
An audit log is a tamper-evident record of who did what and when in the system: logins, exports, setting changes, deletions, permission changes.
An authentication template is a fixed-format WhatsApp template for one-time passcodes, with copy-code or one-tap buttons and no free text. Pricing, rules and limits.
An automation rule is an if-this-then-that instruction that acts on CRM events: a new lead, a stage change, a tag, a form, a payment.
Block rate is the share of recipients who blocked a WhatsApp Business number after receiving a message.
A WhatsApp broadcast is one template message sent to a segment of consenting contacts through the API, with delivery protection, scheduling and reports.
A broadcast list is the WhatsApp Business app's built-in bulk feature: up to 256 saved contacts who have your number saved, no reports, no consent tooling.
A Business Solution Provider resells WhatsApp API access, often owning the account and billing Meta charges with a markup. How it differs from a Tech Provider.
A call-to-action button on a WhatsApp template opens a URL, dials a phone number or copies a code instead of sending a reply. Types, dynamic URL suffixes and click tracking.
A carousel template is a WhatsApp marketing or utility template with up to ten swipeable media cards, each with its own buttons. Uses, rules and how broadcasts fill each card.
A chatbot flow is a visual, node-based conversation script that runs automatically when a trigger fires: messages, questions, branches, actions and handoff.
Click rate is the share of delivered WhatsApp messages where the recipient tapped a URL button or link. How Meta reports button clicks and how tracked links fill the gaps.
A click-to-WhatsApp ad is a Facebook or Instagram ad whose button opens a WhatsApp chat with your business, with a 72-hour free window and ad data on the conversation.
Coexistence lets one WhatsApp Business number run on the app and the Cloud API at once, with history import. What it allows and its limits.
Collision detection warns agents when a teammate is viewing or typing in the same conversation, so customers do not get two replies. How it appears in VGraple CRM.
A contact segment is a saved filter of contacts by tags, fields, consent, activity and source, used to target broadcasts and sequences.
Conversation assignment gives each WhatsApp conversation an owner, manually or by rule (round-robin, team, skill, source), so nothing sits unanswered.
A conversation quota is the number of conversations a software plan includes per month, counted as unique contact threads with activity.
A conversation stage is a status on a WhatsApp thread (new, open, waiting, resolved, or custom) that drives filters, SLAs and automation. How stages differ from lead stages.
A conversation summary is an AI-written recap of a WhatsApp thread: who the customer is, what they want, what was promised. Used for handovers, CRM notes and busy inboxes.
Conversation-based pricing charged one fee per 24-hour WhatsApp conversation by category from 2022 until June 2025, when Meta moved to per-message billing.
CSAT (customer satisfaction score) is a post-conversation rating, usually one to five, collected with a button message on WhatsApp.
A custom field is a business-defined attribute on a contact or lead (car model, exam, budget, membership number) that flows, forms and templates can read and write.
A data processing agreement binds a vendor that handles personal data on your behalf; GDPR requires it and India's DPDP Act expects it. What it covers and where ours is.
Debounce is a short wait before the AI replies so that a customer who sends several messages in a row gets one answer to all of them.
Delivery rate is the share of sent WhatsApp messages that reached the recipient's device, as confirmed by Meta's delivered status. Benchmarks and what pulls it down.
The display name is the business name shown in a WhatsApp chat header for an API number, reviewed by Meta against naming rules. Rules and approval.
India's DPDP Act 2023 requires consent, notice, purpose limitation and erasure rights for personal data. What it means for WhatsApp messaging and consent records.
A drip sequence is a timed series of WhatsApp messages sent to a contact over days after a trigger, pausing when they reply.
Embedded Signup is Meta's pop-up flow that creates or connects a WhatsApp Business Account and number from inside software in minutes. What it needs and does.
Embeddings are numeric vectors that represent the meaning of text so similar passages sit close together. They power knowledge base retrieval for AI chatbots.
Encryption at rest means stored data is encrypted on disk and in the database so a stolen backup or disk is unreadable. What VGraple CRM encrypts, and how search still works.
WhatsApp error 100 means a request parameter is invalid or missing: wrong phone format, unknown field, bad media ID. Common causes and the fix.
WhatsApp error 130429 means the sender exceeded the number's throughput or a rate limit. Why fast senders hit it and how paced sending avoids it.
WhatsApp error 131026 means the message was undeliverable: the number is not on WhatsApp, has blocked you, or cannot receive that message type. Causes and what to do.
WhatsApp error 131047 means a free-form message was sent more than 24 hours after the customer's last message. Why it happens and the template fix.
WhatsApp error 131048 means Meta has restricted the number for a spam rate breach. What triggered it, how long it lasts and how to recover.
WhatsApp error 131049 means Meta withheld a marketing message to keep the user's experience healthy: the recipient hit the per-user marketing cap. Not your fault; what to do.
WhatsApp error 131056 means too many messages were sent to the same recipient in a short time (the business-to-consumer pair rate limit). Causes and fix.
WhatsApp error 132000 means the number of variable values sent does not match the approved template. Causes, examples and how the sender should validate.
WhatsApp error 132001 means the template name or language does not exist on the WABA. Causes, including pending approval and wrong language codes, and the fix.
WhatsApp error 132015 means the template is paused by Meta for low quality. Pause durations, what caused it and how VGraple CRM holds the campaign.
WhatsApp error 132016 means the template has been disabled permanently after repeated quality pauses. What it means and how to recover with a new template.
WhatsApp error 135000 is a generic failure Meta returns while it is pacing or checking a send at portfolio level. What it usually means and why retrying blindly is wrong.
WhatsApp error 190 means the access token is expired, revoked or invalid. Why it happens (password resets, permission changes) and how to reconnect.
WhatsApp error 368 means the business account is temporarily blocked for policy violations. What triggers it, how to appeal and what to change.
Escalation is the AI or a flow handing a conversation to a person on a rule: a request for a human, a sensitive topic, frustration or an unanswerable question. How it works.
A fallback message is what a bot sends when it cannot match or answer a customer's message: a clarifying question, a menu, or a handoff.
A flow node is one step in a chatbot flow: a message, question, condition, delay, action, AI response or handoff, connected to the next step.
A free-form message is any WhatsApp message written without a template, allowed only inside the 24-hour window.
Frequency capping is Meta's undisclosed cap on how many marketing template messages any one WhatsApp user receives from all businesses in a period.
A held message is a broadcast recipient VGraple CRM has paused rather than failed: over the daily limit, frequency-capped, paced by Meta or paused by a template pause.
Human takeover is a person replying in a bot-handled conversation, which pauses the AI so two voices do not answer at once.
A keyword trigger starts a chatbot flow when an incoming message matches a word or phrase, exactly or loosely.
An AI knowledge base is the set of your own content (pages, articles, FAQs) the chatbot retrieves from before answering, a pattern called retrieval-augmented generation.
A lead pipeline is the ordered set of stages a lead moves through from enquiry to won or lost, shown as a Kanban board with the WhatsApp conversation attached.
Lead scoring ranks leads by fit and behaviour with points for source, answers, budget, engagement and recency, so salespeople call the best first.
A lead source records where a lead came from: a click-to-WhatsApp ad, a Lead Ad, a QR code, a form, a widget, a referral or an import.
A limited-time offer template is a marketing template with an expiry timer, offer code and copy-code button shown natively by WhatsApp. When to use it and its rules.
A WhatsApp list message is an interactive message with a button that opens a menu of up to ten options in sections.
The Marketing Messages API (MM Lite) is Meta's separate endpoint for marketing templates with Meta-optimised delivery and Ads Manager attribution.
The marketing opt-out preference is a WhatsApp-level setting where a user tells Meta to stop marketing messages from a business, without messaging it.
A marketing template is a WhatsApp template used for promotions, offers, announcements and re-engagement.
A markup is a percentage or fixed amount a WhatsApp vendor adds on top of Meta's per-message charges. Why BSPs charge it, how to spot it, and why Tech Providers do not.
A WhatsApp message template is a Meta-approved message format required to start a conversation or message outside the 24-hour window. Categories, variables, approval and cost.
A WhatsApp messaging limit is the number of unique customers a business can start marketing conversations with in a rolling 24 hours. Tiers, what raises them and how to check.
WhatsApp messaging tiers are the steps of the messaging limit: 250 unverified, then 1,000, 10,000, 100,000 and unlimited unique marketing recipients per day.
The Meta Business Portfolio owns your Pages, ad accounts and WABAs, and since October 2025 the shared marketing messaging limit. What it controls and why.
Meta business verification proves your portfolio is a real registered business and lifts the 250 recipient cap. Documents, timelines and rejections.
A Meta catalog is the product inventory in Commerce Manager that powers WhatsApp product messages, the WhatsApp Business profile shop and Facebook and Instagram shops.
The Conversions API sends events such as leads and purchases from your CRM to Meta so Ads Manager can attribute and optimise click-to-WhatsApp ads.
A Meta Tech Provider connects businesses to the WhatsApp Cloud API without owning the account; Meta bills messages directly. What it means for you.
Monthly active contacts is a pricing unit some WhatsApp vendors use: the number of unique contacts messaged in a month.
An Official Business Account is a WhatsApp API number with Meta's green tick. What it signals, what it does not change, and how to apply.
WhatsApp opt-in is the customer's prior consent to receive business-initiated messages, required by Meta before any template send.
WhatsApp opt-out is the customer withdrawing consent, usually by replying STOP or tapping an unsubscribe button.
Pacing is the rate at which a sending tool releases messages to Meta, ramped to protect the number's quality and stay under throughput limits.
A payment link in chat is a hosted checkout URL sent in a WhatsApp message through your own Stripe or Cashfree account, recording the paid amount on the conversation.
Since July 2025 Meta bills WhatsApp templates per delivered message by category instead of per 24-hour conversation. India rates, what is free, and how to estimate cost.
A permanent access token is a Meta system user token that never expires on a timer, used for production messaging. How it is issued and revoked.
A Phone Number ID is Meta's stable identifier for each API number; sends, webhooks and quality readings key on it. Where to find it and why it matters.
The phone number quality rating is Meta's green, yellow or red score for a WhatsApp Business number based on blocks, reports and feedback in the last week.
PII is any data that identifies a person: name, phone number, email, address, IDs, and in context a WhatsApp conversation.
A platform fee is the software subscription you pay a WhatsApp CRM vendor, separate from Meta's per-message charges. What it should and should not include.
The portfolio-level messaging limit, introduced by Meta in October 2025, pools the marketing messaging limit across every WhatsApp number in one Business Portfolio.
A product message is an interactive WhatsApp message that shows one or up to 30 items from your Meta catalog with prices and an add-to-cart flow. Requirements and uses.
A quick reply is a saved, reusable message an agent inserts into the composer with a shortcut, with variables for the contact's name and details.
A quick reply button is a tappable button on a WhatsApp template or interactive message that sends a predefined text back to the business. Limits, uses and how flows read it.
Quiet hours are a sending rule that holds marketing broadcasts and automated messages during night-time in the recipient's time zone. Why they cut blocks and how to set them.
Read rate is the share of delivered WhatsApp messages the recipient opened, as reported by read receipts. Why it is understated, benchmarks and how to use it.
A reply button message is an interactive WhatsApp message with up to three tappable buttons that send a predefined reply with a hidden ID. Uses, limits and routing.
Reply rate is the share of delivered WhatsApp messages that got a reply or button tap. Why it is the metric that matters for cost, quality and follow-up.
A reply suggestion is an AI-drafted answer shown to an agent inside the composer, grounded in the knowledge base and the thread, to edit or send.
A retargeting cohort is a follow-up audience built from a broadcast's results: read but did not reply, clicked but did not buy, did not receive.
Revenue attribution ties money to the WhatsApp conversation, campaign, flow or ad that produced it, using payments, orders and won deals.
Role-based access control assigns permissions by role (owner, admin, agent, custom) so people see and do only what their job needs.
Send-time optimisation delivers each contact's broadcast at the hour they usually read and reply, based on their history, within your allowed window.
A service conversation is the free 24-hour window that opens when a customer messages you on WhatsApp.
A session message is any non-template WhatsApp message sent inside the 24-hour customer service window: text, media, interactive messages. Free, unlimited, and window-bound.
A shared WhatsApp inbox lets a whole team answer one business number from their own logins, with assignment, notes, tags and history.
An SLA is a target for how fast a conversation gets its first reply or resolution, with timers and alerts when it is about to breach.
A spam report is a WhatsApp user reporting a business's message to Meta as spam, usually while blocking. Its effect on quality ratings, restrictions and error 131048.
A suppressed recipient is a contact excluded from a broadcast before sending: opted out, blocked you, not on WhatsApp, invalid number, US marketing pause, or recently.
A system user access token is a long-lived Meta credential issued to a non-human account, the standard way software authenticates to the Cloud API.
A tag is a label applied to contacts or conversations (VIP, hot lead, batch-2026, complaint) for filtering, segmenting and automation. Tags versus stages and fields.
Template category is Meta's classification of a message template as marketing, utility or authentication. It sets the per-message price and which rules apply.
A template header is the optional top section of a WhatsApp template: short text, an image, video, document or location. Rules on size, variables and approval.
Template pacing is Meta's process of sending a new or edited marketing template to a small sample first and holding the rest until early engagement looks healthy.
A template pause is Meta disabling a marketing template for hours or days after poor engagement or a failed pacing sample. Durations, the escalation ladder and recovery.
A template quality rating is Meta's per-template score (high, medium, low) based on recipient blocks, reports and engagement over the last day.
Template recategorisation is Meta changing an approved template's category, usually utility to marketing, after reviewing its content or usage.
A template rejection is Meta declining a submitted WhatsApp template for policy, formatting or variable reasons. The common reasons and how to fix each.
A template variable is a numbered or named placeholder in a WhatsApp template ({{1}} or {{name}}) filled with a value at send time. Rules, limits and rejection causes.
Throughput is the maximum messages per second a WhatsApp Business number can send through the Cloud API: 80 by default, up to 1,000 on request.
Two-factor authentication adds a second proof of identity at login, such as an authenticator code, so a stolen password alone cannot open the account.
Since April 2025 Meta has paused all marketing template messages to United States (+1) WhatsApp numbers.
A utility template is a WhatsApp template for transactional messages about something the customer did: orders, appointments, reminders, alerts.
A wa.me link opens a WhatsApp chat with a number, optionally with a prefilled message, from any website, ad, email or QR code. Format, tracking and how to generate one.
A webhook is an HTTP callback that pushes events to a URL as they happen. How Meta delivers WhatsApp messages and how VGraple CRM sends events to you.
A webhook signature is an HMAC sent with each request so the receiver can prove the payload is authentic and unmodified. How to verify it.
A WABA is the Meta container holding your API phone numbers, templates, limits and quality ratings. What it controls and how VGraple CRM connects to it.
A WhatsApp Channel is a one-way public broadcast feed inside WhatsApp, like a news feed, separate from chats.
The WhatsApp Cloud API is Meta's hosted WhatsApp Business Platform: no hosting fee, per-message pricing, and the features Meta ships first. How it works.
A WhatsApp Community groups several WhatsApp groups under one umbrella with an announcement group, run from the app.
WhatsApp Flows are native in-chat forms and multi-screen experiences built with Meta's Flow JSON, opened from a button. What they can collect and how VGraple CRM builds them.
The WhatsApp Groups API lets eligible Business API accounts create and manage small groups programmatically.
The self-hosted WhatsApp On-Premises API was retired by Meta in October 2025. What it was, why markups came from it, and what replaced it.
A WhatsApp QR code encodes a wa.me link so customers can scan a poster, bill or packaging to open a chat with a prefilled message.
A WhatsApp username is a unique handle (like @asterbeauty) that lets people chat with a business without knowing its phone number. Availability, rules and how to claim one.
Free forever plan, official Meta WhatsApp Business API, set up in 15 minutes. No card needed.