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WhatsApp Coexistence vs. full API

There are two ways to connect a WhatsApp number to SendSeven:

  • Full API: the number runs on the WhatsApp Cloud API only. The WhatsApp Business app on the phone no longer works with this number, and your team works in SendSeven.
  • Coexistence: the number stays in the WhatsApp Business app on your phone and is connected to the Cloud API at the same time. Messages from the phone show up in SendSeven, and messages from SendSeven show up on the phone.

If your number already runs on the Cloud API with another provider, see Number already runs with another provider.

This guide explains how Coexistence works, where it differs from the full API and how to pick the right setup.

Naming

"Full API" describes how the number is connected. It has nothing to do with the "API Only" plan on the pricing page.

Prefer a video? Watch the "difference" explainer on WhatsApp, WhatsApp Business, the WhatsApp Business API and Coexistence.

WhatsApp, WhatsApp Business, the API and Coexistence explained

The video loads from YouTube (privacy-enhanced mode) only when you click play.

Quick recommendation
  • Pick Coexistence if your number is in the WhatsApp Business app today and you want to keep the app, for example because staff answer on the phone or because you use the catalog, status or calls in the app. SendSeven adds the shared team inbox, templates, campaigns and automation on top.
  • Pick the full API if nobody needs the app anymore, if you send large campaigns (Coexistence is capped at 20 messages per second), or if you want WhatsApp calls in SendSeven or dynamic WhatsApp Flows.

How Coexistence works​

Coexistence links one WhatsApp Business number to both:

  1. The WhatsApp Business app on your phone and its companion devices, and
  2. The WhatsApp Cloud API, which SendSeven uses.

Messages sent from the app are mirrored into the SendSeven inbox. Messages sent from SendSeven appear in the app. Your whole team sees every conversation in SendSeven, and all plans include unlimited users.

        Customer's WhatsApp
                |
                v
       WhatsApp Business Platform
                |
       +--------+---------+
       |                  |
       v                  v
WhatsApp Business app   Cloud API (SendSeven)
   (your phone)         (team inbox, automation, campaigns)
       |                  |
       +--------+---------+
                |
        Shared chat history
        (mirrored both ways)

Companion devices. The WhatsApp Business app can link up to four companion devices next to the primary phone. The connection to SendSeven does not use one of these slots. When you connect, WhatsApp logs out all companion devices once, and you link them again afterwards. WhatsApp for Windows and WhatsApp for Wear OS are not supported as companion devices while Coexistence is active.

Where you see the connection. In the WhatsApp Business app, the connection appears under Settings > Account > Business Platform, not under Linked devices. In SendSeven, the channel shows a Coexistence label under Settings > Connected Channels.

What syncs​

ItemIn SendSeven?Notes
Incoming messages (text and media)YesVisible in the app and in the SendSeven inbox
Messages you send from the appYesMirrored into the SendSeven inbox
Messages you send from SendSevenYesVisible in the app
Edited messagesYesEdits made in the app or by the customer update the message in SendSeven
Delete for everyoneNoA message deleted in the app or by the customer stays visible in SendSeven
Interactive messages (buttons, lists)YesSent from SendSeven
Chat history from before the connectionOptionalOne-time import of up to 180 days at setup, sent and received messages. Media only from the last 14 days
ContactsYesImported with name and number
TemplatesFrom SendSeven onlyThe app cannot send Meta-approved templates
CampaignsFrom SendSevenBroadcast lists in the app become read-only, and you cannot create new ones
WhatsApp FlowsStatic flows onlyMeta does not support dynamic flows on Coexistence numbers
Group chatsNoGroups stay in the app and are not synced
Labels, quick replies, away messagesNoThey stay in the app. App labels do not become SendSeven tags
Catalog, orders, status, marketing messages from the appNoThey stay in the app
WhatsApp callsNoCalls stay in the app. WhatsApp calling in SendSeven (beta) works on full API numbers only
Disappearing messages, view once, live locationOffTurned off in one-to-one chats while Coexistence is active

Who can send what, and when​

The 24-hour customer service window applies only to messages sent through the API, so through SendSeven. Messages sent from the WhatsApp Business app are not subject to it. They stay free, and they do not open, extend or affect the window in SendSeven.

For messages from SendSeven, the usual rules apply:

  • Within 24 hours of the customer's last message, you can send any message.
  • Outside that window, you can only send a Meta-approved template.
  • A template does not open the window. The window opens again when the customer replies.

Practical consequences​

SituationFrom the appFrom SendSeven
Customer wrote one hour agoReply as usualReply with any message
Customer wrote three days agoReply as usualSend a template. Once the customer replies, you can write freely again
Customer has never written to youWrite as usualSend a marketing or utility template
Reaching many customers at onceBroadcast lists are read-onlySend a campaign with an approved template
Train your team

The rules depend on where a message is sent. In the app, your team writes as before. In SendSeven, WhatsApp rejects a free-form message outside the 24-hour window, so send a template instead. A reply from the app does not reopen the window in SendSeven. Only a message from the customer does.

  1. Answer where it suits you. Every message shows up in the app and in SendSeven.
  2. Use SendSeven for templates, campaigns and automation. The app cannot send templates, and its broadcast lists are read-only.
  3. Keep team work in SendSeven. Assignment, internal notes, tags, response times and AI suggestions exist only in SendSeven. Teams that rely on them usually answer in SendSeven and use the phone on the go.

Tradeoffs​

Coexistence: pros and cons​

Pros

  • Keep the app. Catalog, status, calls and labels stay on the phone as before.
  • Bring your history. You can import up to 180 days of chat history once at setup.
  • Full team inbox. The phone is mirrored in full, so the whole team works on every conversation in SendSeven, with unlimited users on every plan.
  • App messages stay free. Meta charges only for messages sent through the API.
  • Automation works. Bots, static flows, AI and campaigns run through SendSeven.

Cons

  • 20 messages per second. Meta caps Coexistence numbers at this rate. A full API number sends 80 per second, and up to 1,000 for high volume.
  • Use the phone regularly. Open the WhatsApp Business app on the primary phone at least every 13 days. After about 14 days without activity, Meta disconnects the number from the API, and you need to connect it again.
  • Some app features are off. Broadcast lists are read-only, and disappearing messages, view once and live location are turned off in one-to-one chats. Groups are not synced.
  • No calls or dynamic flows in SendSeven. Both need a full API number.
  • Two places to answer. Team features such as assignment and internal notes exist only in SendSeven.

Full API: pros and cons​

Pros

  • Higher throughput. 80 messages per second by default, and up to 1,000 for high volume.
  • No phone needed. The number runs entirely in Meta's cloud.
  • WhatsApp calls in SendSeven (beta, in the browser): answer incoming calls, and call customers who have allowed it. Dynamic WhatsApp Flows work too.
  • One place for everything. All conversations, contacts and history live in SendSeven.

Cons

  • No WhatsApp Business app for this number.
  • No history import. Chats from the app are not carried over, so the switch is a fresh start in SendSeven.
  • Every message runs through the API, so the 24-hour window and Meta's per-message prices apply to all of them.

Decision matrix​

QuestionCoexistenceFull API
How many agents?Any number, unlimited users in SendSevenAny number, unlimited users in SendSeven
Assignment, internal notes, tags, response times?Yes, in SendSevenYes
Bots, flows, AI?Yes, static flows onlyYes, including dynamic flows
Campaigns?Yes, from SendSevenYes
Keep the WhatsApp Business app?YesNo
Messages per second2080 by default, up to 1,000
WhatsApp calls in SendSeven?No, calls stay in the appYes (beta, in the browser)
Chat historyUp to 180 days, imported onceStarts fresh
Phone must be used regularly?Yes, at least every 13 daysNo
WhatsApp groups?Stay in the app, not syncedNot in SendSeven

Quick picker​

Your situationRecommendation
Solo or small team on the WhatsApp Business app that wants to keep the phoneCoexistence
Larger team that still needs the app, for example in a store or in the fieldCoexistence, with the team working in SendSeven
Large campaigns where 20 messages per second is too slowFull API
Nobody needs the app anymoreFull API
You want WhatsApp calls in SendSeven or dynamic flowsFull API
Number already runs on the Cloud API with another providerSee Number already runs with another provider

Number already runs with another provider​

Meta is changing how WhatsApp business accounts are structured. Until now, everything sat in one WhatsApp Business Account (WABA). In the new model, Meta splits it in two:

  • The WhatsApp account holds everything that belongs to the number: phone number, display name, profile, quality rating, catalogs and usernames. Every provider that works with the number shares it.
  • Each provider gets its own Messaging Account. It holds your templates, the payment method, the webhooks and the analytics. Existing WABAs become Messaging Accounts, and the WABA ID stays the Messaging Account ID.

Meta calls this "Account model evolution" and labels it a beta. It rolls out in phases:

PhaseTimeframeWhat happens
General availabilitySecond half of 2026Meta converts existing accounts automatically. There is nothing for you to do
New API versionFirst half of 2027New IDs and endpoints for the WhatsApp account
Mandatory transitionFirst half of 2028All API versions require the new model

What this means for you​

If your number runs on the Cloud API with another provider, you can connect it to SendSeven while your current provider is still running, so you can test first and switch when you are ready:

  1. Start the WhatsApp connection in SendSeven under Settings > Connected Channels > Connect WhatsApp. When asked how you use WhatsApp today, choose Through another provider or API.
  2. In Meta's signup window, select your business portfolio and the number that already runs with your current provider. Meta creates a new Messaging Account for SendSeven.
  3. In Meta Business Suite, add a payment method to the new Messaging Account under the Messaging accounts tab. Without one, SendSeven cannot send paid messages through that account.
  4. Create your templates again in SendSeven and submit them for review. Templates belong to a Messaging Account, so they do not move over on their own. Each template's rating starts fresh, while your number's quality rating stays.
  5. Send your first messages, check delivery and replies, and move your workflows over step by step. Once everything runs, end your current contract.

Keep these points in mind while both providers are connected:

  • Throughput and the messaging limit belong to the number. A large campaign with one provider uses up headroom for the other.
  • Each provider bills through its own Messaging Account. Meta charges a message to the Messaging Account of the provider that sent it. Your SendSeven plan is billed separately.
  • Any connected provider can deregister the number, and that affects every provider. When you end the old contract, remove the old provider's access yourself in Business Suite, or get confirmation that it will not deregister the number.
  • Only one provider handles each incoming conversation. Meta's Conversation Routing decides which one, and a provider that was there first stays primary when you add SendSeven. Set SendSeven as the primary in Meta Business Suite before you expect messages in SendSeven (see Troubleshooting WhatsApp connections).

The classic migration is still available: turn off two-step verification with your current provider, then connect the number in SendSeven.

Coexistence numbers. If your number is in the WhatsApp Business app, connect it with Coexistence instead. Meta converts its account into a backward-compatible Messaging Account with the same ID, and nothing changes in how you use it.

Not sure which path fits your setup? Talk to us.

Switching later​

From Coexistence to the full API​

  1. Make sure all open conversations are handled.
  2. In the WhatsApp Business app, delete the WhatsApp account for this number in the app's settings, then wait a few minutes.
  3. In SendSeven, go to Settings > Connected Channels > Connect WhatsApp. When asked how you use WhatsApp today, choose Not for business yet. You confirm the number with a code by SMS or voice call.

Chats from the app are not imported again. Talk to us before you switch a number with live traffic.

From the full API back to the app​

This is self-service and needs no approval from Meta. Remove the number from your WhatsApp account at Meta, wait for Meta's waiting period to end, then register the number in the WhatsApp Business app again. From there, you can connect it to SendSeven with Coexistence. Conversations that lived in SendSeven do not come along to the app.

Ending Coexistence​

In the WhatsApp Business app, go to Settings > Account > Business Platform and disconnect. The number then runs on the phone alone.

Pricing​

Meta charges per message, not per conversation, since July 1, 2025. With Coexistence, messages from the WhatsApp Business app stay free. Messages sent through SendSeven are billed like on any API number: Meta charges per delivered template by category, including utility templates sent inside the 24-hour window. Free-form replies inside the 24-hour window are free up to 1,000 per number per month; from the 1,001st, Meta charges them at the utility rate for the recipient's country. Meta's fees and your SendSeven plan are separate. See the pricing page for SendSeven's plans.

Setting up Coexistence​

  1. Update the WhatsApp Business app on your primary phone to version 2.24.17 or later.
  2. Log in to SendSeven, go to Settings > Connected Channels and click Connect WhatsApp.
  3. Answer the setup questions. When asked how you use WhatsApp today, choose With the WhatsApp Business app. When asked whether you want to keep using WhatsApp on the phone, choose Yes, keep the app on the phone.
  4. Click Connect with Coexistence and complete Meta's signup in the window that opens. If you click Skip — compare both options myself instead, pick Coexistence, tick I have the WhatsApp Business app installed and active on the phone for this number. and click Connect.
  5. Confirm the connection in the WhatsApp Business app with the code or QR code shown there.
  6. Choose whether to share your chat history. If you do, up to 180 days are imported once.
  7. Link your companion devices again, because WhatsApp logs them out once when you connect.

If your number currently runs on the full API and you want Coexistence, first move it back to the app as described under From the full API back to the app, then connect it with Coexistence.

FAQ​

Can agents answer from both the WhatsApp Business app and SendSeven? Yes. Every message shows up in both places. Messages from the app are not bound by the 24-hour window. Messages from SendSeven are, so outside the window SendSeven can only send templates. If you rely on assignment, internal notes or tags, answer in SendSeven, because those features exist only there.

Will customers notice anything? No. For the customer, it is a normal conversation with your number.

What happens if nobody uses the phone? Open the WhatsApp Business app on the primary phone at least every 13 days. After about 14 days without activity, Meta disconnects the number from the API, and you need to connect it again.

How many messages can I send per second? 20 on a Coexistence number. A full API number sends 80 per second by default, and up to 1,000 for high volume.

Do templates still need Meta approval with Coexistence? Yes. Template approval works exactly as on any API number. See Understanding Templates.

Can I send templates from the app? No. Templates can only be sent through the API. The app's quick replies are saved texts, not Meta-approved templates.

Are group chats supported? Groups stay in the WhatsApp Business app and are not synced to SendSeven. SendSeven has no group chat. Meta offers a Groups API for full API numbers with an Official Business Account, but not for numbers in the WhatsApp Business app.

Why does a message show up in the app but not in SendSeven? Meta reports error 131060 in two cases. A customer writes to you for the first time, often right after tapping a Click-to-WhatsApp ad, and the message usually arrives within a few seconds. Or the customer uses an unsupported companion device, such as WhatsApp for Windows or Wear OS. In that case, read and answer the message in the app.

My number already runs on the Cloud API with another provider. What now? See Number already runs with another provider.

Does Coexistence work with several WhatsApp channels in SendSeven? Yes. Each WhatsApp channel is connected independently, with Coexistence or the full API.

Next steps​