WhatsApp Coexistence
Coexistence lets you connect a number to the official WhatsApp Cloud API while it keeps running on the WhatsApp Business app on the phone. The owner keeps chatting from their phone as usual, and WaDesk gets API powers (team inbox, automation, bulk sending, analytics) on the same number — without losing chat history or the mobile app.
When to use it. Choose Coexistence for a small business that already lives in the WhatsApp Business app and does not want to give that up. For a number that is brand-new to the API, use the normal Cloud API onboarding on Connecting a Channel instead.
Requirements
- The number must currently be active on the WhatsApp Business app (not already registered on the Cloud API). A number already on the API cannot be onboarded with Coexistence.
- Your platform admin must have configured the Meta / WhatsApp Cloud API connection (App ID, Embedded Signup configuration) under Admin → Settings, and your Meta app must be approved for the WhatsApp Business app onboarding feature.
- The workspace must be on a plan that allows the Cloud API engine.
How to enable it (admin)
- Go to Admin → Settings and turn on WhatsApp Coexistence. This makes the Embedded Signup button on the Devices screen launch in coexistence mode.
- Confirm your Cloud API App ID and Embedded Signup configuration are filled in on the same settings screen.
Once enabled, every workspace owner connecting a Cloud API number will be offered the coexistence onboarding flow.
How a user connects a number
- On the Devices screen, start the WhatsApp Cloud API sign-up. The Meta pop-up opens in WhatsApp Business app onboarding mode.
- Sign in with the Facebook/Meta account that owns the business, select the number that is running on the Business app, and approve the permissions.
- WaDesk receives the result from Meta and finishes the connection automatically: it subscribes the webhook and links the number — but it deliberately does not "register" the number on the Cloud API, because registering would remove it from the WhatsApp Business app and break coexistence.
- The device appears as connected, flagged as a coexistence number.
What gets synced from the phone
Because the number is live on both the app and the API, Meta mirrors the app side into WaDesk through three coexistence feeds, so your team inbox stays complete:
| Feed | What it brings in |
|---|---|
| Message echoes | Messages the business owner sends from the phone app after onboarding appear in the Team Inbox, so agents see the full thread. |
| Contact sync | The business's existing and new contacts from the app are synced into WaDesk. |
| History | Past chat history from before onboarding is imported once, after the number is connected. |
Heads-up on history. History import is delivered by Meta shortly after onboarding and can take some time to fully arrive — older messages may appear gradually.
Good to know
- The owner can keep using the phone app normally — WaDesk and the app work the same number side by side.
- Standard WhatsApp Cloud API rules still apply (messaging limits, template requirements for business-initiated messages). See WhatsApp & Ban Safety.
- Coexistence eligibility and availability are controlled by Meta and can vary by region and account.