Table of Contents

Meta processes guide: Meta Business Verification, Official Business Account (OBA) requests, Appeals

Desirée M Updated by Desirée M

This guide covers the three main Meta processes you might need to navigate when setting up and managing your WhatsApp Business account on Landbot: Business Verification, Official Business Account (OBA) requests, and Appeals.

⚠️ Heads up: Meta Business Verification is a free process that confirms your business is legitimate. Don't confuse it with Meta Verified for Business, which is a separate paid subscription.

✅ Business Verification

Business Verification helps Meta confirm your account belongs to a real business. You'll want to complete it for three main reasons:

• To add more than 2 phone numbers to your WhatsApp Business Account

• To increase your business-initiated conversation limits

• To be eligible to request an Official Business Account (OBA ☑️)

You need full admin access to your Meta Business Portfolio (previously called Facebook Business Manager) before you start.

How to verify:

1️⃣ Go to the Security Centre in your Meta Business Portfolio.

2️⃣ Click Start verification. You might also see this prompt in Meta Ads Manager, Commerce Manager, or the App Developer Dashboard.

3️⃣ Enter your business details: legal business name, address, phone number, and website. Make sure everything matches your legal business entity exactly, and that your website loads and is HTTPS compliant.

4️⃣ Select your business from the list, or choose None of these match and upload supporting documents like a business license or articles of incorporation.

5️⃣ Choose how you want to receive your verification code - via SMS, phone call, or email. The phone call option isn't available in all countries. If you don't receive the code, you can request another one.

6️⃣ Enter the verification code and click Submit.

Meta can take anywhere from 10 minutes to 14 working days to review your submission. You'll get a notification when the decision is made.

If verification fails - Troubleshooting

Check your status in the Security Centre. There are two common reasons for failure:

Meta needs more info – Your documents might be in an unsupported language, aren't viewable, are expired, or the details don't match what you entered (business name, address, phone number, etc.).

Submission was rejected – This usually happens when the submission doesn't meet Meta's verification requirements. This includes submitting false or misleading information, trying to claim a business you don't own, attempting to bypass Meta's review system, or having a website that doesn't load or isn't HTTPS compliant.

If your verification was rejected, you may be eligible to appeal. Visit the Security Centre to check the status of your submission and see your options.

🔵 Official Business Account

An OBA gives your WhatsApp number a blue checkmark badge, which tells users they're talking to a verified, notable business. The business name is always visible in chats, even if the user hasn't saved your number.

💡 Tip: OBA status is granted at the phone number and display name level. If you change your display name after receiving OBA status, Meta will need to reassess it. OBA decisions cannot be appealed. If your request is rejected, you can resubmit after 30 days.

Prerequisites

Before you apply, make sure all of these are in place:

✅ Your Meta Business Portfolio is verified.

✅ Your display name has been approved.

✅ Two-step verification (2FA) is enabled on the phone number you want to apply for.

✅ Your phone number has been on the WhatsApp Business Platform for at least 30 days.

✅ The phone number is already using the display name you want on the OBA. You can change it before applying if needed.

How to request an OBA

1️⃣ Go to WhatsApp Manager in your Meta Business Portfolio.

2️⃣ Click on the phone number you want to apply for.

3️⃣ Go to Settings ⚙️, then select Profile in the left menu.

4️⃣ Under Official Business Account, click Submit Request.

5️⃣ Fill out the form with your business website, reason for the request, and up to 5 supporting links from reputable news publications that demonstrate your brand is notable.

6️⃣ Click Submit.

You'll receive a notification once Meta finishes reviewing your request.

💡 Tip for sub-brands: Previous OBA approvals don't guarantee approval for other numbers on the same account. If your parent brand is notable, try updating your child brand display names to the format: {{sub-brand name}} by {{notable name}}.

What counts as "notable"?

Meta defines notability as having a substantial presence in online news articles from publications with large audiences. Paid content, promotional material, and app listings don't count. The more genuine media coverage your brand has, the stronger your application.

⚠️ Appeals

Meta may restrict or offboard phone numbers that repeatedly violate the WhatsApp Business Messaging Policy, the Meta Commerce Policy, or the WhatsApp Business Terms of Service.

Understanding your quality rating

You can check your phone number's quality rating in WhatsApp Manager under the Phone Numbers tab. The rating levels are:

🟢 Green – High quality.

🟡 Yellow – Medium quality.

🔴 Red – Low quality.

How enforcement escalates

If your account violates policies, restrictions increase with each repeat offense:

⚠️ Warning – You'll receive details about which policy was violated.

⏳ 1 or 3-day block – You can't send business-initiated messages or add new phone numbers.

⏳ 5 or 7-day block – All conversations are restricted, including customer-initiated ones, and you still can't add phone numbers.

🔒 Account lock – All messaging stops until you successfully appeal.

🚫 Permanent disable – If issues persist after multiple warnings. Severe violations like child exploitation or illegal activity can trigger this immediately.

⚠️ Warning: If your WhatsApp Business Account is banned, all phone numbers on that account are automatically deactivated. There is no formal secondary appeal - you get one review.
How to appeal

All violations can be appealed within 90 days of receiving the notification.

1️⃣ Go to your Meta Business Portfolio and navigate to More → Account Quality → Facebook Business Accounts.

2️⃣ In the WhatsApp Accounts section, click on the account that shows Account Issues.

3️⃣ Click See Details to review the violation, then click Request Review.

4️⃣ Enter your supporting details — explain why the restriction is incorrect and include any relevant evidence (e.g., proof of user opt-ins, template approvals, corrective steps you've taken).

5️⃣ Click Submit. Your request moves to the In Review tab.

The decision will come back via Business Manager, usually within 24 to 48 hours. The outcome will be either Unchanged (the violation stays) or Reversed (the restriction is lifted).

💡 Tip: You can also appeal rejected Message Templates from the same Account Quality page. Just click on Rejected Message Templates, choose the template, click Request Review, and submit your reason.

Was this article helpful?

WhatsApp’s Messaging Policy: New Accepted Industry verticals

Additional Number integration: Limitations and Requirements (Number integration)

Contact