WhatsApp allows businesses to claim unique handles (@username) to identify their business across the platform. This guide explains how business usernames work, the rules governing them, and their benefits.
What is a WhatsApp Business Username?
A WhatsApp Business Username is a unique identifier (e.g., @yourbrand) assigned to a specific WhatsApp phone number. It serves as an easy way for customers to discover and connect with your business across the Meta ecosystem without needing to search for or dial a phone number. It's similar to an Instagram handle.
Detailed Rules & Requirements
According to Meta's documentation, business usernames must adhere to strict platform guidelines:
1. Formatting & Technical Rules
Length: Must be between 3 and 35 characters long.
Allowed Characters: Only English lowercase letters (a-z), numbers (0-9), periods (.), and underscores (_). Non-English characters, special symbols, and emojis are not allowed.
Letter Requirement: Must contain at least one English letter (a-z).
Period Constraints: Cannot start or end with a period (.), and cannot contain two consecutive periods (..).
Web Syntax Constraints: Cannot start with www. and cannot end with domain extensions (e.g., .com, .org, .net).
Case Sensitivity: Usernames are case-insensitive (mybrand and MyBrand are identical), but periods and underscores create distinct handles (mybrand, my.brand, and my_brand are three different handles).
2. Assignment & Privacy Rules
1 Username Per Number: A username is mapped to a single WhatsApp phone number. Businesses managing multiple phone numbers must assign a distinct username to each number.
No Phone Number Hiding for Businesses: Setting a business username will not hide your business phone number on your WhatsApp profile. Phone numbers remain visible on business profile pages for transparency.
Note: For consumer users who adopt a username, their username displays in the app instead of their phone number.
3. Claiming Reserved Usernames
Reserved Claims: Businesses can claim pre-reserved usernames that match their brand in WhatsApp Manager or Meta Business Suite.
Linked Asset Requirement: If your desired username is currently used by your official Facebook Page or Instagram profile, Meta requires you to link your business phone number to that Facebook Page or Instagram account before claiming the handle.
To be eligible to reserve a WhatsApp username, your business portfolio that owns the WhatsApp Business Account(WABA) and business phone number must have a higher messaging limit of at least at least 2,000 messages per day.
Business Benefits
Benefit | Description |
Simpler Discovery | Customers can search for your business handle directly in WhatsApp rather than needing to save or type out a full phone number. |
Unified Cross-Platform Identity | Align your WhatsApp presence with your established Instagram handle or Facebook Page name for consistent branding. |
Better Marketing Conversion | Business usernames can be shared easily in print media, QR codes, social bios, and direct links (wa.me/yourusername), reducing drop-offs. |
Increased Identity Trust | When messaging customers, your verified handle displays prominently in their chat thread, reinforcing brand legitimacy. |
How to reserve your Business User Name via BusinessChat?
As aWhatsApp API user, you can reserve your Business User Name through your Facebook Business Manager / WhatsApp Manager or directly through BusinessChat. to reserve your user name, follow these steps:
From your BusinessChat main dashboard, click on your profile avatar, then choose Settings
Click on WhatsApp Numbers
From the Banner, click on Reserve Username
Type your preferred username or choose from the suggested list based on your brand name and click Reserve.
When the username is approved, you will see the name status changing to Green in the Numbers' table from your BusinessChat WhatsApp Numbers page
Link your Facebook / Instagram pages
If you select the same Facebook or instagram handle as your WhatsApp Business User Name, you might be prompted to link those pages, if they weren't linked already.
To do so, follow these steps:
Go to Facebook Business Manager and navigate to WhatsApp Manager.
Click on the Phone Number.
Click on Profile.
Find the Facebook Page or Instagram Page section
Select your official Facebook Page from the dropdown list and click Connect.
Since both assets belong to your Meta Business Portfolio, Meta will verify and establish the link automatically without requiring an SMS verification code. If under a different Meta Manager: An authorization request will be sent to your Meta Business Manager under Requests, which you must approve.
Note: we have reflected usernames reserved via the WhatsApp manager, so there is no risk to businesses that have already reserved their names or want to do it via the WhatsApp manager.