The WhatsApp Business Platform
Boldally Chat sits on Meta's official WhatsApp Business Platform (the Cloud API). Understanding Meta's model explains most of the behaviour you will hit.
Who can do this
- Developer
- Owner
- Admin
The object model
| Object | Belongs to | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Meta Business portfolio | You | Your business identity at Meta. Holds verification status and the payment method. |
| WhatsApp Business Account (WABA) | You | Holds phone numbers, message templates and the messaging limit. |
| Phone number | You, inside the WABA | Registered on WhatsApp. Has its own display name, profile and quality rating. |
| Tech provider | Boldally | We hold delegated access to your WABA so the inbox can send and receive. |
Because the WABA is yours:
- Meta bills you directly for template messages. Boldally does not resell messages and adds no markup.
- Disconnecting Boldally Chat does not release your numbers.
- You can also act on the WABA yourself in Meta Business Manager and WhatsApp Manager.
Connection is done through Meta's embedded sign-in flow. No token is ever pasted into Boldally Chat.
Message categories
Every outbound message is one of these to Meta.
| Category | When | Charged |
|---|---|---|
| Service | A free-form message sent inside the 24-hour service window | Not charged as a template |
| Utility template | Transactional: order, shipping, appointment, refund | Yes, at Meta's utility rate |
| Marketing template | Promotional, or anything not tied to a transaction | Yes, at Meta's marketing rate |
| Authentication template | One-time passcodes | Yes, at Meta's authentication rate |
Meta publishes its own rates by country and updates them periodically. Because they change and are billed by Meta rather than by us, this site does not quote figures; check Meta's current pricing.
The 24-hour service window
An inbound message from a customer opens a 24-hour window during which you can send free-form content. Outside it, only approved templates.
- Only the customer's messages reset the clock. Yours do not.
- A tap on a quick-reply button counts as an inbound message and reopens the window.
- The window is per conversation.
See the 24-hour service window for the operational view.
Templates
A template is registered with Meta and reviewed before use. It has:
- A name, lowercase with underscores.
- A category: marketing, utility or authentication.
- A language. A template exists per language.
- Components: optional header (text, image, video or document), a body, optional footer, and optional buttons.
- Placeholders
{{1}},{{2}}in the header text and body, each with a sample value used during review.
Buttons are either up to three quick replies, or up to two call to action buttons (URL or phone number). The two kinds cannot be mixed.
Approved templates cannot be edited. Versioning by duplication
(order_confirmation_v2) is the normal working pattern.
Messaging limits
Meta caps how many unique customers you can start a conversation with per rolling 24 hours. The tiers Boldally Chat displays:
50 / 24h · 250 / 24h · 1,000 / 24h · 2,000 / 24h · 10,000 / 24h ·
100,000 / 24h · Unlimited
Meta raises the tier on its own as you keep sending and your quality holds. Business verification lifts the ceiling. It is not requestable from Boldally Chat.
Your current tier is on SettingsWhatsApp.
Quality rating
Per phone number, set by Meta from recipient behaviour: blocks, reports and negative feedback. Shown as green, yellow or red.
A falling rating leads to a reduced messaging limit and, if it keeps falling, restrictions. The levers are entirely on your side: send what people expect, honour opt-outs, and keep marketing relevant.
Business verification and payment method
Two independent things, both handled at Meta, both visible on SettingsWhatsApp:
- Business verification. Until verified, your messaging limit stays at the unverified tier.
- Payment method. Without a card on the WhatsApp Business Account, sends fail once you pass Meta's free allowance.
Boldally Chat reads both from Meta and shows them; it cannot set either.
Error codes you may see
Errors are surfaced from Meta on the failed message. Two common ones:
| Code | Meaning | Fix |
|---|---|---|
#133005 | Two-step verification is on for the number, so registration fails | Turn it off in WhatsApp Manager → Account tools → Phone numbers, then Sync from Meta |
| Re-engagement errors | A free-form message was sent outside the 24-hour window | Send a template instead |
Meta's full error reference lives in its own developer documentation.
Related
- Template variables
- Placeholders, samples and send-time parameters.
- WhatsApp connection
- The operational view of all of the above.