The WhatsApp API, translated
19 terms explained in plain English with Arabic equivalents — from the 24-hour window to Click-to-WhatsApp attribution.
WhatsApp Business API
The WhatsApp Business API (Cloud API) is Meta's official interface that lets companies send and receive WhatsApp messages programmatically — powering team inboxes, chatbots and broadcast campaigns.
Cloud API
The Cloud API is Meta's hosted version of the WhatsApp Business API — Meta runs the infrastructure, so no on-premise servers are needed.
WABA (WhatsApp Business Account)
A WABA is the WhatsApp Business Account inside Meta Business Manager that owns your phone numbers, message templates and messaging limits.
Template message
A template message is a pre-approved message format required to start WhatsApp conversations outside the 24-hour customer service window.
24-hour window
The 24-hour window is the period after a customer's last message during which a business can reply freely with any content — and those replies are free of Meta per-message fees.
Session (service) message
A session message is any free-form reply sent inside the 24-hour window — text, media, buttons or forms, with no template approval needed and no Meta fee.
Message categories (marketing / utility / authentication)
Meta prices business-initiated WhatsApp messages by category: marketing (promotions) costs the most, utility (order updates, reminders) much less, and authentication (OTPs) sits in between.
WhatsApp API pricing
WhatsApp API costs = Meta's per-message fees (by category and destination country) + your platform's subscription; replies inside the 24-hour window are free.
Opt-in
Opt-in is the customer's explicit permission to receive WhatsApp messages from your business — required by Meta policy and by GCC regulators before promotional broadcasts.
Broadcast (bulk messaging)
A WhatsApp broadcast sends an approved template message to many opted-in contacts at once — each recipient receives it as a normal 1:1 chat.
Quality rating
Quality rating is Meta's health score for your phone number, driven by user blocks and reports — low quality reduces your messaging limits.
Messaging limits (tiers)
Messaging limits cap how many unique customers a number can start conversations with per 24 hours — starting around 1K and scaling to 10K, 100K and unlimited as quality stays healthy.
Click-to-WhatsApp ads (CTWA)
Click-to-WhatsApp ads are Instagram/Facebook ads whose button opens a WhatsApp chat with your business instead of a website — the dominant lead format in the GCC.
WhatsApp ad attribution
WhatsApp ad attribution ties conversations and revenue back to the specific ad that started them, using the referral data Meta sends with CTWA-originated messages.
WhatsApp Flows (native forms)
WhatsApp Flows are native, multi-step forms that open inside the chat — text fields, choices, date pickers and opt-ins — with no external links.
WhatsApp chatbot
A WhatsApp chatbot answers customers automatically — from simple keyword replies and button-driven flows to AI agents that converse naturally in Arabic and English.
Embedded signup
Embedded signup is Meta's in-platform onboarding that connects a business's WhatsApp number to a platform in minutes — no manual API setup.
BSP (Business Solution Provider)
A BSP is a Meta-authorized company that provides businesses access to the WhatsApp Business API, often bundled with platform software.
Green tick (Meta verified / official business account)
The green tick marks an Official Business Account on WhatsApp — your brand name shows even to users who haven't saved your number.