What you need before connecting
When you use Add number in Settings > Data Sources, the assistant opens Meta's own window. To get through it you need:
- A Meta account with admin access to the business that owns (or will own) the number. If you sign in with an account that only has partial access, Meta won't let you finish.
- The number free of conflicts: it can't already be registered on the WhatsApp API under a business you don't control, and if it's an app number, the WhatsApp Business app must be a recent version.
- Depending on your case, Meta may ask you to verify your business before it lets some steps through. That verification happens on Meta's side, not in MB Suite.
"The number is associated with another business"
This is the most common block, and it comes from Meta. The number already has a WhatsApp Business account linked to a business (or a Facebook page) that isn't the one you're connecting from. Two typical cases:
- It's linked to a Facebook page. Unlink it from the WhatsApp Business app (Settings > Business tools) or from the page itself, then try connecting again.
- It's already on the API with another provider (ManyChat, another CRM, another BSP). In that case don't use the "new number" path — use the option "This number already sends through the WhatsApp API", which is the only one that shows numbers linked to another platform. Connecting it in MB Suite doesn't disconnect it from the other one.
Meta asks me to verify my business
Meta asks some businesses to confirm they're a real, legitimate business before unlocking parts of the WhatsApp platform. It's a step you complete on Meta's side, inside your business account, and it can take a little while for Meta to review. Until it's done, some actions stay limited — that's Meta's process, not a fault in MB Suite. Once Meta approves your business, connect the number again from Settings > Data Sources.
It says I already have a WhatsApp connection
If your organization already connected a WhatsApp number, MB Suite shows the notice "You already have an active WhatsApp connection" before opening Meta's window. Adding another number renews the whole organization's authorization, so sign in with the same Meta account you used the first time. If you authorize with a different account, the numbers you already connected can lose access.
The number is new and I don't get the verification code
When you add a brand-new number, Meta verifies it by sending a code via SMS or a phone call. You need to be able to receive that SMS or call on the number you're adding. If nothing arrives, check that the number is active and can receive messages, and try the phone-call option instead of SMS.
Still have questions?
Ask MIA, the MB Suite AI assistant: open it with the MB AI button (⌘J) in the top bar. MIA knows the section you're in, so you can ask it about what you see on screen — and it can also answer how-to questions about using MB Suite.