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Synchronize WhatsApp templates using a Business Management token

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Muhsin

Muhsin

Last updated on Jul 29, 2026

If Chatwoot cannot retrieve the latest message templates from your WhatsApp Business Account, you can provide a Meta Business Management token for the affected inbox.

This feature is available only on Chatwoot Cloud for WhatsApp inboxes created through Embedded Signup, including WhatsApp Business App Coexistence inboxes. It is not available for manually configured WhatsApp inboxes.

Why does Chatwoot need this token?

Chatwoot normally uses the credential created during WhatsApp onboarding to synchronize message templates. In some cases, that credential may still allow inbound and outbound messages while no longer having permission to read or manage WhatsApp business assets.

A Business Management token provides the additional whatsapp_business_management permission required to retrieve templates from the WhatsApp Business Account.

Chatwoot uses this token only for template synchronization. It is not used for:

  • Sending or receiving WhatsApp messages

  • Webhook delivery

  • Phone-number registration

  • Changing your WhatsApp Business Account

  • Managing your Meta business portfolio

Before you begin

Make sure that:

  • You are an administrator of the Meta business portfolio that owns the WhatsApp Business Account.

  • You can access the affected WhatsApp Business Account in Meta Business Settings.

  • Your business has a Meta app associated with that WhatsApp account.

  • You are an administrator of the Chatwoot account.

  • The inbox was created using WhatsApp Embedded Signup on Chatwoot Cloud.

Treat the token like a password. Do not send it over email, chat, or support conversations. Chatwoot account administrators can view and copy the saved token from the inbox Configuration tab. Limit administrator access and treat this token as a sensitive credential.

Step 1: Create or select a system user

  1. Open Meta Business Settings.

  2. Select the business portfolio that owns the WhatsApp Business Account.

  3. Go to Users → System users.

  4. Select an existing administrator system user.

If you do not have one:

  1. Click Add.

  2. Enter a recognizable name, such as Chatwoot template sync.

  3. Select Admin as the system user role.

  4. Click Create system user.

Use a dedicated system user when possible. This makes it easier to rotate or revoke the token without affecting other integrations.

Step 2: Assign the WhatsApp Business Account

The system user must have access to the same WhatsApp Business Account used by your Chatwoot inbox.

  1. Select the system user.

  2. Open Assigned assets.

  3. Click Assign assets.

  4. Select WhatsApp accounts.

  5. Choose the WhatsApp Business Account connected to Chatwoot.

  6. Grant permission to manage the account or enable full control.

  7. Save your changes.

Assign only the affected WhatsApp Business Account. Avoid granting access to unrelated business assets.

Step 3: Generate the token

  1. Select the system user.

  2. Click Generate token.

  3. Select the Meta app associated with your WhatsApp Business Account.

  4. Click Next.

Step 4: Choose the expiration period

Meta may offer options such as:

  • 60 days: More secure, but you must replace the token when it expires.

  • Never: Reduces operational maintenance, but requires careful storage and manual rotation.

Choose the option that follows your organization’s security policy.

Even a non-expiring token can stop working if the system user, app, permission, business, or asset relationship is changed or revoked.

Step 5: Select the required permission

Select:

  • whatsapp_business_management

This is the permission Chatwoot validates and uses to synchronize message templates.

You do not need to select whatsapp_business_messaging or whatsapp_business_manage_events for this template-synchronization token.

If whatsapp_business_management is unavailable, confirm that:

  • The selected app has WhatsApp configured.

  • The system user has access to the app.

  • The WhatsApp Business Account is assigned to the system user.

  • Your business and app meet Meta’s access requirements.

Step 6: Copy the token

  1. Complete the token-generation process.

  2. Click Copy.

  3. Store the token temporarily in a secure password manager or secrets vault.

Meta may show the complete token only once.

Step 7: Add the token to Chatwoot

  1. In Chatwoot, go to Settings → Inboxes.

  2. Select the affected WhatsApp inbox.

  3. Open the Configuration tab.

  4. Find Update Business Management Token.

  5. Paste the token.

  6. Click Update.

Chatwoot checks that the token contains the granted whatsapp_business_management permission before saving it.

After the token is saved, click Sync Templates. Your approved WhatsApp templates should appear after synchronization completes. To replace the token, generate a new token in Meta Business Settings and submit it through the same Chatwoot configuration field. Chatwoot will use the new token for future template synchronization.

Revoking the saved token in Meta without replacing it in Chatwoot will cause template synchronization to fail.

Troubleshooting

The token does not have the required permission

Confirm that whatsapp_business_management was selected and granted when the token was generated.

You do not have permission to access this field

The system user may not have access to the target WhatsApp Business Account, or the selected app may not be authorized for it. Recheck the system user’s assigned assets and app relationship.

The token is invalid or cannot be validated

The token may have expired, been revoked, or been generated for a different app or business. Generate a new token and try again.

The token is accepted, but templates still cannot be synchronized

Check that:

  • The system user has access to the exact WhatsApp Business Account used by the inbox.

  • The business account ID configured in Chatwoot is correct.

  • The templates exist in that WhatsApp Business Account.

  • The templates have not been deleted or moved to another account.

The permission may be valid while access to the specific WhatsApp asset is still missing.

Messages work, but template synchronization fails

Messaging and business-management operations use different permissions. A credential can continue sending and receiving messages while lacking access to retrieve templates.