How To Migrate An Existing WhatsApp Business Number From One Service Provider To Another
If customers already have a number registered to WhatsApp with another provider, they can migrate it to Birdeye. Ensure 2FA is disabled and your current provider is disconnected from the number.
NOTE:
Customers cannot migrate a number that is already in use with the WhatsApp mobile application.
Migration Requirements: Prerequisites to Move a WhatsApp Number
- Meta Business Account is verified
- The existing WABA is approved
- A valid payment method is set up
- Two-step verification is disabled on the business phone number
- Display name status is approved
- No pending display name change requests
To learn more about disabling two-step verification, refer to this link.
Migration Steps:
Step 1: Disable Two-Step Verification
The customer must disable two-step verification using WhatsApp Manager or ask their current provider to do it.
Step 2: Start Embedded Signup
Customer accesses your Embedded Signup (v2) flow and enters the phone number and display name.
Use these IDs to register the number, share the credit line, and subscribe to webhooks.
How Migration Works
When a customer enters a phone number during the Embedded Signup process, the screen shown in the image below appears. This is used to verify and link a phone number to a new WhatsApp Business Account (WABA).
The phone number entered is already linked to a WhatsApp Business Account with another provider.
- If the user continues, the number will be moved to the new WABA connected to your platform (Messaging Solution Provider).
- Once moved, the number will no longer work with the previous provider—they won’t be able to send/receive messages from the old account anymore.
What Happens After Embedded Signup Completes
- A new WABA is created and linked to the customer’s Meta Business account
- Phone number stays the same
- Display name, quality rating, messaging limits, and green tick (OBA status) are preserved
- Eligible templates and media assets are also carried over to the new WABA
Templates
- Approved templates with GREEN quality are auto-duplicated to the new WABA
- Some may get REJECTED after re-evaluation
- Duplicated templates start with UNKNOWN quality rating (updated after 24 hours)
- If the template limit is exceeded, not all will migrate—those must be re-created manually
Template Downtime
- Number registration is instant, so messaging continues
- Template migration takes time; templates will be temporarily unavailable during migration
- To avoid downtime, start template migration before number registration
Limitations
- Test numbers can’t be migrated
- The number must be registered with the Cloud API only
- Message history and media aren't migrated from on-premises WABAs
- API-triggered template migration counts toward your rate limit; auto-migration does not