WhatsApp Business Tools MCP: how to connect WhatsApp Business to an AI agent

On September 15, 2026, Meta released the official WhatsApp Business Tools MCP server. It connects an AI agent—Claude Code, Codex, ChatGPT, or Cursor—to the WhatsApp Business Platform. Instead of moving between Developer Console, Business Manager, and the API documentation, you describe the task to the agent, and it adds a number, creates a message template, configures webhooks, and sends a test message.

The server is still in beta: access is being rolled out gradually, and the release is intended for development and testing, not large-scale production messaging. Below are the preparations and connection steps for four clients. The commands and settings were checked against Meta’s official documentation on September 18, 2026.

Information about working with Ailoot is available in the documentation.

What is WhatsApp Business Tools MCP?#

MCP (Model Context Protocol) is an open standard for connecting external systems to AI agents. Learn more about it in the article MCP servers for Claude Code: 7 ready-made integrations. Verified connections with installation commands are in the MCP catalog.

Before this release, setting up a WhatsApp integration looked like this: open Developer Console, create an app, link a business, add a phone number, verify it with a code, generate a token, configure a webhook, check the API documentation—and only then write the first line of code.

Meta describes the idea behind the server this way (translated from English):

Meta now has two MCP servers, and it is easy to confuse them. Meta Social Technologies MCP is a general-purpose developer tool: searching documentation, discovering Graph API endpoints, and diagnosing app errors. WhatsApp Business Tools MCP is for working with WhatsApp accounts, phone numbers, templates, webhooks, and test messages. They complement each other, and you can connect both if needed.

What exactly can the agent do after connecting?#

The server’s tools are grouped under the whatsapp_biz_ prefix. According to the official documentation:

• Overview: whatsapp_biz_businesses, whatsapp_biz_accounts, whatsapp_biz_phone_numbers—which businesses, accounts, and phone numbers are available to you.
• Phone number setup: whatsapp_biz_add_phone_number, whatsapp_biz_send_verification_code, whatsapp_biz_verify_phone_number, whatsapp_biz_register_phone_number.
• Templates: whatsapp_biz_list_templates, whatsapp_biz_get_template, whatsapp_biz_create_template, whatsapp_biz_update_template, whatsapp_biz_delete_template.
• Messages: whatsapp_biz_send_message—free-form text within the 24-hour conversation window or an approved template outside it; the agent confirms the recipient with you before sending.
• Webhooks: whatsapp_biz_configure_webhooks, whatsapp_biz_subscribe_webhook.
• Account setup: whatsapp_biz_configure_payments, whatsapp_biz_verify_business, whatsapp_biz_system_user_token—a link to create a system user token for direct Cloud API calls.

When a customer messages the business first, a customer service window opens: you can reply in free-form text for 24 hours. Each new customer message extends the window. Once it closes, you can contact the customer only with an approved template. The agent knows this rule and, if the recipient is outside the window, will suggest sending a template instead of ordinary text.

The server has access controls built in. You sign in through your Meta account and select specific businesses; tokens are not included in the conversation history. Each read is performed in your context, calls are logged, and actions that make changes require an authenticated person; a server app key alone is not sufficient.

What should you check before connecting?#

The server acts on your behalf and works only with your resources, so check the following before the first call:

1. You have a Meta business where you are an administrator (the MANAGE role).
2. You have a Meta app with the WhatsApp Business Messaging scenario enabled (or the WhatsApp product in older apps), and you are an administrator of that app specifically; business-level permissions alone are not enough.
3. The WhatsApp Business Cloud API terms have been accepted for the business—without this, phone number registration and sending are blocked.

According to Meta, issues with terms of use, payment methods, and business verification often arise without a clear explanation. The agent checks for them in advance and provides a direct link where you can accept the terms, specify a payment method, or start business verification.

How do you connect the server to Claude Code?#

If you have not installed Claude Code yet, start with the guide How to install Claude Code from the official website.

1. Add the server

   In the terminal, run:

   claude mcp add --transport http whatsapp_business_tools https://mcp.facebook.com/whatsapp_business_tools
   

   The server is remote, so you do not need to install it locally.

2. Sign in through Meta

   In a Claude Code session, type /mcp and select whatsapp_business_tools. A browser window will open for signing in to your Meta account. If the browser does not open, copy the link from the client and open it manually.

3. Grant permissions

   On the consent screen, select the businesses and apps with WhatsApp that you allow access to. The server will request three permissions: business_management (find businesses where you are an administrator), whatsapp_business_management (accounts, phone numbers, templates, webhooks), and whatsapp_business_messaging (send messages from your numbers).

4. Check the connection

   Restart Claude Code, sign in again through /mcp, and ask the agent which tools it can see on the whatsapp_business_tools server. Then perform a safe read: “List the businesses I can manage”—the agent will call whatsapp_biz_businesses. If there are no tools or you get a sign-in error, check the server address and sign in again.

OAuth sign-in is tied to the client launch: after restarting Claude Code, you need to sign in again. You can revoke access at any time in the settings on facebook.com, under “Business Integrations.”

How do you connect Codex, ChatGPT, and Claude Desktop?#

Codex App. Open settings (the gear at the bottom left), go to MCP Servers, and select Add servers. Choose Streamable HTTP and enter:

• Name: WhatsApp Business Tools
• URL: https://mcp.facebook.com/whatsapp_business_tools
• Authentication: OAuth

Click Authenticate and sign in in the browser.

ChatGPT. Settings, Plugins, Browse plugins, the “+” icon in the upper-right corner. Enter a name, the same URL, and OAuth as the authentication type.

Claude Desktop. Settings, Connectors, Add custom connector. Name: WhatsApp Business Tools; URL: the same server address.

After adding it in any client, follow the same check sequence: restart, sign in again, view the tool list, and safely read the list of businesses.

What happens in the first session: from the business list to a test message?#

A typical first session with the connected server:

1. “List the businesses I manage”—the agent calls whatsapp_biz_businesses, and you choose the one you need.
2. “Show me this business’s WhatsApp accounts and phone numbers”—whatsapp_biz_accounts and whatsapp_biz_phone_numbers, with their statuses.
3. “Add my test phone number to the account”—whatsapp_biz_add_phone_number.
4. “Send a verification code by SMS”—whatsapp_biz_send_verification_code. The code arrives on your phone.
5. “Verify the number with code 123456”—whatsapp_biz_verify_phone_number, then register it with whatsapp_biz_register_phone_number.
6. “Create an order_update template in the language preferred by recipients for order notifications”—whatsapp_biz_create_template; the agent will provide a link to its approval status.
7. “Send a test message to my number”—whatsapp_biz_send_message; the agent will confirm the recipient before sending.
8. “Configure a webhook at https://example.com/webhook”—whatsapp_biz_configure_webhooks and subscribe using whatsapp_biz_subscribe_webhook.

After that, customers’ incoming messages will arrive at the specified address—typically, a CRM, customer support service, or bot retrieves them there. You build the processing at that address separately; the server only handles configuration.

What are the beta limitations?#

There are four server limitations to keep in mind.

Beta status. Meta says the interface and set of tools may change, and access is being rolled out gradually. If you cannot connect to the server yet, it may not have been made available to you.

Purpose. The release is for development and testing; it is not intended for mass production sending. For production messaging, you will need a full integration with the Cloud API—for example, using a system user token, whose link is provided by the whatsapp_biz_system_user_token tool.

Limits. Requests are limited per user for each tool. If you exceed the limit, the tool returns a limit error—wait and try again.

24-hour window rule. Outside the customer conversation window, you can send only approved templates.

Why does this matter to a business?#

A typical scenario for a small business: customers message on WhatsApp, and you want to reply quickly and send order status notifications. Previously, the initial setup meant working on your own in several Meta dashboards or hiring a developer. Now you can complete this part in a conversation with an agent. You still build the handling of incoming messages at your own address separately—that is the next task after configuring the webhook.

The server is also useful if your integration is already running. Message templates need regular updates: a new promotion, a new notification text. Through the server, the agent creates or edits a template and shows its approval status without sending you to the dashboard.

A similar approach—an agent connects to an external system and works with it based on your description—is illustrated with documentation in the guide How to connect NotebookLM to Claude Code through MCP.

What next?#

The server is three days past its announcement. You can start with one command and sign in through Meta, then ask the agent for a list of your businesses. Next, depending on your needs: phone numbers, templates, webhooks, test messages.

Other ways to connect an agent to external systems are in the collection of MCP servers for Claude Code—there are seven more working integrations for different tasks.

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