This guide covers WhatsApp OTP messages on the official WhatsApp Business Platform: what is involved, which rules apply to the messages you start, how to set it up with Waki’s campaigns, inbox, flows and API, and what to measure once it is running.
Read alongside this guide: WhatsApp marketing software and Waki plans and pricing.
Key takeaways
- Every message you start for WhatsApp OTP messages needs a contact who opted in and a template approved by Meta.
- Keep SMS as a fallback for users who are not on WhatsApp or whose message does not arrive in time.
- Build the manual version first, then automate it with a flow, a webhook or the API.
- Measure against your own earlier results, not against figures quoted elsewhere.
WhatsApp OTP messages explained
One-time passwords on WhatsApp use Meta’s authentication template category, which has a fixed format with a copy-code button and no marketing content.
How it works on the WhatsApp Business Platform
Messaging on the WhatsApp Business Platform needs the customer’s opt-in, and any message that starts a conversation must use a template approved by Meta. Once a customer writes to you, a 24-hour customer-service window opens in which agents and automations can reply freely; outside it, only templates go through. Meta prices conversations rather than individual messages.
Setting it up with Waki
Your application calls the Waki REST API to send the authentication template when a user signs in or confirms an action; webhooks report delivery.
- Create a Waki account and connect your WhatsApp Business Account through Meta’s embedded signup, or ask for a Waki managed number.
- Complete Meta Business Verification so your messaging limits can grow; the verification guide on this site walks through it.
- Create the templates you need and submit them for approval. Keep the first ones short and factual.
- Import contacts who have opted in, and record where each consent came from as a contact attribute.
- Send a test to your own number, then to a small segment, and read the report before you scale up.
Good practice
A few habits keep WhatsApp OTP messages useful to customers and safe for your number.
- Keep SMS as a fallback for users who are not on WhatsApp or whose message does not arrive in time.
- Ask for consent in plain words and say what you will send and how often.
- Send at sensible local hours and keep the frequency you promised.
- Give every message a reason to exist: a date, an amount, a document, a decision.
- Make it easy to reply or to stop; an opt-out that works protects your quality rating.
Mistakes to avoid
The same errors come up again and again.
- Adding promotional text to an authentication template; Meta rejects it.
- Messaging people who never opted in, including bought or scraped lists.
- Using a utility template for an offer; Meta recategorises it and your campaign stops.
- Ignoring replies. A broadcast that nobody answers teaches customers to ignore the next one.
What to measure
Each campaign report shows how many messages were sent, delivered, read and replied to; tracked links add clicks, and the contact list records opt-outs. Compare each campaign with your own previous ones rather than with figures quoted elsewhere: read receipts are a signal, not proof of interest, and the number that matters is how many people did what you asked.
Plans and Meta charges
Plans from ₹699/month on Waki, plus 18% GST. You pay for the first month or year at checkout and can turn on auto-pay later if you want. The conversation charges set by Meta are separate from the plan: on a number connected through your own Meta account Meta bills them directly, while on a Waki-provided number a prepaid wallet covers them. Pay yearly and you get two months free, and you can cancel from the app at any time.
Next steps
Conclusion
Get consent and templates right first; everything else in WhatsApp OTP messages builds on them. Send the message by hand to a small segment, watch how customers respond, then let a flow or the API take over the repetition. Keep SMS as a fallback for users who are not on WhatsApp or whose message does not arrive in time.