WhatsApp Cloud API
The WhatsApp Cloud API is the version of the WhatsApp Business API hosted directly on Meta's servers, available since 2022. It removes the need to install and maintain infrastructure at the business or the provider: you connect via HTTPS with a token and receive messages through webhooks. It replaced the previous On-Premises API, which Meta has retired.
With the Cloud API, hosting is free and handled by Meta: the business only pays for messages according to the official price list, plus whatever platform it uses to operate. Updates, such as new interactive message formats or WhatsApp Flows, arrive automatically, with no server maintenance. Setup goes through Business Manager: an app on Meta for Developers, a verified number, a WABA and the related system permissions.
Compared to the old On-Premises API, the Cloud API offers high sending capacity managed directly by Meta and global availability without server sizing. Meta has completed the retirement of On-Premises, making the Cloud API the de facto standard for all new projects. The platform's key concepts remain unchanged: templates, the 24-hour window, quality rating and progressive messaging limits.
SendApp Official is built natively on the Cloud API: connecting your number takes a few guided steps and messages stay at the official Meta rate, with zero markups.
Frequently asked questions
From theory to practice
Everything you read in this glossary can be done with SendApp: try it free, no credit card required.