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ConnectWhatsAppChanged

WhatsApp Business Calling guides rewritten

The four WhatsApp Business Calling guides (overview, user-initiated, business-initiated, and scenarios) have been rewritten to match how calling is delivered on 8x8.

What changed

  • Topology: calls are SIP end to end. Meta connects to 8x8 over SIP, and 8x8 connects to your SBC, PBX, or contact center over SIP. There's no REST API for placing a call. REST APIs on chatapps.8x8.com are used only for permissions and templates, and only on the Direct SIP path for business-initiated calls.

  • Four integration paths, all set up with your 8x8 account manager:

    Path Calling today
    Direct SIP User-initiated and business-initiated
    8x8 Converse User-initiated and business-initiated (Converse handles templates and permissions)
    Genesys User-initiated only
    VCC via AI Studio User-initiated only

  • Business-initiated calling is now a 5-step Direct SIP walkthrough: create the CALL_PERMISSION_REQUEST template, send it, receive callPermissionReply on the inbound-message webhook, check callPermissions before every call, then place the call from your SIP endpoint.

  • Permission model: the user chooses a temporary permission (7 days) or a permanent one (no expiry). Rate limits, auto-revocation after 4 consecutive unanswered calls, and error 138017 are documented. No webhook is sent when a temporary permission expires.

  • User-initiated calling adds the VOICE_CALL template button, wa.me/call/ deep links, and cta_payload attribution.

  • Prerequisites: WhatsApp Messaging must be active first, plus Meta business verification, a messaging tier of at least 2,000 unique recipients per day, and a credit line on the WABA for business-initiated calls.

  • New sections on pricing (6-second pulses for business-initiated calls; user-initiated calls are free), operational limits (1,000 concurrent calls per number; OPUS, PCMA, and PCMU codecs), and reporting (Converse reporting, Voice Session Summary, call recording).

Read more

View WhatsApp docs

This is the release entry. For the full feature documentation, use the docs link above.