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How to connect to BSG as a parallel second provider

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Already sending WhatsApp messages through another provider? You don't have to switch everything at once. WhatsApp lets you run BSG alongside your current provider, so you can test BSG with real messages and only move your main traffic when you're confident. This article walks you through the whole process.

What you'll do (at a glance)

  1. Decide how to connect — either share your existing WhatsApp Business Account (WABA) with BSG, or add a new WABA under the same Meta Business Portfolio.
  2. Connect BSG through Embedded Signup or by sharing your WABA in Meta Business Suite.
  3. Add a payment method to your Meta account (with BSG you pay Meta directly).
  4. Confirm BSG has your templates, messaging tier, and quality (synced automatically, or duplicated if you use a new WABA).
  5. Test live sending through BSG on a separate phone number — your main number keeps running on your current provider.
  6. Move your main number to BSG when you're ready.

Why connect in parallel

  • No "big bang" switch. Your current provider keeps delivering while you evaluate BSG.
  • Test before you commit. Validate BSG end to end with real sends and delivery receipts.
  • Keep what you've earned. Your messaging tier and (when you share your existing WABA) your approved templates and quality rating carry over.
  • Transparent pricing. BSG is a Meta Tech Provider: you pay Meta directly for traffic at Meta's rates, and BSG charges only a flat platform subscription — no markup on traffic.

Good to know: a WABA can be shared with two partners at the same time — enough to run BSG right alongside your current provider. If both partner slots are already in use, just free one up before adding BSG.

The two rules that shape this process

  1. One WABA, up to two partners. WhatsApp lets you share a single WABA with up to two providers at once — that's what allows BSG to sit alongside your current provider.
  2. One phone number, one provider at a time. A phone number can only be connected to one provider's setup at any moment. Connecting your main number to BSG re-associates it — so the same number can't send through your old provider and BSG simultaneously. That's why you test BSG on a separate number first, and move your main number only at cutover.

Because of these rules, you connect in two phases: validate BSG in parallel on a separate number, then switch your main number over when you're ready.

Two ways to connect BSG

BSG supports both setups — pick the one that fits your situation:

  Option A — Share your existing WABA Option B — New WABA, same Business Portfolio
How it works BSG is added as a second partner on the WABA you already use BSG connects a brand-new WABA under your existing Meta Business Portfolio
Your templates Synced automatically from your WABA — you don't recreate anything You duplicate them yourself (in the WhatsApp Business Portfolio or via Meta's API); BSG then syncs them once approved
Messaging tier Shared (limits are set at the Business-Portfolio level) Shared at the portfolio level; the new number builds its own quality rating
Best when You want one account and the smoothest eventual cutover You prefer to keep the two providers fully isolated

Not sure which your current WABA allows? See the FAQ on connecting an existing account — how your WABA was originally created affects how you connect it.

Before you begin

Make sure you have:

  • Admin access to the Meta Business Portfolio that owns your WABA.
  • A WABA in approved status and a verified Meta Business.
  • A phone number whose display name is approved (no pending name-change request).
  • The ability to add a payment method on your Meta account — required for BSG to send (Tech Provider model).
  • A spare or test phone number to validate BSG live (you'll need one regardless of Option A or B).
  • A BSG account with an API key (from Integrations & API → SMPP/API Password in the BSG cabinet).
  • An open partner slot on your WABA if you're sharing it (remember the two-partner maximum).

You do not need to disable two-step verification yet — that's only needed when you move your main number at cutover, and keeping it on protects your live number while you test.

Phase 1: Connect BSG alongside your current provider

Step 1 — Sign in to the BSG API

Exchange your Live API key for a bearer token (JWT), then send it on every subsequent request. See Receive JWT token for the exact request and response.

Step 2 — Connect BSG to your WhatsApp account

If you're sharing your existing WABA (Option A):

How you connect depends on how your WABA was created:

  • If your WABA can be selected in Embedded Signup, open the Embedded Signup flow from your BSG dashboard. You'll be asked to:

    1. Log in with the Facebook/Meta account that manages your business.
    2. Review and accept the WhatsApp Business and Meta terms.
    3. Choose your Business Portfolio.
    4. Select your existing WhatsApp Business Account — pick the one you already use.
    5. Confirm the phone number(s) BSG should access.
    6. Grant the requested permissions.

  • If your WABA was created through another app or provider, WhatsApp won't let you select it in the signup window. Instead, share it from Meta Business Suite: go to Business Settings → Accounts → WhatsApp Accounts, select your WABA, choose Add partner / Share, enter BSG's Business Portfolio ID, and grant the messaging and management permissions.

Either way, this adds BSG's access — it does not remove or interrupt your current provider.

If you're adding a new WABA (Option B):

Open the Embedded Signup flow from your BSG dashboard and follow the steps above, but choose Create a new WhatsApp Business Account and add a new phone number when prompted. Your business verification and profile are shared across the Business Portfolio, so you don't repeat verification.

Step 3 — BSG finishes the setup automatically

Once the connection completes, BSG handles the technical steps for you: it securely exchanges your authorization for an access token and subscribes to your WABA's notifications (webhooks). BSG then syncs your templates — their list, status, and quality — from your WhatsApp Business Portfolio.

  • Option A (shared WABA): your existing approved templates are synced automatically — nothing to recreate.
  • Option B (new WABA): the new WABA starts empty, so you duplicate your templates yourself — recreate them in the WhatsApp Business Portfolio or via Meta's API — and BSG syncs them once Meta approves.

Templates are managed on Meta's side. BSG keeps your template list, status, and quality in sync, but it doesn't create or edit templates. You manage templates — creating, editing, and duplicating them — in the WhatsApp Business Portfolio cabinet or programmatically via Meta's API.

Step 4 — Add your Meta payment method

In WhatsApp Manager → Account tools → Payment settings, attach a valid payment method so your messages are ready to send. With BSG you're billed by Meta directly for message traffic — at Meta's published rates, with no markup — while BSG charges only its flat platform subscription. This is separate from your current provider's billing, which stays as-is.

Step 5 — Confirm everything synced

Check that BSG has picked up your account — in the BSG cabinet, or via the API:

Step 6 — Test live sending (without touching production)

Send a real message through BSG using your separate test number, while your main number keeps running on your current provider. Use Send Single WhatsApp Message with an approved template (the method page has the full request format and parameters).

Confirm you receive sent → delivered → read updates on your callback URL. When this works, BSG is fully connected and validated — and all your production traffic is still flowing through your current provider.

Phase 2: Move your main number to BSG

Do this only once you're happy with your testing. This is the point your main number switches over.

Step 1 — Turn off two-step verification

Turn off two-step verification on your main number in WhatsApp Manager (or ask your current provider to). Once it's off, the number is ready to connect to BSG.

Step 2 — Check for any leftover credit line

If your current provider is a Solution Partner that billed you through their credit line, a leftover credit line can occasionally cause an error when you switch. If that happens, ask your previous provider to revoke it, or remove it in Meta Business Settings. (In most cases this isn't a blocker — two-step verification and incomplete setup are the usual culprits.)

Step 3 — Connect your main number to BSG

BSG registers your main number for sending. From this moment, the number sends and receives through BSG instead of your old provider.

  • Option A (shared WABA): the number stays in the same WABA, and your templates are already synced — nothing to rebuild.
  • Option B (new WABA): the number is migrated into BSG's WABA, where your duplicated templates are already approved and waiting.

Step 4 — Verify and finish

  • Send a production template through BSG and confirm delivery.
  • Point your application's send requests to the BSG API.
  • Once everything's stable, you can remove your old provider's access if you no longer need the second partner slot.

FAQ

  1. Will BSG share my existing WhatsApp account, or create a new one? 
    Both are supported. Sharing your existing WABA keeps everything in one account and syncs your templates automatically. A new WABA (under your same Business Portfolio) keeps the two providers fully separate, but your templates must be duplicated and re-approved. See "Two ways to connect BSG" above.

  2. Why can't I see my existing WhatsApp account in the signup window? 
    WhatsApp doesn't let you select a WABA in Embedded Signup if it was originally created through a different app or provider. In that case, share it instead from Meta Business Suite → Business Settings → WhatsApp Accounts → Share with a partner, using BSG's Business Portfolio ID.

  3. How do I run BSG and my current provider in parallel? 
    WhatsApp connects each phone number to one provider at a time, so you test BSG on a separate number while your current provider keeps serving your main number. When you're confident, you move your main number to BSG — validating everything end to end with no interruption to live traffic.

  4. Do my templates carry over? 
    If you share your existing WABA, BSG automatically syncs your approved templates — no recreation needed. If you use a new WABA, you duplicate your templates into it yourself (in the WhatsApp Business Portfolio or via Meta's API) and Meta re-approves them; BSG then syncs them. (Meta only "duplicates" templates when they move between WABAs — sharing one WABA never duplicates anything.)

  5. Can I create or edit templates in BSG? 
    No. BSG syncs your templates' list, status, and quality from your WhatsApp Business Portfolio so you can send them, but it doesn't create or edit them. You manage templates in the WhatsApp Business Portfolio cabinet or via Meta's API.

  6. Will my messaging tier and quality rating be preserved? 
    Yes. Messaging limits are set at the Business-Portfolio level, so they carry over either way. If you share your existing WABA, your number keeps its quality rating too. (A brand-new number in a new WABA starts building its own quality rating, as any new number does).

  7. Who am I billed by? 
    Meta bills you directly for message traffic at Meta's published rates. BSG charges only a flat platform subscription — there's no markup on traffic. Just make sure a Meta payment method is on file.

  8. Do I need to disable two-step verification? 
    Only when you move your main number (Phase 2). Keep it switched on while you test in Phase 1 — it protects your live number.

  9. Which number should I use to test marketing templates? 
    Use a non-US number for marketing tests — WhatsApp currently doesn't deliver marketing templates to US (+1) numbers. Utility and authentication templates work everywhere.

  10. Is there downtime when I switch? 
    Connecting the number is quick. With a shared WABA your templates are already synced, so there's no re-approval delay; with a new WABA, make sure your duplicated templates are approved before you switch. Plan the move for a low-traffic window to be safe.

  11. How many providers can be connected at once? 
    Up to two on a single WABA. If you're already at two, remove one before adding BSG.

  12. What if my WABA is already connected to two providers? 
    The two-partner maximum is enforced by WhatsApp, so BSG can't be added as a third. If you go through Embedded Signup and select that WABA, the share won't complete. To proceed, free a slot first: in Meta Business Settings → Accounts → WhatsApp Accounts → [your WABA] → Partners, remove one of the existing partners, then re-run BSG's Embedded Signup (or share the WABA to BSG via Business Suite). Note that removing a partner stops that provider's messaging on the WABA, so only free a slot for a provider you're done with — or do it as part of your cutover. If you'd rather not touch either slot, use Option B instead: connect a new WABA under the same Business Portfolio with a new number, and validate BSG there.

Meta documentation references

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