Why this happened
Meta’s systems automatically restrict WhatsApp Business accounts they can’t yet trust. The three usual triggers — and all three are about newness, not wrongdoing:
- The business portfolio was created minutes ago and has no history with Meta.
- The Facebook account used to log in is new, rarely used, or has no real activity.
- The portfolio has empty fields — no address, no website, no description — which reads as a throwaway account.
The good news: restrictions from newness clear quickly once a human (or Meta’s ID check) confirms you’re real. Your signup progress is saved the whole time.
The fix, step by step
Open Business Support Home
Go to business.facebook.com/support — logged in with the same Facebook account you used during signup. Select the business portfolio you created.
Account status
WhatsApp Business Account
Account Status shows the restriction and the Request review button.
Request the review + verify your identity
Click Request review. Meta typically asks you to confirm a phone number and upload a photo ID (Aadhaar, driving licence, or passport all work). Use your real name — it should match the Facebook account.
“New business portfolio for <your business name>, created today to connect our WhatsApp number to the WhatsApp Business API via our provider. Website: <your site>.” Honest and specific beats long and dramatic.
While you wait, fill the portfolio completely
In Business settings → Business info, add everything: legal name, full address, phone, email, website (your Instagram page works if you have no website), and a one-line description. Complete profiles clear reviews faster and stay clear.
Retry the connection
Meta aims to respond within 48 hours — often much faster for simple ID checks. When the restriction lifts, go back to your dashboard and click Connect again. The signup resumes from where it stopped — portfolio, profile and all — you’ll only do the phone-number step.
How to avoid this next time
- Log in with your everyday personal Facebook account — years old, real friends, real activity. Never create a fresh account for the signup.
- If your business already runs Facebook or Instagram ads, use that existing portfolio instead of creating a new one.
- Fill every field when creating a portfolio — address, website, email, description.
- Make sure your website is live and clearly shows your business name. No website? Link your Instagram or Google Business page.
Don’t buy an “aged Facebook account” from Telegram sellers, and don’t create five portfolios hoping one slips through — both patterns are exactly what Meta’s systems ban permanently. One honest review request beats every trick.
Different problem? If your account connected fine but got restricted later (usually after mass messaging complaints), the same Request-review path applies, but fix the cause first: message only people who opted in, and honour “stop” requests instantly.
We’ve walked hundreds of these reviews. WhatsApp us what you’re seeing and we’ll tell you exactly which button to press — or do the whole connection with you on a call.