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Direct Linking with a System User

If your team manages its own Meta App, you can link a WhatsApp number to Brixi by entering credentials directly instead of going through the Meta login flow. The key piece is a system user token: unlike a personal access token, it never expires when an employee leaves or changes their password — which is exactly what you want for a production sales channel.

Entry pointAutomation → Integrations → Social Media → WhatsApp

Use this path when you want full control over the Meta App, webhook, and token lifecycle. If you just want the number working quickly, the guided phone number linking flow is simpler.

Who Can Do This​

Account admins in Brixi, plus someone with admin access to your Meta App and Business Manager — creating system users and generating tokens happens on the Meta side.

Create the System User and Token (Meta side)​

  1. In Meta Business Settings → Users → System Users, create a system user (type Admin).
  2. Assign it your WhatsApp Business Account with full control.
  3. Generate a token for the system user with these permissions:
    • whatsapp_business_messaging
    • whatsapp_business_management
  4. Store the token securely — Meta shows it once.
Use the system user token, not a personal one

A temporary user token from the Meta Developer Console expires within hours or days and will silently break your connection. Only a system user token is safe for production.

Gather the Credentials​

CredentialWhere to find it
WhatsApp Business Account ID (WABA ID)Meta Business Manager → Business Settings → WhatsApp Accounts
Phone Number IDMeta Developer Console → Your App → WhatsApp → API Setup
Access TokenThe system user token you just generated

The connection runs through the 5-step wizard — Setup → Leads → Credentials → Webhook → Verify:

  1. Go to Automation → Integrations → Social Media → WhatsApp and click + Connect number.
  2. Setup — enter an account name, select Meta Cloud API as the provider, and enter the phone number with country code.
  3. Leads — choose whether unknown inbound numbers auto-create leads, and set the lead source name.
  4. Credentials — paste the WABA ID, Phone Number ID, and the system user token, then Authenticate.
  5. Webhook — copy the webhook URL and verify token Brixi generates into your Meta App (WhatsApp → Configuration → Webhook), and subscribe to the messages, message_deliveries, and message_reads fields.
  6. Verify — review the summary and click Verify connection.

The full Meta Cloud API guide walks each wizard step with screenshots.

Troubleshooting​

ProblemWhat to check
Authenticate fails on the Credentials stepThe token is missing whatsapp_business_messaging / whatsapp_business_management, or the system user wasn't assigned the WABA.
Webhook verification failsThe callback URL or verify token wasn't pasted exactly, or the webhook fields aren't subscribed.
Connection worked, then died weeks laterA temporary token was used instead of the system user token — generate a permanent one and re-enter it in Credentials.
Number not accepted in SetupSee why a number isn't visible or usable — billing and registration issues surface here too.
Related articlesFull Meta Cloud API Setup GuideGuided Phone Number LinkingWhatsApp Troubleshooting
Was this article helpful?If something is unclear or out of date, email support@brixi.ai with the article title — or see Getting Help for what to check first.