If you've been handling customer support through the WhatsApp Business App on your phone, you already know the limitations: only you can reply, conversations pile up when you're away, and there's no way to hand off a chat to a colleague without sharing your phone. The WhatsApp Business API removes all of these constraints — connect your existing number to a platform like GoEasyChat (goeasy.chat) and your entire team can handle WhatsApp conversations from their own logins, simultaneously. The good news: you can make this switch while keeping the WhatsApp Business App working on your phone during the transition, thanks to coexistence mode. This guide walks you through every step. For a plain-language comparison of WhatsApp Business App vs multi-agent platforms before you migrate, read [this guide on Marcelo's blog](https://marceloretana.com/blog/whatsapp-business-vs-whatsapp-multiagente).
Prerequisites
- →WhatsApp Business App (currently active)
You should have an active WhatsApp Business App on your phone, registered to the number you want to migrate. The App must have been active for at least 7 days and be on version 2.24.17 or newer for coexistence mode to work.
- →Meta Business Portfolio
A Meta Business Portfolio at business.facebook.com is required to connect your number to the WhatsApp API. You may need to create one if you don't have it — it's free and takes 5 minutes.
- →GoEasyChat Account
GoEasyChat is the multi-agent platform that connects to the WhatsApp API and provides your team inbox. Sign up at goeasy.chat for a 14-day free trial. No credit card required to start.
Understand What Changes (And What Stays the Same)
Before migrating, know exactly what you're changing. What stays the same: your phone number, your business name, and your WhatsApp Business profile (description, hours, website). What changes: conversations are now handled through a browser-based platform instead of the phone app. Your contacts don't need to do anything — they still message the same number and see the same business profile. The key difference is that your team can now handle multiple conversations simultaneously from their own logins. With coexistence mode, your WhatsApp Business App on your phone continues to work — you can monitor conversations on the phone AND the platform simultaneously.
Tip: Coexistence does not sync message history between the App and the platform — new messages after migration will appear in both
Tip: Existing contacts and chat history in the App remain on the phone — they are not transferred to the platform
Tip: Your customers won't notice any change — they message the same number and the experience is identical from their side
Back Up Chat History and Set Up Your Meta Business Portfolio
First, export your important chat histories. In the WhatsApp Business App, go to Settings > Chats > Chat Backup to back up to Google Drive (Android) or iCloud (iPhone). You can also export individual chats as text files: open any chat > three-dot menu > More > Export Chat. Then, go to business.facebook.com and create or verify your Meta Business Portfolio. Enter your business name, your name, and business email. This is the container for your WhatsApp Business Account (WABA) on the API side. If you already have a Meta Business Portfolio, make sure you have admin access to it.
Tip: Export your 10-20 most important customer conversations as text files as a paper trail
Tip: Chat history from the App cannot be imported into the new platform — it's a fresh start for the team inbox
Tip: If you have a Facebook Business Page, link it to the Business Portfolio — it makes verification easier
Sign Up for GoEasyChat
Go to goeasy.chat, click 'Start free trial', and choose your plan — Starter ($39/mo for 6 agents) or Equipo ($59/mo for 12 agents). Enter your company name and preferred subdomain (e.g., yourteam.goeasy.chat). This will be the URL your agents use to log in. The 14-day trial starts with $0 upfront — you'll enter payment information but won't be charged until day 15.
Tip: Your subdomain should be your brand name or something your team will recognize easily
Tip: Start with Starter if you're migrating a small team — you can upgrade to Equipo later if needed
Tip: Admin credentials from this step are your main login — store them in a password manager
Connect Your Existing Number via WhatsApp Embedded Signup (Coexistence Mode)
After signup, you'll be guided to connect your WhatsApp number. Click 'Connect WhatsApp' to start the Embedded Signup flow in your browser. Log in with your Meta Business account. When prompted to select or create a WhatsApp Business Account, select 'Connect a WhatsApp Business App' — this is the coexistence option. Select your Meta Business Portfolio, then add your existing number. WhatsApp will verify the number via SMS or call. After verification, your number is connected to the API while the App on your phone continues to function normally.
Tip: The WhatsApp Business App must be version 2.24.17+ and active for 7+ days for coexistence to work — update the App before starting this step
Tip: When coexistence is active, messages sent via the platform don't appear in the phone App and vice versa — this is expected behavior
Tip: If you see 'This number is registered to a personal WhatsApp account', you need to unregister it from your personal WhatsApp first (Settings > Account > Delete My Account)
Invite Your Agents and Set Up the Team
In GoEasyChat, go to Settings > Agents and create accounts for each team member. Enter their name, email, and role (admin or agent). The platform auto-generates a secure password and sends each agent a welcome email with login credentials. Next, go to Settings > Teams and create team groups if needed (e.g., Sales, Support). Then enable round-robin auto-assignment in the main Settings page if you want incoming conversations distributed automatically.
Tip: Create your own agent profile first (with your email) and test the login flow before inviting the team
Tip: For a smooth transition, schedule a 30-minute onboarding call with your agents to walk through the platform
Tip: Round-robin is recommended for teams of 3+ agents — it prevents the inbox from becoming one person's responsibility
Set Up Canned Responses and Message Templates
Recreate your most-used quick replies as canned responses in GoEasyChat Settings > Canned Responses. Review the quick replies you had in the WhatsApp Business App and migrate them. Also create WhatsApp message templates in Meta Business Manager for proactive outreach and re-engagement after session expiry. Having these ready before you fully switch ensures your team can work at full speed from day one.
Tip: GoEasyChat's '/' trigger in the message input makes canned responses faster to use than the WhatsApp App's quick reply system
Tip: Create at least 5 canned responses for your most common questions before going live
Tip: Message template approval takes up to 24 hours — submit templates before you fully transition, not after
Test the Full Flow End-to-End
Before announcing the switch to your team, run a full test: send a WhatsApp message from a personal phone to your business number, confirm it appears in the GoEasyChat inbox, have an agent (or yourself) respond, and verify the reply arrives on the personal phone. Test voice messages, file attachments, and template sending. Also verify that messages still arrive in the WhatsApp Business App on your phone (coexistence mode working correctly). Only proceed when you've confirmed the full loop works.
Tip: Test from a phone number that has your business number saved as a contact — verifies the contact experience
Tip: Test during business hours so you can troubleshoot quickly if something is wrong
Tip: If messages don't appear in GoEasyChat, check the webhook configuration in Meta Business Manager or contact GoEasyChat support
Update Your Contact Points and Transition Away from the App
Your phone number hasn't changed, but this is a good time to audit everywhere customers find your WhatsApp number: your website, email signature, Instagram bio, Google Business Profile, and any print materials. If you've been directing customers to a wa.me link, it still works — no changes needed on the customer side. With coexistence active, you can run both the WhatsApp Business App on your phone and the GoEasyChat platform in parallel for 2-4 weeks as a safety net. When you're confident the team is handling all conversations through the platform, simply stop checking the phone App — no formal disconnect is required.
Tip: Pre-fill your wa.me links with a starter message to reduce friction: https://wa.me/[number]?text=Hola%2C+necesito+ayuda
Tip: Keep the App for 2-3 weeks as a backup during transition — check it daily to make sure no messages are falling through
Tip: Once you're fully on the platform, disable notifications on the phone App to avoid confusion
Next Steps
- →Submit WhatsApp message templates in Meta Business Manager for proactive customer re-engagement after the 24-hour session window closes.
- →Add canned responses for your top 15 most common questions to cut average agent response time in half.
- →Set a first-response SLA and review it weekly — the team now has the tools to meet it consistently.
- →Disable phone notifications on the WhatsApp Business App once the team is fully handling conversations through GoEasyChat.