What we need, why, and how long it takes
CareLoop sends WhatsApp messages to your patients from a number in your hospital's name. Getting that set up goes through WhatsApp's owner, Meta — not us — and Meta has its own verification process we can't skip or speed up. This page explains exactly what that involves.
1The short version
Total time is usually 2–3 weeks, and nearly all of it is Meta's own review queue — not anything we or you are doing. It runs in the background; you don't need to wait by the phone during this part.
2Why we ask for each thing
The obvious fields (your name, hospital name, email) don't need explaining. These do:
| What | Why |
|---|---|
| GST number | Meta requires proof you're a real, registered business before approving any number for business messaging. This is what we submit as that proof — see Meta's verification process. |
| A dedicated phone number | WhatsApp's business platform requires a number that has never been active on WhatsApp (personal or business) before. It becomes your hospital's permanent patient-facing number — not a temporary one. |
| Three separate staff numbers (owner, discharge desk, grievance/ops) | CareLoop routes messages by role: the discharge desk logs each patient, grievance/ops handles complaints, and the owner only gets rare escalation alerts. One person can hold more than one role if your team is small — just repeat the same number. |
| Google Business Profile link | Patients who leave a good CSAT score get invited to leave a Google review — this is the link that invite points to. No login or permission needed, just the public URL. |
3What happens after you submit
- We start Meta's business verification immediately, using your GST details. No action needed from you here — we'll only reach out if Meta asks for an additional document.
- We add your dedicated number under CareLoop's existing WhatsApp setup. This is a technical step on our side — you don't need your own Meta account or login for this.
- Once Meta approves (usually within 2 weeks), we schedule a 2-minute call. Someone needs to have the new number's phone in hand, live, to read back a one-time code the instant it arrives. This is the only moment that needs to happen in real time — everything else runs asynchronously.
- We run one supervised test discharge with your staff before switching fully live, so the first thing your staff sees is a message they've already been walked through.
4Constraints — worth knowing upfront
We can't speed up Meta's review. The 14-working-day window is Meta's own SLA for business verification, not ours — see Meta's WhatsApp Business Account documentation.
The dedicated number can't have prior WhatsApp history. If it's ever been used on WhatsApp — personal or business — registration will fail until that old account is deleted, plus a cooling-off period. A brand-new prepaid SIM (~₹50) is the simplest fix, and a landline works too (Meta can call it instead of texting).
The 2-minute OTP call can't be rescheduled to "whenever." The code expires quickly, so we'll agree on a specific time in advance rather than trying it cold.
5Common questions
- Do we need our own Meta / Facebook Business account?
- No. Your number is added under CareLoop's own Meta setup — you never create an account, log in, or need a password.
- What if Meta rejects our first verification attempt?
- Usually a name-mismatch issue — the business name entered must match your GST/registration exactly, even small spelling differences matter. We'll tell you exactly what to correct if this happens.
- Can we use our hospital's existing WhatsApp number?
- No — a number can't be on personal/business WhatsApp and a business messaging account at the same time. It needs to be a fresh number.
- What if our new SIM doesn't receive the verification code?
- Some virtual/VoIP numbers don't receive SMS OTPs reliably. A physical prepaid SIM or landline (voice OTP) avoids this.