New WhatsApp Account structure / WAME - WhatsApp Account Model Evolution - 2026

Starting September 23, 2026, Meta is introducing a major change to the WhatsApp Business Platform account structure.

This update will make it possible for businesses to use one WhatsApp phone number across multiple partners and integrations, while maintaining independent billing, templates, and partner configurations.

Meta also calls this as ‘WAME’ i.e WhatsApp Account Model Evolution. This update allows businesses to unify all WhatsApp touchpoints—supported by partners, direct integration and Meta solutions like Meta Business Agent—under one unified brand identity and persistent conversation thread. 

As part of this update, the legacy WhatsApp Business account (WABA) will be updated to a new structure: WhatsApp Business account or WAAC  (holding the phone number, shareable across integrations) and a messaging account or PMA [paid messaging account] (holding templates and payment method, linked to one integration).

What this means for you

• No action required by businesses or tech providers for the migration. All accounts will be automatically migrated to the new structure between September 23 and mid-October 2026. You'll see the updated accounts on all Meta surfaces, including Meta Business Suite and WhatsApp Manager. Inflight campaigns remain intact.
• Backward compatibility through H1 2028. Existing Cloud API endpoints, phone number IDs, template workflows, and billing are unchanged, as the new WhatsApp account and messaging account identifiers are additive.

• Embedded signup update. All versions of embedded flows will also automatically reflect the new structure. Signup flow will allow sharing of an existing phone number and automatically create a messaging account for the partner.

   

  Helpful link - 

• New Embedded Signup Guide

• Facing incoming msg issues post WAME migration by Meta?

  
  What is changing?

  Today, when a business onboards with a BSP, a WhatsApp Business Account (WABA) is created for that BSP, and the business’s phone number is added to that WABA.

  With Meta’s new account structure:

• One WhatsApp Account (WAAC) → One phone number → Multiple Messaging Accounts (PMA)

• The WhatsApp Account (WAAC) will hold the phone numbers which can be shared across multiple integrations. Each partner will have its own Messaging Account (PMA) associated with that phone number.

  A Messaging Account will contain partner-specific information such as:

• Message templates (Templates will be unique to each PMA)

• Payment and billing settings 

  This means a business could, for example, use:

  BSP A → for Marketing messaging
  BSP B → for Utility messaging
  BSP C → for Service / customer support
  Meta solutions → for Meta Business Agent

  —all while using the same WhatsApp phone number and unified customer conversation thread.

   

  NOTE: Any partner can send any template message, however service messages can be sent only by the partner selected for service.

   

  Here’s a glance of how it has changed - 

  

  LIMITATIONS :

  - Phone number quality if impacted, or WAAC is banned, all messaging services will be impacted by all the PMAs associated with the phone number. 

  - Messaging Accounts / PMAs can be accessed for a particular BM by the business and the respective BSP only, giving them access to templates and credit line information. WAAC, on the other hand, can be accessed for a particular BM by the business admins only as they hold the information of all PMAs.

Changes on Meta interfaces : 

In Meta Business Suite, businesses will see separate:

WhatsApp Accounts
and
Messaging Accounts

instead of a single WhatsApp Accounts view.

Messaging Accounts will retain the existing WABA ID and will now contain partner-specific information including templates, payment settings, analytics, and webhook subscription information.

WhatsApp accounts tab now manages phone number (re)sharing, conversation routing and partner permissions.

Messaging account is unique to each partner, ensuring billing stays separate. Each messaging account has one payment method attached, and a messaging account with one partner’s payment method cannot be shared with another partner.

WhatsApp Manager Insights tab continues to work as they do today, now showing insights by messages sent on messaging account, instead of WABA. Note: messaging account ID inherits the legacy WABA ID.

A major addition: Conversation Routing

One of the most important capabilities enabled by this change is Conversation Routing.

Conversation Routing allows businesses to create a more unified and contextual experience when multiple partners or responders are involved in a WhatsApp conversation.

Businesses can control how conversations are:

• Directed
• Accessed
• Managed
• Handed over between partners

This allows different partners to play different roles while maintaining the same customer conversation.

Conversation routing tab under WAAC - (if only 1 PMA is available)

Conversation routing tab under WAAC - (if more than 1 PMA is available)

NOTE : The name of Tech Provider (owner of joint solution ID with Gupshup) will also be visible in the conversation routing partner list. However since they do not own messaging permissions, they should not be selected.

How partner routing works

What happens when onboarding a new phone number?

The onboarding experience of Embedded Signup is also changing.

When a business wants to onboard a phone number for the first time on WhatsApp Business API or activate Coexistence, the business has to go through phone number verification, which then creates a WAAC for the business. On completion of the embed signup flow, Meta automatically creates a Messaging Account for the associated BSP.

There is no need of setting conversation routing configuration if the phone number is freshly onboarded on WhatsApp.

Check the Embed Signup steps here with new account model

What happens when migrating a phone number from one BSP to another BSP?

The migrating experience is also changing.

Earlier when a bussiness had to migrate their phone number from one BSP to another, they had to create a new Waba and move the phone number there. However with the new Embedded Signup flow, this will not be possible. When a business wants to make the phone number work with a new BSP, you can trigger the Embedded Signup flow for them through the new BSP. 

The business HAS TO then share its existing WhatsApp phone number with that BSP after OTP step. Meta automatically creates a new Messaging Account for that BSP. They must then set the desired conversation routing experience making sure the required responses are handled by desired BSP. 

To offboard the old BSP, Businesses in their Whatsapp Manager will have the capability to remove the messaging id of the previous BSP where they have moved out and the previous BSP ( upon removal) will be informed via webhook from Meta that they have been removed by the client. These are the same webhooks as available today as partner removed, uninstalled, etc.

What you need to guide to your customers - 

• Different kind of Embed Signup guidance needed for customers with migration-intent
• No more 2fa disabling step required from old BSP
• Conversation routing is mandatory after migration to begin routing messaging through new PMA, after completing the Embed Signup

Check the Embed Signup + Conversation Routing steps here with new account model

Your existing integrations continue to work

Meta will automatically migrate eligible existing accounts to the new structure starting September 23, 2026, with migration continuing through mid-October 2026.

Importantly, this change is designed to be backward compatible by Meta.

When businesses move to the new account model:

• Existing endpoints continue to work.
• Existing phone number IDs continue to work.
• Existing authentications continue to work.
• Existing template workflows continue to work.
• Existing message-based billing remains unchanged.

The new account identifiers are additive, meaning existing integrations do not need to be rebuilt immediately.

Meta plans to maintain backward compatibility throughout, with the mandatory transition to the new model taking place in H1 2028.

Key dates at a glance

The big picture

Meta’s new WhatsApp account structure represents a significant shift in how businesses can build their WhatsApp ecosystem.

From one phone number tied to one partner → to one WhatsApp identity that can support multiple partners and integrations.

This gives businesses greater flexibility to choose the right partner for different use cases, while enabling a more unified and contextual customer experience on WhatsApp.

Gupshup will continue to keep you informed as Meta rolls out these changes and as additional capabilities become available.

Stay tuned to this guide for upcoming and frequent updates, in the initial days of the launch by Meta.

FACING ISSUES?

Once the WAME migration happens it is imperative for businesses facing messaging issues to share screenshots of Conversation Routing with Gupshup support to be able to assist quicker.