--- title: "Unofficial WhatsApp API vs Cloud API in Kommo" description: "Risks of connecting WhatsApp to Kommo through an unofficial QR API versus Meta’s Cloud API: bans, templates, calls, limits, costs and when to switch." lang: en canonical: https://waply.online/guides/whatsapp-unofficial-api-vs-cloud-api/ sitemap: https://waply.online/sitemap.md --- # Unofficial WhatsApp API vs Cloud API in Kommo: risks and when to switch By [Fernando Castillo](https://waply.online/about/#fernando-castillo), Founder of Waply Updated: 2026-10-14 **An unofficial connection runs a phone’s WhatsApp session linked with a QR code; the Cloud API is Meta’s WhatsApp Business Platform for businesses.** The unofficial route can work to get started, but Meta does not back it and, under WhatsApp’s terms, automated or unauthorized use may lead to the account being suspended. The Cloud API works with approved templates, published messaging limits and calling through an API, with the charges Meta publishes on its pricing page. This guide is for teams that connect WhatsApp to Kommo today by scanning a QR code or with a connector that mirrors WhatsApp Web, and want to understand the risks they take and when it makes sense to move to the official API. It does not compare products or walk through the migration step by step: it explains the why and links to those guides. [Install in Kommo](https://api.waply.online/oauth/kommo/website/start?locale=en) — Free 3-day trial with everything in Voice AI. ## What an unofficial WhatsApp API is and what the Cloud API is Unofficial connection: a service links your number as one more WhatsApp device, usually by scanning a QR code, and automates that session (WhatsApp Web style). Meta does not offer this route as a business product, so how it works depends on the connector and the phone. Cloud API: Meta’s WhatsApp Business Platform. The number is registered in a WhatsApp Business Account (WABA) inside your business portfolio, and messages go through Meta’s infrastructure, with published rules and pricing. Kommo and providers such as Waply connect to it. ## Comparison: unofficial API vs Cloud API **Differences between an unofficial QR connection and Meta’s Cloud API (reviewed October 14, 2026)** | Criterion | Unofficial connection (QR or web session) | Cloud API (WhatsApp Business Platform) | | --- | --- | --- | | Backed by Meta | Not a Meta business product. | Official Meta product, with published documentation and policies. | | Number ban risk | Under WhatsApp’s terms, automated or unauthorized use may lead to account suspension. | Meta may limit or suspend accounts that break its policies; the rules are published. | | Templates and business-initiated messages | No Meta-approved templates; bulk sending may be treated as unauthorized use. | Outside the 24-hour window, you start with Meta-approved templates. | | Calls | Not part of a Meta API; they depend on each connector. | Meta’s Calling API, with its own requirements; coexistence numbers cannot make calls. | | Limits and quality | No limits or quality rating published by Meta. | Messaging limits and quality rating visible in WhatsApp Manager. | | Business verification | Not applicable. | Meta may ask you to verify the business, for example to scale limits. | | Session stability | Depends on the linked phone; the session can close or disconnect. | Server-to-server connection between Meta and the provider, without relying on a phone being on. | | Cost | No Meta charges; you pay the connector’s fee. | Meta charges per template at its rates, plus the provider’s fee. | ## Risks of using an unofficial WhatsApp API - Number suspension: WhatsApp’s Terms of Service prohibit accessing the service through automated or unauthorized means and sending bulk or auto-messages; if they are broken, WhatsApp may disable or suspend the account. - Losing access to WhatsApp Business: under the WhatsApp Business Messaging Policy, Meta may limit or remove access for anyone using a service that uses WhatsApp in an unauthorized way, for example to message people at scale. - Fragile session: if the phone goes offline, the linked session closes or the app changes, the connector may stop receiving or sending messages until you scan the QR again. - No official tools: you get no approved templates, no quality rating and no Meta support to review a ban. These risks do not mean every number will be banned: they depend on usage, volume and how Meta applies its terms. What is clear is that the unofficial route sits outside what Meta offers to businesses. - [WhatsApp: Terms of Service](https://www.whatsapp.com/legal/terms-of-service) - [WhatsApp: WhatsApp Business Messaging Policy](https://business.whatsapp.com/policy) ## When unofficial may be enough and when the official API is better An unofficial connection may be enough if you handle few conversations, all started by your customers, accept that the number may disconnect or be suspended, and need neither templates nor calls through an API. The Cloud API is the better choice if WhatsApp is a sales or support channel that cannot go down, if you message customers first with reminders or campaigns, if several people work from Kommo, if you want WhatsApp calls or AI agents, or if you need rules and costs you can check in Meta’s documentation. - [Guide: WhatsApp messaging limits and quality in Kommo](/guides/whatsapp-limits-quality-kommo/) - [Guide: best WhatsApp integrations for Kommo](/guides/whatsapp-integrations-kommo/) ## How to move from an unofficial API to the Cloud API 1. Decide which number to use: a new one, or the one you already use in the WhatsApp Business app, keeping the app through coexistence. 2. If you used an unofficial connector, check with that provider how to disconnect it before registering the number on the official API. 3. Connect the number to the Cloud API from Kommo with an official provider and create your templates. If you want to keep using the WhatsApp Business app on the phone, check the coexistence requirements before you start. The full step by step is in these guides: - [Guide: migrate from Wazzup or Radist to the official API in Kommo](/guides/migrate-wazzup-radist-kommo/) - [Guide: how to connect WhatsApp to Kommo with the official API](/guides/connect-whatsapp-kommo/) ## Where Waply fits - Uses the official WhatsApp API: Meta bills its charges directly, with zero markup from Waply, in your WABA’s currency. - Recorded WhatsApp calls, AI agents with knowledge bases and the option to use your own API key (BYOK). - Plans Basic USD 18, AI 24/7 USD 39 and Voice AI USD 89, with a free 3-day trial that includes Voice AI. - Calls: coexistence numbers cannot make calls, and Meta’s documentation requires a daily messaging limit of at least 2,000 unique recipients to use the Calling API. - [Meta: WhatsApp Calling API requirements](https://developers.facebook.com/documentation/business-messaging/whatsapp/calling) [Install in Kommo](https://api.waply.online/oauth/kommo/website/start?locale=en) — Free 3-day trial with everything in Voice AI. ## Frequently asked questions ### Can my number be banned for using an unofficial WhatsApp API? It can happen. WhatsApp’s Terms of Service prohibit access through automated or unauthorized means and bulk or auto-messaging, and WhatsApp may suspend accounts that break them. There is no public figure for how many numbers get banned. [WhatsApp: Terms of Service](https://www.whatsapp.com/legal/terms-of-service) ### Does the WhatsApp Cloud API charge for every message? Meta charges for templates at its rates by country and category. Replies inside the 24-hour customer service window follow the pricing rules Meta publishes. On top of that comes the fee of the provider that connects Kommo. [Meta: WhatsApp Business Platform pricing](https://developers.facebook.com/docs/whatsapp/pricing) ### Can I keep using the WhatsApp Business app if I move to the Cloud API? Yes, with Meta’s coexistence, if your number meets the requirements. In coexistence you can send and receive messages through the API, but you cannot make calls. [Requirements to connect a WhatsApp Business app number (coexistence)](/guides/migrate-wazzup-radist-kommo/#coexistence-requirements) ### Can I make WhatsApp calls in Kommo with the Cloud API? Yes, with Meta’s Calling API and a provider that integrates it. According to Meta’s documentation, the number must be in use with the Cloud API, not the app, and the business needs a daily messaging limit of at least 2,000 unique recipients. [Meta: WhatsApp Calling API requirements](https://developers.facebook.com/documentation/business-messaging/whatsapp/calling) ### When is an unofficial connection enough? When volume is low, customers write first and a disconnection or suspension of the number would not stop your business. If you rely on WhatsApp to sell or support customers, the official API is the more stable option. ## Move to the official WhatsApp API in Kommo Install Waply in Kommo and use the free 3-day trial with everything in Voice AI: connect your number to the Cloud API, create your templates and try calls and AI agents. [Install in Kommo](https://api.waply.online/oauth/kommo/website/start?locale=en) — Free 3-day trial with everything in Voice AI. [See Waply plans](/pricing/) ## Sources - [WhatsApp: Terms of Service (checked 2026-10-14)](https://www.whatsapp.com/legal/terms-of-service) - [WhatsApp: WhatsApp Business Messaging Policy (checked 2026-10-14)](https://business.whatsapp.com/policy) - [Meta: Calling API prerequisites (checked 2026-10-14)](https://developers.facebook.com/documentation/business-messaging/whatsapp/calling) - [Meta: messaging limits (checked 2026-10-14)](https://developers.facebook.com/docs/whatsapp/messaging-limits/) - [Meta: message templates (checked 2026-10-14)](https://developers.facebook.com/documentation/business-messaging/whatsapp/templates/overview) - [Meta: WhatsApp Business Platform pricing (checked 2026-10-14)](https://developers.facebook.com/docs/whatsapp/pricing)