Guide · How WhatsApp works · For the owner whose name is on the vans
WhatsApp business usernames: what they are, the rules for one, and why to claim yours now
WhatsApp is adding usernames, so a business can be found by a name instead of a phone number. Customers cannot see usernames everywhere yet, but since 29 June 2026 a business can already claim its own. The name you want is worth claiming before another business with the same word in it does.
Published 28 September 2026 · Updated 9 October 2026
What a username is, and is not
A business username is a short name, such as one made of your trading name, that WhatsApp shows in place of your phone number. Meta is rolling usernames out gradually through 2026. A username you claim and Meta approves is held for you now and becomes visible to customers when the feature reaches them.
Not a privacy feature
When a customer opens a chat, WhatsApp shows the first of these it has, in this order: the name the customer saved you under, then your verified business name if you have an Official Business Account, then your username, then your phone number.
The rules for a name
Meta accepts a business username only if all of these hold.
- Characters
- English letters, digits, periods and underscores only. Letters with accents are refused.
- Length
- Between 3 and 35 characters, with at least one letter.
- Periods
- Not at the start, not at the end, and never two in a row.
- Not a web address
- It must not start with www. and must not end with a domain ending such as .com, .net or .org.
- Case
- Capitals do not matter: two names that differ only in case are the same name. A period and an underscore do matter, so my.name and my_name are different names.
Reserved for you, or chosen by you
WhatsApp may reserve a username for your business, which you can claim as it is. You can also ask for a different one that matches your branding. Either way, you claim it in WhatsApp Manager or Meta Business Suite, and Meta's page says the WhatsApp Business app can do it too.
One catch worth knowing before you start: if the name you want is already in use on your own Facebook Page or Instagram account, you must link your business phone number to that Page or account first. The linking can be done while claiming, and it needs full control of the Page or account, or partial access that includes managing phone numbers.
One username per number, first come, first served
Who can claim one
Meta lists two reasons a request is turned down that an owner can act on. The name may already be claimed by someone else, or fail Meta's own checks, in which case you ask for another. Or the business is not yet eligible: Meta's page says the business portfolio must have a higher messaging limit than it starts with, without naming the level. A new number that has not yet been through business verification may have to wait for that step first.
Meta can also revoke a username it has granted, and provides support channels for reporting a business that is impersonating another.
Customers get usernames too, and that changes one thing
WhatsApp users can adopt a username of their own. When a customer with a username writes to you, Meta may withhold their phone number from the software connected to your business number, unless you and that customer have exchanged messages in the last 30 days or the customer is in your contacts. Instead the customer is identified by a code Meta issues for your business.
Meta requires every piece of software connected to a business number to support that code, so that a customer who adopts a username can still be answered. For an owner the question to ask any provider is simply whether their system handles it.
Questions
We have two WhatsApp numbers. Can they share one username?
No. WhatsApp's help page says usernames are unique to a phone number, so each number needs its own username, although both numbers can use the same display name.
Will customers see my username today?
Not necessarily. Meta is rolling the feature out gradually during 2026. A username you claim now is held for you and appears to customers when the feature reaches them.
Can I use the same name as my Instagram handle?
Yes, if it is your own account. Meta asks you to link the business phone number to that Instagram account or Facebook Page before it will grant the matching username.
Does a username hide my phone number?
No. Meta states that a business username does not hide the business phone number in the app.
We have two numbers. Can the username move between them?
Meta's documentation describes moving a username from one business phone number to another inside the same business portfolio, done through the API. Ask whoever runs your system if you need it.
Sources
- Meta's developer documentation: Business-scoped user IDs and usernames, read 28 September 2026.
- Meta's WhatsApp Business Platform changelog, entry of 29 June 2026, read 28 September 2026.
- WhatsApp Help Center: How to reserve and manage usernames on WhatsApp Business Platform, read 9 October 2026.
More plain-language notes like this one are on the guides page.
Want your name claimed before someone else's?
We set up a business's WhatsApp number on a proper system and take it through the steps Meta asks for, including the username claim once the number is eligible. A short call is the easiest way to see whether it fits your business.
Book a demo