Connect your WhatsApp number to
Zena - step by step
Keep using your WhatsApp Business App on your phone. Connect it to Zena so your team gets a shared inbox, AI replies, and broadcasts - all from one place. End-to-end onboarding takes about 5 minutes.
Official Meta BSP · AE +971 fully supported · Your WhatsApp app keeps working
Check everything on this list before you begin
This takes 5 minutes. Complete every item here before you open Zena. Most setup failures happen because something here wasn't ready.
Your Facebook account
Your phone & WhatsApp Business App
Your Meta business portfolio
Set up Zena - about 2 minutes inside the dashboard
You sign up, Continue with Facebook, and Zena drops you straight into the workspace. A 7-chapter wizard at the bottom-right shapes the AI, the chatflows, and the inbox around your business - before a single customer message hits it.
Step 1 - Sign up
Open zena.fictoralabs.ae and hit Start Free Trial. The create-account page splits in two: a value strip on the left, and your sign-up options on the right. Pick the green Continue with Facebook (Recommended) button.
Why Facebook? Zena is a Meta Business Solution Provider. Every WhatsApp Business account ultimately lives inside Meta, so even sign-up runs through it. Use your real personal Facebook account at the password prompt.
Once you log in, Facebook shows a one-tap consent screen confirming the permissions you're granting Zena. Click Continue.
Step 2 - Land in the dashboard, hit "Setup Workspace"
After consent, Zena drops you into the workspace: Inbox, Contacts, Leads, Chatflows, Chatbot, Broadcasts, Templates, Analytics, Knowledge, Integrations, Meta CAPI, Companions. An 8-step product tour walks through each module so you know what's where before going live.
The tour ends with one prompt: "Ready to go live? Hit Setup Workspace, bottom-right. Takes about 3 minutes." That green pill is the only thing you have to click here.
Step 3 - The wizard opens
7 chapters, about 2 minutes, you can skip any step. Nothing is saved until the very end. The right side shows a live preview of how your AI will greet customers - it updates as you type.
Chapter 1 - Business name & industry
Type your business name (e.g. Digital Nomad). Pick an industry - Real Estate, Retail, Hotel, Travel, Restaurant, Salon, Fitness, Education, Marketing Agency, Professional Services, or Other. The right-side preview updates immediately - Zena's first reply now greets customers as your business.
Chapter 2 - Share your website, Zena reads it for you
Paste your website URL and click Read site. Zena scans up to 5 pages - services, FAQs, hours, pricing - and pulls out specifics. In the recorded test we got 15 facts learned in about 30 seconds. This is the difference between an AI that answers like it knows your business and one that sounds like a generic bot.
Chapter 3 - Team size & WhatsApp number
Drop in your WhatsApp number in international format (+971…) and pick your team size: 1–5, 5–20, 20–50, or 50+. Team size determines the plan recommendation - Starter for solo and small teams, Growth and Business for larger operations.
Chapter 4 - Which of these sound like you?
Tick the challenges that match your reality - after-hours leads, high message volume, lead qualification, follow-ups, appointments, broadcasts, team handoff, Arabic support. Zena tunes default behaviour to address these first.
Chapter 5 - Pick what matters most
Toggle on the modules you want live first: AI auto-replies, capture leads, send broadcasts, team inbox, CRM & analytics, workflow automation. Anything you skip can be turned on later from Settings, so this is just a "what activates on day one" choice.
Chapter 6 - Tell us your working hours
Pick the time zone (default Dubai, GST +4) and toggle the days you operate. For each open day, set start and end time. Outside these hours Zena acknowledges the customer and commits to a next-business-day follow-up so no lead is left hanging overnight.
Chapter 7 - Bring your number on board
This is the moment of truth. Zena offers two paths and you pick one. The recommended path is Keep using WhatsApp Business App: that's Coexistence, where your phone app keeps working and Zena runs alongside it. The alternative is Switch to Cloud API entirely, which removes the phone app from the loop completely.
Recommended - keep WhatsApp Business App
- Your phone app keeps working normally
- Your team gets a shared inbox in Zena alongside it
- This is Coexistence, the safer path for most businesses
Switch to Cloud API entirely
- Full API control, no WhatsApp Business app on phone
- Only pick this if your team doesn't need the mobile app
- Harder to undo, you cannot easily go back to the app
Connect to Meta - about 3 minutes
You're sitting on the chapter 7 "Bring your number on board" screen. Before clicking Continue with Facebook, take a quick side trip to business.facebook.com to make sure your WhatsApp number is already linked to a Meta business portfolio. Then come back here and click Continue. The embedded signup, phone QR scan, and "Zena is being built" screen all follow.
Part A - Confirm the Meta prerequisite (business portfolio + WhatsApp linked)
Part B - Back on chapter 7 in Zena, click Continue with Facebook
Switch back to your Zena tab. You're still on the chapter 7 "Bring your number on board" screen with Keep using WhatsApp Business App selected. Now click Continue with Facebook. Meta's embedded signup launches in a popup with your now-linked number ready to connect.
Part C - Phone QR scan (about 45 seconds)
Meta now shows a QR code on the desktop. The next 5 actions happen on your phone. Have the WhatsApp Business app open and ready.
Part D - Final desktop steps and "Zena is being built"
If something goes wrong during this step
| Error | Fix |
|---|---|
| Phone number not eligible - more activity needed Your number hasn't been used enough on the Business App | Use the WhatsApp Business App actively with real conversations every day for at least 7 days, then try again. |
| This number is registered to an existing account Number is on another WhatsApp or another platform | Contact Zena support with a screenshot - we help identify and release the number. |
| Number linked to another Business Manager Was previously connected elsewhere | Log into that old Business Account → Settings → WhatsApp Accounts → remove the number → try again here. |
| Payment method already exists for this WABA Previously connected to another BSP | Do not delete the old WABA. Create a second new WABA under the same business portfolio and use that one. |
| We can't verify the Meta business account Business portfolio info is incomplete | Go to business.facebook.com → make sure your business name, address, website, and email are all filled in → try again. |
| You've guessed too many times Too many wrong OTP attempts | Wait 12 hours and try again. Don't keep attempting - it extends the lockout. |
| Can't send verification code Carrier issue or VoIP number | Choose "Call me instead" to receive the code via a voice call. |
What changes - and what stays exactly the same
Now that Coexistence is on, here is exactly what you can and cannot do going forward.
What stays the same on your phone
Still works normally on your phone
- All your existing chats and history
- Sending and receiving messages
- Voice and video calls
- Group chats
- Status updates
- Your product catalogue
- Quick replies and auto-replies
New in Zena - not available in the app
- Shared team inbox - multiple agents
- AI chatbot and automation
- Broadcast campaigns to thousands
- Approved message templates
- Analytics and reports
- Customer history, notes, and CRM
Important things to know after connecting
Your 3 next actions
How to disconnect if you ever need to
Errors and fixes - full reference
Find the exact error you are seeing and follow the fix. If your error is not listed here, contact Zena support with a screenshot.
During Meta Business Account setup
| Error | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Your account has been restricted | New or suspicious Facebook account | Use an older, active personal Facebook account instead |
| Business Manager already exists | You created one before | Log in to business.facebook.com and use the existing one - do not create another |
| Your business is prohibited from advertising | Previous ad account violation on your Facebook profile | Create a Business Account using a different personal Facebook account |
| We can't verify this URL | Website is broken, empty, or under construction | Use your Google Business Profile URL or a fully built Instagram Business page URL instead |
During WhatsApp connection in Zena
| Error | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Phone number not eligible - more activity needed | Business App too new or not enough conversations | Use the Business App actively with real conversations every day for 7–30 days. Try again after. |
| This number is registered to an existing account | Number still on another WhatsApp or another platform | Contact Zena support - we help identify and release the number |
| Number linked to another Business Manager | Was connected to a different Business Account before | Log into that old Business Account → Settings → WhatsApp Accounts → remove the number → try again |
| Payment method already exists for this WABA | Previously used with another BSP | Do not delete the old WABA. Create a second new WABA under the same Business Account |
| We can't verify the Meta business account | Business Account info incomplete or missing | Go to business.facebook.com → complete all fields: name, address, website, email → try again |
| You've guessed too many times | Too many incorrect OTP attempts | Wait 12 hours and try again. Stop attempting - more tries extend the lockout |
| Can't send the verification code | Carrier block or VoIP number | Choose "Call me instead" to receive the code via voice call |
| Business doesn't meet policy requirements | Business type may be in a restricted category | Contact Meta Business Support directly via business.facebook.com - cannot be fixed from Zena's side |
After connecting - things that may stop working
| Issue | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Group chats not appearing in Zena | Per Meta's Coexistence terms, group chats stay phone-only - they are never synced to the platform | Handle group threads from your phone's WhatsApp Business app. Use Zena's broadcasting + chatflows for one-to-many outreach instead. |
| Customer messages not appearing in Zena | Webhooks interrupted, or the WhatsApp Business app was uninstalled from the connected phone | Contact Zena support immediately with the affected number. Do not reinstall the app until support advises - that can compound the issue. |