Set up a permanent system user access token for WhatsApp Cloud API

To set up a permanent system user access token for WhatsApp Cloud API in Meta Business Manager, here’s the step-by-step process:

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🔹 Step 1. Go to Business Settings

• Log in to Meta Business Manager.

• From the left menu → Business Settings.

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🔹 Step 2. Create a System User

1. Under Users → System Users.

2. Click Add.

3. Give it a name (example: MedicalSupplierz_API_User).

4. Choose Role = Admin (so it has full permissions).

5. Save.

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🔹 Step 3. Assign Assets to the System User

1. After creating the system user, select it.

2. Click Add Assets.

3. Assign your WhatsApp Business Account (WABA).

4. Give it permissions:

   • whatsapp_business_messaging

   • whatsapp_business_management.

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🔹 Step 4. Generate a Permanent Access Token

1. Still inside the system user, click Generate New Token.

2. Choose your app (the one connected to WhatsApp Cloud API).

3. Select permissions:

   • whatsapp_business_messaging

   • whatsapp_business_management.

4. Generate token → it will look like:

   EAAG...long-string...ZDZD
   

⚠️ Copy it immediately — Meta only shows it once.

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🔹 Step 5. Use the Token in Your Code

In your .env file:

WHATSAPP_ACCESS_TOKEN=EAAG...long-string...ZDZD

Use it in your API calls:

curl -i -X POST \
  https://graph.facebook.com/v20.0/{{PHONE_NUMBER_ID}}/messages \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $WHATSAPP_ACCESS_TOKEN" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
        "messaging_product": "whatsapp",
        "to": "965XXXXXXXX",
        "text": { "body": "Hello from MedicalSupplierz!" }
      }'

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🔹 Step 6. Token Lifetime & Refresh

• System user tokens are long-lived (permanent), but they can be invalidated if:

  • You remove the system user.

  • You change business security settings.

• Best practice: Store the token securely and rotate it periodically.

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✅ After this, you’ll have a permanent token that won’t expire every 24 hours, unlike the test tokens.

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