# Prerequisites for WhatsApp Bots In order to create the WhatsApp bot using the WhatsApp cloud API, the following things are required. ## Prerequisites Before you start creating the WhatsApp bot, Make sure that you have * [ ] A phone number that is * [ ] Active & capable of receiving SMS. * [ ] Not registered on WhatsApp or WA Business App. * [ ] Registered legal business * [ ] An active website with a valid privacy policy * [ ] Business use case compliant with [WhatsApp](https://www.whatsapp.com/legal/commerce-policy) and [Meta commerce policy](https://www.facebook.com/policies_center/commerce/). * [ ] A valid payment method (Debit or Credit card) capable of making international payments to Meta for conversation charges. * [ ] GSTIN Number, Only if the business is registered in India. If you have all of the above checked, You are good to start with WhatsApp Cloud API Bot. {% hint style="warning" %} Please note that a single mobile number can only be utilized on one of the WhatsApp services at a given time, namely WhatsApp, WA Business, or WhatsApp Business API. If you wish to use your existing number, you are required to remove your account from one service before using it on another. {% endhint %} --- # Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter: ``` GET https://help.botpenguin.com/bots/whatsapp-bot/bot-setup/whatsapp-bot-creation-with-manual-onboarding/prerequisites-for-whatsapp-bots.md?ask= ``` The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.