# How to Approve the WhatsApp Display Name in the Official API
## What is the Display Name?
The **display name** is the name that appears to your customers when they receive a message from you on WhatsApp. It is the first thing a person sees — even before opening the conversation.
If the name is not approved, WhatsApp shows only the **phone number** instead of the company name. This reduces customer trust and can hurt your response rates.
## The Confusion with the "Certificate"
Many clients come to us asking about a **"certificate" required to approve the name**. Let's clear this up once and for all:
{% hint style="warning" %}
**Attention — This does not apply to you**
That so-called "display name certificate" was used in the old **On-Premises API** (self-hosted), which Meta discontinued. In that old model, the company hosted WhatsApp on its own servers and had to download and register a certificate manually every time the name changed.
At SprintHub, the integration is done via **Official Cloud API** — the infrastructure belongs to Meta itself. This means that:
{% endhint %}
| On-Premises API (old) | Cloud API (SprintHub) |
| --------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------- |
| Company hosted the servers | Meta hosts everything in the cloud |
| Needed to download a certificate | **No certificate** — automatic registration |
| Certificate was valid for 14 days | Approved name stays active directly |
| BSP managed the process | You manage it directly in Meta Business |
{% hint style="info" %}
**Summary**
In the Cloud API (which is what SprintHub uses), display name approval **does not depend on any certificate**. It depends on only two things: **your company name in Meta Business Manager** and **Meta's naming rules**.
{% endhint %}
## What Does Approval Depend On?
Meta reviews two factors when approving (or rejecting) your display name:
### 1. The company name in your Business Manager (BM)
The display name needs to have **a direct relationship** with the company name registered in your Meta Business Manager account. Meta compares this name with your website, documents, and online presence. If the display name does not match the company's identity, it will be rejected.
### 2. Meta's formatting rules
Even if the name is correct, it must follow a set of formatting rules. See below.
## Meta Display Name Rules
1. **Represent the actual company**\
The name must represent your business, product, service, or department. It needs to be consistent with the branding on your website and official materials.
2. **Minimum of 3 characters**\
Names with only 1 or 2 characters will be rejected. Example: `CT` is rejected, but `CT Store` is accepted.
3. **No ALL CAPS**\
The name must use correct grammatical capitalization, just like the company name. `MARCO STORE` will be rejected — the correct version is `Marco Store` (unless your brand is registered that way in all caps).
4. **No URL format**\
Names like `mycompany.com.br` or `www.store.com` are not allowed.
5. **No generic or geographic terms alone**\
Names like `Fashion`, `Brazil`, `Consulting` or `Real Estate` will be rejected. It needs to have identity: `Fashion Express`, `Oliveira Real Estate`.
6. **No personal names alone**\
`John Silva` will be rejected. But `John Silva Law` or `JS Consulting` may be accepted if it is on the website.
7. **Additional words: only region, department, or test**\
You can add words that indicate region, department, or a test account. Example: `Vida Pharmacy Brazil` or `Vida Pharmacy Support` are accepted. But `Vida Pharmacy Official` is not.
## Practical Examples
| Status | Name | Reason |
| ------ | ------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------- |
| ✅ | `SprintHub` | Brand name, consistent with the website and with the BM |
| ✅ | `Oliveira Real Estate` | Full business name |
| ✅ | `Clínica Bem Estar Support` | Name + department (allowed) |
| ✅ | `TechStore Brazil` | Name + region (allowed) |
| ❌ | `SUPERGEEKS EDUCATION` | All caps (unless registered that way as a trademark) |
| ❌ | `supergeekseducacao.com.br` | URL format |
| ❌ | `Education` | Generic term, no identity |
| ❌ | `SuperGeeks Education Official` | "Official" is not allowed |
## Step by Step: How to Change and Approve
{% stepper %}
{% step %}
#### Access Meta Business Manager
Log in to `business.facebook.com` with your company's admin account.
{% endstep %}
{% step %}
#### Go to WhatsApp Manager
In the side menu, click **Account Settings** → **WhatsApp Manager**. If you prefer, go directly to: `business.facebook.com/wa/manage`
{% endstep %}
{% step %}
#### Select your number
In the **Phone Numbers**section, find the number connected to SprintHub.
{% endstep %}
{% step %}
#### Edit the display name
Hover over the current name in the "Name" column and click the **pencil icon** (edit). Enter the new name following the rules above.
{% endstep %}
{% step %}
#### Submit for review
Click **Next** to submit. Meta reviews it automatically. In most cases, approval takes from **a few minutes to a few hours**.
{% endstep %}
{% step %}
#### Done — no certificate, no hassle
In Cloud API, once approved, the name becomes active automatically. You do not need to download anything, and you do not need to re-register the number. Just wait for the approval to appear on the dashboard.
{% endstep %}
{% endstepper %}
{% hint style="success" %}
**Quick approval tip**
Before submitting, check whether the name you want to use appears **exactly like this on your website**. Meta compares the display name with your online presence. If the website says "SuperGeeks AI School" and you try "SuperGeeks Education," it may be rejected.
{% endhint %}
***
## Business Verification ≠ Display Name
Another common confusion: **business verification** (business verification) is a separate process from display name approval. However, they are connected:
**Before verifying the business:** your display name is approved automatically in most cases, without detailed review.
**After verifying the business:** Meta starts reviewing the display name more strictly, cross-checking it with the documents you submitted during verification. Any future name change goes through review.
Business verification is required to unlock higher messaging limits (above 1,000 conversations/month) and to request the official business account (green badge).
## Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to download any certificate?
No. In the Cloud API (the integration used by SprintHub), there is no certificate for the display name. That was part of the On-Premises API, which Meta has discontinued.
My name was rejected. What do I do?
Check whether the name follows all the rules listed above. The most common reason for rejection is that the name does not match what appears on the company's website, or it uses a prohibited format (URL, all caps, generic term). Fix it and resubmit.
Can I change the name as many times as I want?
You can change the display name up to 10 times within a 30-day period. Each change goes through a new review.
How long does approval take?
In most cases, from a few minutes to a few hours. In rare cases it may take longer, especially if the business has already been verified and Meta cross-checks the information more strictly.
If I don't approve the name, can I send messages?
Yes, but your customers will only see the phone number, not the company name. This hurts trust and response rates.
Does SprintHub need to do anything in this process?
No. Name approval is handled directly between you and Meta, through the Meta Business Manager dashboard. SprintHub is already integrated via Cloud API — as soon as the name is approved by Meta, it appears automatically in sent messages.
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