WhatsApp Business API vs Coexistence: What’s the Difference?
Compare WhatsApp Business API and Coexistence to understand how each works, their key differences, and which setup best fits your business needs.
5 min readBy the Flovoo team
Overview
Businesses using WhatsApp today often choose between two main approaches:
WhatsApp Business API or WhatsApp Coexistence.
The key difference lies in how the phone number is used, and whether the WhatsApp Business App can still be used after setup.
What is WhatsApp Business API?
WhatsApp Business API is designed for businesses that want to scale communication and automate workflows.
In a traditional API-only setup, the phone number is used entirely through a system (such as Flovoo ) and cannot be used on the WhatsApp Business App.
Key characteristics:
- No mobile app usage
- Multi-agent support
- Automation (chatbots, workflows)
- Template messaging
- Integration with business systems
What is WhatsApp Coexistence?
WhatsApp Coexistence allows businesses to:
Use the WhatsApp Business App and the API on the same number at the same time
What this means:
- You keep using the mobile app
- You also gain API capabilities
- No need to delete your account or change your number
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Coexistence (App + API) | WhatsApp Business API Only |
|---|---|---|
| Number usage | You use the same number on your phone and in the system (Flovoo) | Your number works only inside the system (not on the app) |
| Mobile app usage | You can still open and use WhatsApp Business on your phone | You cannot use the WhatsApp app with this number |
| Manual replies | You can reply manually from your phone like normal | You can only reply from the system (no phone replies) |
| Automation | The system can send automated messages, while you still reply manually from the app | All messages (manual + automated) are handled through the system |
| Voice & video calls | You can call customers from the app only (not from Flovoo) | Calls are not available at all |
| Group chats | You can use group chats on the app | Group chats are not available |
| Broadcast lists | You can see old broadcast lists, but cannot create new ones | Broadcasts are sent as campaigns/templates from the system |
| Status updates | You can post and view status from the app | Status is not available |
| Message editing & deleting | You cannot edit or delete messages after sending | You cannot edit or delete messages |
| Data sync | Your contacts and recent chats (up to 6 months) can sync between app and system | Data exists only in the system (no sync from the app) |
| Linked devices | You can use linked devices (like WhatsApp Web), but some may not fully sync | You don’t use linked devices — everything is inside the system |
What Happens to Your Data?
API-only setup
- The WhatsApp Business App can no longer be used with the same number
- Existing chat history is not automatically transferred to the system
- If you delete your account during setup, chats may be removed from the app
Coexistence
- The WhatsApp Business App remains active
- Contacts and recent conversations (up to 6 months) can sync to the system
- Your existing chats stay available on the app
When to Use Each
Use WhatsApp Business API if:
- You want full automation and system control
- Your team manages all conversations from a platform (e.g. Flovoo )
- You do not need to use the mobile app
Use Coexistence if:
- You already use the WhatsApp Business App
- You want to move to the API gradually
You need both:
- manual communication from the app
- automation from the system
Summary
- WhatsApp Business API is ideal for fully managing conversations through Flovoo and scaling your operations
- Coexistence provides flexibility by allowing you to use both the app and Flovoo together
- Coexistence is the best option if you want to adopt the API gradually without changing your current workflow
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