BroadcastoThe WhatsApp Cloud API is Meta's hosted version of the WhatsApp Business API. Meta runs the infrastructure, so businesses do not need on-premise servers. It is faster to onboard, cheaper to maintain and is now the default for new accounts.
Before 2022, businesses had to self-host the WhatsApp Business API on their own servers (the On-Premise API). The Cloud API moved everything to Meta's infrastructure, dropping setup time from weeks to minutes.
All new businesses should onboard on Cloud API. Meta has announced an end-of-life path for On-Premise. Broadcasto onboards every account on Cloud API via embedded signup.
Related terms
- WhatsApp Business API — The official Meta API for businesses to send WhatsApp messages at scale.
- WhatsApp Embedded Signup — Meta's in-product flow to connect a number to the WhatsApp Business API in minutes.