# WhatsApp Business app vs WhatsApp Business API, and how Mujib connects

> WhatsApp Business API vs the WhatsApp Business app: how Mujib links to your number, whether your number can get banned, and what lowers that risk.

The WhatsApp Business API, Meta's WhatsApp Business Platform, is a service that companies' systems connect to in order to send and receive messages at scale; the WhatsApp Business app is an app on your phone. Mujib does not connect through the official platform: it links to your number as a linked device, the way WhatsApp Web does.

## What is the difference between the WhatsApp Business app and the WhatsApp API?

It comes down to how you connect and which sending rules apply: the app runs on your phone and you send from it like any phone, while the official platform is something systems connect to, with sending rules of its own.

| | WhatsApp Business app | WhatsApp Business Platform (API) |
| --- | --- | --- |
| What it is | An app on your phone that you send your business's messages from | A Meta service that companies' software connects to, to send and receive messages |
| Who sends | You from the phone, or a device linked to your number | The company's system, through the platform |
| Messaging a customer later on | You send whenever you like | Outside the customer service window, only an approved message template can be sent |
| How Mujib works with it | It links to your number as a linked device | Mujib does not connect through this platform |

If you are looking for an API to connect your own systems to Mujib, Mujib has its own, described in [Developers](https://docs.mujib.ai/en/developers/overview/); it is separate from the WhatsApp platform.

## How does Mujib connect to WhatsApp?

Mujib links to your current number as a linked device, the way WhatsApp Web does: you link it with a code you type into WhatsApp on your phone, or a QR code you scan, from **Linked devices** in the app.

- Your number and your app stay as they are, and the number works on your phone and in Mujib at the same time.
- It works with a WhatsApp Business app number and with a regular WhatsApp number.
- You need no approved templates, and the 24-hour window does not limit replies on WhatsApp.
- If you remove Mujib from **Linked devices** on your phone, the number disconnects and the agent stops answering on it.

The linking steps are in [Connect WhatsApp](https://docs.mujib.ai/en/start/connect-whatsapp/), and what works after linking is in [WhatsApp Business with the agent](https://docs.mujib.ai/en/channels/whatsapp/).

## Can my number get banned?

Yes, it can: WhatsApp can restrict or ban any number that breaks its rules, nobody can guarantee that it will not happen, and Mujib does not change those rules.

WhatsApp's policies name reasons like these:

- Messaging people who did not give you their number and did not agree to receive your messages.
- Sending bulk or automated messages at scale that their recipients do not want.
- Being blocked and reported by many recipients.

If WhatsApp bans the number, the **Channels** page shows **WhatsApp blocked this number** under it, and retrying from Mujib does not fix that.

## What happens to Mujib if my number is restricted?

The agent may stop answering on that number while the restriction lasts, because Mujib works as a device linked to the number, and the number may be disconnected from Mujib.

- The restriction and how long it lasts show in the WhatsApp app on your phone.
- Pause your campaigns during that time, and review who you have been messaging.
- Once the restriction ends, if the number shows **Disconnected** on the **Channels** page, link it again from [Connect WhatsApp](https://docs.mujib.ai/en/start/connect-whatsapp/).
- A ban is not a restriction: if the number is banned, the decision is WhatsApp's and Mujib cannot lift it.

## What lowers the risk of a restriction?

What protects your number most is messaging people who messaged you or agreed to hear from you, and not sending in bulk to people who do not know you.

- **The agent replies; it does not reach out in bulk:** it answers people who write to you. Appointment reminders go only to people who booked, spaced out and during daytime hours. See [Appointment reminders](https://docs.mujib.ai/en/bookings/reminders/).
- **Campaigns send with a gap:** each message waits before the next one, with a **Fixed gap** or a **Random gap** between two limits; a random gap looks more like a person sending by hand.
- **An audience that messaged you:** the **Only people we have messaged on WhatsApp** option is on by default in a campaign, so it reaches only people who started a conversation with you on WhatsApp.
- **Leaving out people who do not want messages:** a customer marked **Do not contact** or **Not interested** never receives a campaign. When a customer asks you to stop messaging them, mark them **Do not contact** from the Leads page.
- **Acknowledging the risk:** before sending, the campaign shows the warning **Bulk sending puts your number at risk of a ban**, and it does not send until you confirm **I understand the risk and accept responsibility**.
- **Spreading across numbers:** with more than one number linked, campaign messages rotate across them.

> **Numbers you add yourself**
>
> A campaign lets you add numbers you type or import from a file. Those people most likely never messaged you, so only send to them if they agreed to receive your messages. The gap and the risk acknowledgement do not prevent a ban on their own.
How to build a campaign is in [Campaigns](https://docs.mujib.ai/en/features/campaigns/).

## Frequently asked questions

### Is Mujib an official Meta platform for WhatsApp?

No. Mujib does not connect through the official WhatsApp Business Platform; it links to your number as a linked device, the way WhatsApp Web does.

### Can WhatsApp ban my number if I use Mujib?

Yes, it can, as it can any number that breaks WhatsApp's rules. Nobody can guarantee a number will never be restricted, but following the messaging rules lowers the risk a lot.

### Do I need approved message templates?

No. Approved templates are a requirement of the official platform outside the customer service window. Mujib sends from your number the way you send from your phone.

### Does auto-replying to people who message me put my number at risk?

The main risk is messaging people who never messaged you and never agreed to hear from you, especially in large numbers. The agent replies to people who write to you, and it never sends campaigns on its own.

### What do I see if WhatsApp blocks my number?

A message under the number on the Channels page says WhatsApp blocked it, and retrying from Mujib does not fix that.

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Source: https://docs.mujib.ai/en/channels/whatsapp-business-vs-api/ · Last updated: 2026-11-04