Meta Business Agent is available to any WhatsApp Cloud API number that meets six conditions simultaneously: supported vertical, Cloud API management, good standing, eligible country, business trust and verification, and no conflicting messaging product.[1] Seven verticals are excluded: finance, government, health, alcohol, gambling, over-the-counter drugs, and matrimony services. The eligibility endpoint returns a single boolean, making programmatic checks straightforward, but it provides no reason when a number fails.
Key Takeaways
- Meta Business Agent requires six conditions met simultaneously: supported vertical, Cloud API management, good standing, eligible country, business trust and verification, and no conflicting messaging product.[1]
- Seven verticals are excluded: finance, government, health, alcohol, gambling, over-the-counter drugs, and matrimony services.[1]
- The eligibility endpoint (GET /{entity_id}/agent_eligibility) returns a boolean with no reason codes, so a false result requires checking each condition manually.[2]
- Eligibility is not permanent and can change when a business updates its category or its standing changes.[2]
- BSP-managed numbers on the Cloud API are explicitly supported.[1]
What Are the Six Eligibility Conditions for Meta Business Agent?
Meta Business Agent requires a WhatsApp Cloud API number to satisfy six conditions at the same time. If any one condition is not met, the number is ineligible, and the Meta Business Agent tab may not appear in WhatsApp Manager.[1][4] The conditions are listed on Meta’s overview page, updated August 28, 2026.
| # | Condition | What It Means |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Supported vertical | All verticals qualify except seven. The account must have a valid business category set. |
| 2 | Managed through the WhatsApp Business Platform | Cloud API required, including through a Solution Partner or Embedded Signup. The WhatsApp Business app does not qualify. |
| 3 | In good standing | Neither the WhatsApp Account (formerly WhatsApp Business Account, or WABA) nor its owning business is restricted or banned. |
| 4 | In an eligible country | The business must be based in a country authorized for Meta Business Agent. |
| 5 | Meets business trust and verification | The business passes Meta’s trust and verification checks. |
| 6 | No conflicting messaging product | A single number cannot run more than one messaging product at the same time. |
The number must be on the WhatsApp Business API, whether direct or through a Solution Partner. 360Dialog’s eligibility documentation lists five conditions, folding country eligibility into a regional note and observing that the restriction appears lifted.[5] Meta’s own page still lists country as a separate requirement.[1]
Which Business Verticals Are Excluded from Meta Business Agent?
Seven verticals cannot use Meta Business Agent. Every other vertical is permitted, provided the WhatsApp Account has a valid business category set in WhatsApp Manager.[1] The excluded verticals are:
- Finance
- Government
- Health
- Alcohol
- Gambling
- Over-the-counter drugs
- Matrimony services
Everything else is permitted. If your business spans categories, the one assigned on the WhatsApp Account determines eligibility. Verify the assigned category before concluding you are excluded.
How Do You Check Eligibility Through the API?
The eligibility endpoint takes a GET request with the WhatsApp Business Phone Number ID and returns a single boolean, is_eligible.[2] It requires a bearer token with whatsapp_business_messaging permission.
GET https://api.facebook.com/{entity_id}/agent_eligibility
Authorization: Bearer <ACCESS_TOKEN>
X-API-Version: 2.0.0A successful response:
{ "is_eligible": true }The X-API-Version must be 2.0.0. This value may differ from other Meta Business Agent APIs, so do not reuse a shared header across calls.[2]
Eligibility is not permanent. Re-check on each request because a category or standing change can flip the result.[2] An error is not a negative answer. A 401 or 404 means the request could not be evaluated. Do not treat a failed request as “not eligible.”[2] The response gives no reason codes and a false result means checking each of the six conditions manually.[2]
During early access, a non-eligible number sometimes returned an HTTP 500 instead of a clean false. Meta has largely resolved this, but if you see a 500 on the eligibility call, verify the number meets all six conditions before treating it as an outage.[5][6]
If you use 360Dialog as your Solution Partner, the equivalent call uses the D360-API-KEY header:
GET https://waba-v2.360dialog.io/agent_eligibility
D360-API-KEY: <YOUR_API_KEY>For the setup process after confirming eligibility, see the complete guide to Meta Business Agent.
What If Your Business Is in a Country That Is Not Yet Supported?
Meta requires an authorized country but does not publish a list of which countries qualify, making condition 4 the most opaque requirement.[1] The product rolled out region by region (Brazil first, then the EU in mid-July 2026), but we noticed the restriction appears to have been lifted.[5]
If the endpoint returns false and every other condition is met, country may still be the cause. Re-check after a short interval. There is no programmatic way to isolate the blocking factor because the endpoint returns only a boolean.
What Can You Do If Your Number Is Not Eligible?
When none of the phone numbers in a WhatsApp Account are eligible, the Meta Business Agent tab does not appear in WhatsApp Manager.[4] If you believe your numbers should qualify, navigate directly to this URL:
https://business.facebook.com/latest/whatsapp_manager/business_ai?business_id={BUSINESS_PORTFOLIO_ID}&asset_id={WABA_ID}This bypasses the tab visibility issue and shows whether a UI condition, such as missing query parameters, is the cause.[4] Since the endpoint returns no reason codes, work through each condition manually.
Use this as a quick eligibility checklist:
☐ Business category in WhatsApp Manager is not one of the seven excluded verticals
☐ Number is on the Cloud API (not the WhatsApp Business app)
☐ WhatsApp Account and owning business are in good standing (no restrictions or bans)
☐ Business is based in a country authorized for Meta Business Agent
☐ Business passes Meta’s trust and verification checks
☐ No other messaging product is active on the same number
Address any failing item, then re-run the endpoint. Eligibility can change after a category update or a lifted restriction, so build a periodic check into your workflow.[2] For billing and credit line requirements once your number passes eligibility, see who bills for Meta Business Agent messages. For most Cloud API numbers, run the endpoint, address any failing condition, and proceed to setup.
If you need help evaluating eligibility or configuring Meta Business Agent on a BSP-managed number, Talk to us.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I Use Meta Business Agent with a BSP-Managed Number?
Yes, BSP-managed numbers are explicitly supported. Meta’s eligibility conditions require the account to use the Cloud API, “including through a Solution Partner or Embedded Signup.” Solution Partners and Tech Providers must accept the Tech Provider Terms of Service in addition to the client’s acceptance of the Meta Business Agent Terms of Service in WhatsApp Manager.
Does Eligibility Depend on My Country or My Customer’s Country?
Eligibility depends on the country where the business is based, not the country of the end customer. Meta’s condition states that “the business must be based in a country authorized for Meta Business Agent.” A business in an eligible country can use Meta Business Agent to handle conversations with customers anywhere WhatsApp operates.
Can I Check Eligibility Before Accepting the Terms of Service?
No. Meta’s quickstart states that the API “requires [the Terms of Service] before it accepts any call,” and 360Dialog confirms the endpoint returns a 403 until the Meta Business AI Terms are accepted for the WhatsApp Account. Accept the Terms of Service in WhatsApp Manager first, then call the eligibility endpoint. The endpoint is a pre-onboarding check in the sense that it runs before you call the onboarding API to create the agent, not before you accept terms.
Sources
[1] “Meta Business Agent Platform overview.” Meta for Developers. Updated August 28, 2026. Accessed August 31, 2026. https://developers.facebook.com/documentation/meta-business-agent/overview
[2] “Agent Eligibility API reference.” Meta for Developers. Accessed August 31, 2026. https://developers.facebook.com/documentation/meta-business-agent/reference/onboard/agent-eligibility
[3] “Get started with Meta Business Agent Platform APIs.” Meta for Developers. Updated August 25, 2026. Accessed August 31, 2026. https://developers.facebook.com/documentation/meta-business-agent/get-started
[4] “Troubleshooting Meta Business Agent.” Meta for Developers. Updated August 27, 2026. Accessed August 31, 2026. https://developers.facebook.com/documentation/meta-business-agent/troubleshooting
[5] “1. Check Eligibility.” 360Dialog Documentation. Accessed August 31, 2026. https://docs.360dialog.com/docs/mba/meta-business-agent/1.-check-eligibility
[6] “Known limitations.” 360Dialog Documentation. Last reviewed July 29, 2026. Accessed August 31, 2026. https://docs.360dialog.com/docs/mba/meta-business-agent/known-limitations
[7] “Quickstart for Meta Business Agent.” Meta for Developers. Updated August 27, 2026. Accessed August 31, 2026. https://developers.facebook.com/documentation/meta-business-agent/quickstart
