There are two ways a business can put WhatsApp into a CRM. SIPmind uses one of them — the official one — and this page says why, so the choice is yours with open eyes.

The WhatsApp app on a phone (sometimes «grey» or «QR» WhatsApp). A service scans the QR code of the WhatsApp or WhatsApp Business app, the way a laptop does, and reads the chats through that session. Nothing to verify, works in minutes, writing first is unrestricted. The price: the phone must stay online and the app must be opened every couple of weeks or the session drops; an unofficial session can be logged out by Meta at any time; broadcasts from such a number get it banned, and a ban on a number is often final; the data flows through a reverse-engineered client that Meta does not support.

The official WhatsApp Business Platform (WhatsApp Business API, «WABA»). The number is registered with Meta as a business number and messages go through Meta's own servers. No phone, no app, no session to keep alive — an AI can answer at 3 a.m. for years. Meta's rules apply: you write first only with a pre-approved template and inside a daily limit, Meta charges per message, and a business that spams loses templates or the number. In return the number is stable, broadcasts are allowed, and a verified business name appears above the chat.

	Official (what SIPmind connects)	The app, via QR
Connecting	Sign in with Meta, about 10 minutes; verification only to raise limits	Scan a QR code; nothing to verify
Who answers	The AI, on Meta's servers, 24/7	Only while the phone and the session are alive
Writing first	Approved template, within a daily limit that grows (limits)	No limit — and the main cause of bans
Broadcasts	Allowed with templates and opt-in	Against the rules; the number gets banned
Stability	Meta's own API	Unofficial session, can drop any day
Cost	Meta charges per message, billed to your own account (what it costs); SIPmind adds nothing on top	Usually a monthly fee per number to the service
Calls	Customers can call the number in WhatsApp and the AI answers (calls)	Not available

What this means for you. SIPmind connects only the official platform: a receptionist that must answer every message for years cannot depend on a phone staying charged, and a business cannot build its front desk on a session Meta may close. Connect in one click from Integrations → WhatsApp. The number must not be in use in the WhatsApp app at that moment — Meta moves it to the platform, and the app no longer works for it; if the team wants to keep chatting from a phone as well, give SIPmind a separate number. Messages from the business side are paid by Meta's rate card; in return you get the number that does not disappear.