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Until now, many customer conversations on WhatsApp began with one basic piece of information: a phone number. With WhatsApp usernames, this may change in some cases. Users will be able to start a conversation with a username without revealing their number from the outset.
For the person sending the message, this adds an extra layer of privacy. For the business, it means reviewing how it identifies each person and connects that conversation with everything it already has: CRM data, history, campaigns, AI agents, reports, and integrations. This is not an abrupt change, and it does not mean phone numbers will disappear. However, it does introduce a new way to identify users that businesses will need to consider.
This guide explains what is changing with WhatsApp usernames and what you should review to ensure a smooth transition.
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What are WhatsApp usernames?
WhatsApp usernames are unique names that people will be able to use to identify themselves within the app. Until now, the phone number has been the channel’s primary reference. When someone messages a business, that number is generally used to locate the person’s CRM record, retrieve previous conversations, look up a reservation, or connect the contact to a sales opportunity.
Under the new model, a person will be able to start certain conversations using a username without sharing their phone number from the outset. Meta, in turn, will provide a technical identifier to maintain conversation continuity even when the number is not visible.
WhatsApp usernames: what changes for businesses?
The main difference is how the person who starts the conversation is recognized. Many WhatsApp processes depend on this information to locate customers, look up orders, prevent duplicates, trigger workflows, or retrieve conversation history. In these cases, WhatsApp will provide a new identifier called the Business Scoped User ID, or BSUID.
What is the WhatsApp BSUID?
The BSUID is a unique reference created by Meta to recognize a user in conversations with a business. The company, the user, and the technology provider cannot choose or modify it. It allows the conversation to continue even when the phone number is not shared.
From now on, contact center platforms will need to be prepared for two scenarios:
- The phone number is available, and the process continues as it does today.
- The phone number is not available, and the BSUID is used to identify the conversation.
For the teams managing conversations, the change should be barely noticeable. The adaptation takes place primarily behind the contact center platform, without changing the usual way each contact is assisted or followed up.
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Will phone numbers disappear with WhatsApp usernames?
No. Phone numbers will remain part of WhatsApp and can continue to be used in many processes. Businesses will still be able to work with known numbers, send campaigns and business-initiated messages when they have the required permissions, and maintain phone-based authentication processes.
What changes is that the phone number should no longer be the only way to recognize a person. Businesses should therefore prepare to handle conversations using either a phone number or a BSUID, without creating duplicate CRM contacts or splitting one person’s history.
There is no need to stop campaigns or processes while the environment is being adapted. The priority is to review which systems still use the phone number as the sole identifier and ensure that they can also operate with the new identifier.
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Which processes may be affected by WhatsApp usernames?
The change will primarily affect processes that use the phone number as the main identifier. These are the areas to review first:
1. WhatsApp usernames and CRM
Many CRMs use the phone number to find contacts and prevent duplicates. With WhatsApp usernames, a conversation may also arrive identified by a BSUID, so the CRM will need to determine whether it belongs to an existing person or whether it should create a new contact.
If this relationship is not managed properly, duplicate records, incomplete histories, or conversations without context may appear. It may also affect segmentation. For example, if the same person appears in different groups because some conversations were recorded using their phone number and others using the BSUID.
That is why it is important to review how the BSUID will be stored and connected to the rest of the customer’s information. This adjustment can be part of a broader strategy to integrate AI into the CRM and better connect customer service and sales processes.
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2. WhatsApp usernames and integrations
Integrations are another important area. If WhatsApp is connected to an ERP, an ordering platform, a reservation system, or a support tool, you need to review which data each connection uses to search for information. In many cases, that data is the phone number.
For example, if a person asks about an order, the integration may use their number to find the purchase and display its status. But if the conversation arrives without a phone number and the system does not accept an alternative identifier, the process may be blocked.
That is why you should identify connections that:
- Require a number to start a query.
- Use it as the unique key.
- Reject records when that field is empty.
- Perform actions only when the phone number is recognized.
In many cases, it will not be necessary to redesign the entire process; simply allowing the system to accept the BSUID as an additional reference will be enough.
3. WhatsApp usernames and AI agents
AI agents may also use the phone number to retrieve data or personalize a conversation. For example, they may use it to find a reservation, check a request, or retrieve the customer’s history. If the workflow assumes that this information will always be available, a conversation started with a username may have no clear way to move forward.
The alternative is to create more flexible processes that do not depend on a single piece of data. The AI agent can work with the BSUID and request another reference only when needed. For example, a confirmation number, an email address, or authorized information used to verify identity.
For AI agents on WhatsApp, it is also important to establish clear rules: what information they need, when and how they should request it, and the situations in which the conversation should be transferred to a human team.
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4. WhatsApp usernames in reports
Reports may also be affected if they use the phone number to count unique contacts or group conversations. If the phone number, username, and BSUID are not properly linked, the same person could appear more than once and distort metrics such as customers assisted, contact frequency, or campaign performance.
Dashboards should therefore recognize conversations associated with a BSUID, prevent duplicates, and preserve history across platforms. Although this may seem like a technical adjustment, it can directly influence business decisions, forecasts, and budgets.
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What is ContactBook and what is it used for?
ContactBook is a Meta capability designed to facilitate the transition to the new WhatsApp identifiers. When a previous conversation already exists, it can link current data with the new identifiers so that history is not lost and duplicate contacts are not created.
ContactBook therefore acts as a bridge between the current system and the new username model, making the change more gradual, organized, and easier to manage.
How does Inconcert manage WhatsApp usernames?
Inconcert began preparing its solutions as soon as Meta announced the change, so it would not affect the continuity of its customers’ processes. Inconnect and Infunnel can already receive and process the BSUID, work with the phone number when it is available, and maintain tracking when the conversation arrives with the new identifier.
For each conversation, the platform checks whether it receives a phone number or a BSUID. When the phone number is available, the workflow continues as it does today. When it is not, the BSUID maintains user identification and traceability. For teams, the change happens behind the scenes, without altering how they assist customers or follow up.
The area that should be reviewed is the part outside the Inconcert ecosystem: proprietary databases, external CRMs, custom reporting, and custom integrations that still use the phone number as the sole identifier.
WhatsApp username checklist for businesses
Before considering your preparation complete, make sure that:
- Processes that depend on the phone number have been identified.
- The CRM can store the BSUID.
- Integrations work even when the phone number is not available.
- Deduplication rules work with multiple identifiers.
- AI agents can move forward using the BSUID.
- Reports maintain a single view of the contact.
- It is clear when the user should be asked for a phone number.
- Critical processes have been tested.
- Technology providers are ready.
- A person is responsible for monitoring the transition.
WhatsApp usernames: how to prepare for the change
WhatsApp usernames are being introduced to give users more control over their privacy. For businesses, the challenge will be to manage this change without losing context, traceability, or continuity in their processes.
Most of the changes will happen behind the conversation. Preparation should therefore focus on the CRM, integrations, AI agents, and reports that still depend solely on the phone number.
Inconcert is already prepared to work with WhatsApp usernames, BSUIDs, and phone numbers through Inconnect and Infunnel, and it supports customers as they review their processes and connections.
Request a demo and learn how to prepare your environment to manage WhatsApp usernames, BSUIDs, and phone numbers without disrupting conversation continuity.