Meta business verification with a GST certificate

Everything below comes from Meta's own pages, checked on 1 November 2026. Meta publishes no rules specific to GST certificates, so we say where we apply its rules to Indian documents.

Why verify your business

Business verification shows Meta that your business portfolio belongs to a registered business, and that you may act for it. Meta lists the WhatsApp Business Platform among the products that may need it. On WhatsApp, it is one way to raise your limits.

Meta checks two things. Your business must be registered with local authorities, with an official phone number or postal address. You must also prove you represent it, by receiving a code at the business's phone or email, or by verifying its website domain.

Documents Meta accepts, and where GST fits

Meta accepts five main types of document. Every document must be issued by the relevant authority and must not be expired.

Meta's document type	Meta's conditions	Indian example
Certificate or articles of incorporation	None listed	Certificate of incorporation of a company or LLP
Business registration or licence document	None listed	Shop and establishment registration
Government-issued business tax document	Can be a tax certificate; self-filed tax documents are not accepted	GST registration certificate, not a GST return
Business bank statement	None listed	Current account statement in the business's name
Utility bill	Proves address and phone number only, and must show the legal business name	Electricity or landline bill in the business's legal name

Meta does not publish a list of Indian documents. The Indian examples are our reading of Meta's types, and Meta's reviewers decide what they accept.

Your documents must prove your legal business name, and your official postal address or phone number. Cover any personal details Meta does not need, such as personal ID numbers.

Meta accepts documents in English, Hindi and Bengali, among other languages. A document in Marathi, Tamil or another unlisted language needs an English translation stamped by a translation agency.

Match your details to the certificate

Meta asks that the details you type exactly match your legal business entity. Copy them from the GST certificate you will upload.

• Legal business name. Use the legal name printed on the certificate, not the trade name. Keep the same spelling and any suffix, such as "Private Limited" or "LLP".
• Address. Use the principal place of business as printed, including the PIN code.
• Phone number. Use the business's official number. Meta can send your confirmation code to it.
• Website. It must load, use HTTPS and have no links that lead to error pages.

If you edit these details later, you have to complete verification again.

Step by step in Meta Business Suite

You need full control of the business portfolio to start verification.

1. Open Security Centre in Meta Business Suite and click Start verification. If you see "Ineligible for verification", you do not need to verify there.
2. Enter your legal business name, address, phone number and website, exactly as on your documents.
3. Pick your business from the matches Meta shows. If none fit, choose "My business isn't listed" or "None of these match", then upload your GST certificate.
4. Choose how to confirm your connection: email, phone, text message, WhatsApp message or domain verification.
5. Enter the code, or finish domain verification, then click Done.

If you choose email, Meta may also ask you to prove you own your website's domain.

How long it takes

Meta says a decision can come in as little as 10 minutes or take up to 14 working days. Until then, WhatsApp works at the starting limits: 250 customers in any 24 hours outside the service window, and two phone numbers.

Some WhatsApp Solution Partners offer partner-led business verification instead. Meta says most of these requests are resolved within minutes, though some take up to 24 hours. It covers WhatsApp only.

Legal name, trade name and your display name

Verify with your legal name; your WhatsApp display name can still be your trade name. Meta's display name rules ask for a clear link to your legal business name, and branding that matches your website or other public pages.

This matters most for proprietorships. A proprietor's GST certificate usually shows the owner's name as the legal name and the shop's name as the trade name. Enter the legal name as printed, and show both names together on your website, for example on the contact page.

If the link between your brand and your company is not obvious, Meta suggests a display name such as "Brand by Company". Generic words, offers, and terms such as "Official" or "Verified" are not allowed.

Why verification gets rejected

Meta names four reasons for rejecting a submission:

• Information that is false or misleading, or that Meta suspects is
• Trying to verify a business portfolio you do not own or are not authorised to represent
• Trying to get around Meta's review
• A website that fails to load, is not HTTPS or links to an error page

Meta's document rules add more things to check:

• A legal name or address that differs from what you typed
• A utility bill used to prove your legal name
• A GST return, or any other self-filed tax document
• An expired document, or one in an unlisted language without a stamped translation

If your submission is rejected, you may be able to appeal. Check its status in Security Centre, or wherever you started verification.

For agencies verifying a client

Verify only businesses you are authorised to represent, because Meta rejects attempts to verify a business you do not own. The person who starts verification needs full control of the client's portfolio.

Collect these from the client first:

• The GST registration certificate, with personal details covered
• A bank statement or utility bill, for any address or phone number the certificate does not show
• Access to the business email or phone that will receive Meta's code
• A working HTTPS website that shows the business name

What verification changes on WhatsApp

	Before verification	After verification
Customers you can message outside the 24-hour window	250 in 24 hours	2,000 in 24 hours, then automatic increases
Registered phone numbers	2	20
Templates per WhatsApp Business account	250	6,000, once a number's display name is approved
Display name	On your profile	Can also show at the top of chats, after review
Official Business Account	Not eligible	Eligible to apply

You can also reach the 2,000 limit without verification. Deliver 2,000 messages outside the service window to different customers within 30 days, using high-quality templates. Only verification, by Meta or a partner, makes you eligible to apply for an Official Business Account.

Our WhatsApp Business API guide covers the rest of the setup.

Sources

All checked on 1 November 2026.

• Verifying your business in Meta Business Suite, Meta Business Help Centre
• About business verification in Meta Business Suite, Meta Business Help Centre
• Official documents to upload to verify your business, Meta Business Help Centre
• Why was my business verification submission rejected in Meta Business Suite's Security Centre?, Meta Business Help Centre
• Scale your WhatsApp Business account capabilities, Meta Business Help Centre
• Display name guidelines for the WhatsApp Business platform, Meta Business Help Centre
• Messaging limits, Business phone numbers, Template fundamentals and Display names, Meta for Developers