How to Set Up Whatsapp Business for Multiple Agents or Team Members

WhatsApp is one of the most popular tools for teams that want to connect with customers quickly and personally. But when your sales or support staff starts to grow, answering every message from a single device just doesn’t cut it anymore. Many business owners wonder: is it possible for more than one person to manage the same WhatsApp Business account smoothly?

The short answer is yes, but how you make that happen depends on your team’s size and workflow. WhatsApp offers ways to access your business inbox from multiple devices, but it’s not as simple as adding new users with their own logins like you would on email or a helpdesk. For small teams, the regular WhatsApp Business app lets you connect a handful of devices and get started in minutes. For larger teams or businesses that want full control like assigning chats, tracking activity, or integrating with customer management tools, the WhatsApp Business API unlocks a lot more power.

In this article, you’ll learn exactly how to set up WhatsApp Business for multiple users on your team. We’ll break down the options for both the app and the API, so every business, big or small can find the right setup without frustration.

Can You Set Up Multiple Users on WhatsApp Business?

Yes, you can let several team members manage your WhatsApp Business account, but the method and the number of users depend on whether you use the regular WhatsApp Business app or the WhatsApp Business API.

WhatsApp Business App (For Small Teams)

• With the standard WhatsApp Business app, you can connect one main phone and up to four other devices (like computers or tablets) to the same WhatsApp number, so you get a total of five devices that can access the account.
• If you sign up for WhatsApp Business Premium (also known as Meta Verified), this limit goes up to 10 devices, one phone and nine companions. This upgrade makes it a little easier for small teams to collaborate and answer customer queries faster.
• However, even with more devices, all users still share the same inbox, there are no separate logins or roles, and there aren’t any in-depth tools to assign chats or track who replied. It’s a handy fix for very small teams, but things can get messy quickly as your volume grows.

WhatsApp Business API (For Larger Teams)

• If you need more than 5 or 10 agents or want better management tools like assigning chats, tracking agent performance, or using advanced automation, the WhatsApp Business API is the way to go.
• The API itself doesn’t offer a direct interface; instead, you connect through a third-party platform (such as Trengo, Freshchat, or similar). These tools let you add as many team members as you need, control agent permissions, assign messages, and even integrate with your CRM or helpdesk.
• WhatsApp Business API is a robust solution designed for growing businesses and can scale up with your team without a set user limit.

How to Set Up WhatsApp Business App for Multiple Users

Step-by-Step: Sharing Access With Your Team

If you want your team to use the WhatsApp Business app from multiple devices, you’ll be taking advantage of its “Linked Devices” feature. Here’s how to get your whole crew logged in and helping customers together:

1. Open WhatsApp Business on Your Main Phone: This phone is the heart of your WhatsApp Business account, it’s where everything starts.

2. Open the Menu: On Android, tap the three-dot menu in the top-right corner; on iPhone, tap “Settings.”

3. Choose ‘Linked Devices’: Tap this option to see all devices currently connected.

4. Tap ‘Link a Device’: The app will prompt you to scan a QR code.

5. Go to WhatsApp Web or Desktop on Another Device: On your team’s computers or tablets, open the WhatsApp Web page or the official desktop app. It’ll display a QR code.

6. Scan the QR Code With Your Phone: Use the main business phone to scan the code. Each time you do this, a new device joins your WhatsApp Business account.

7. Give Each Device a Name (if prompted): This helps you keep track of which device is which.

Hidden Struggles: WhatsApp Business App Limitations for Teams

At first, adding a few devices feels like a win, everyone can pitch in and respond quickly. But as soon as more messages pour in, it’s easy for things to get messy. Here are the hiccups most teams run into:

• No Chat Assignment: You can’t route conversations to just one team member. Everyone sees every message, and replies can step on each other.
• Missed Messages: There’s no alert for missed or unanswered chats. You might not know what’s fallen through the cracks.
• No Way to Prioritize: Urgent or VIP customer queries blend in with the rest. There’s no built-in system to sort what matters most, leaving important requests buried.
• Lack of Resolution Tracking: Chats can’t be flagged as “done” or “resolved”, conversations can drag on or get lost without closure.
• Customer Confusion: Multiple agents might message the same customer at once from different devices. Customers may get duplicate or even contradictory responses.
• No Customer History: There’s no unified record of past conversations, order details, or notes. Returning customers have to repeat themselves, and agents can’t offer a tailored experience.
• No Analytics: You can’t monitor your team’s performance, spot slow response times, or gauge customer satisfaction.
• Limited Automation: The app doesn’t support chatbots, so every message requires a manual human reply, fine for a trickle, but a headache as chat volume grows.

How to Manage Multiple Team Members on WhatsApp Business API (with Trengo)

If your team’s outgrown the basic WhatsApp Business app, it’s time to consider the WhatsApp Business API together with a robust shared inbox platform like Trengo. Unlike the app, which just links a few devices, the API lets you give every teammate their own account, no matter if you have five agents or fifty. With Trengo, each person logs in with their own credentials, and you unlock tools that keep your inbox organized and your team on the same page.

Getting Started: Setting Up Multi-User Access on Trengo

Here’s how you can onboard your whole team onto WhatsApp Business via Trengo, step by step:

1. Create a Trengo Account: Sign up using your company email and set up your main workspace.

2. Connect Your WhatsApp Business API: In Trengo, navigate to Settings > Channels, and choose WhatsApp. Here, you’ll connect your API-enabled WhatsApp number. (This process involves Meta Business verification and phone number setup. Trengo guides you through it.)

3. Invite Your Team: Go to Settings > Users & Roles. Add each teammate by email and set roles like admin, agent, or manager.

4. Assign Conversations and Permissions: With Trengo, you can assign incoming customer chats to specific team members. If you work with sensitive clients, you can restrict access so only certain staff can see or reply to specific conversations.

5. Personalize Agent Experiences: Each agent can log in from their own device, view only the chats assigned to them, and collaborate internally for faster, more accurate responses.

Trengo Bonus: Collaboration and Control

With Trengo, you don’t just share access, you truly collaborate. Features like internal notes, chat assignment, message snoozing, and real-time reporting make it simple to track who’s working on what, how customers are being served, and who needs an extra hand. You can also automate workflows, set up bots for first responses, and integrate with your CRM, all to boost efficiency.

Why Not Just Link Devices?

Remember: only with the API and a platform like Trengo do you get separate logins, advanced permissions, and accountability for every team member. This makes scaling customer communication seamless, and means you’ll never lose track of an important chat again.

Benefits of Setting Up Multiple Agents on WhatsApp Business API

Setting up multiple users on the WhatsApp Business API offers several key advantages that can greatly improve how your sales team operates and how your business interacts with customers. Here’s how enabling multi-agent access can benefit your sales process:

1. Clearer Visibility Into Team Performance

When all customer interactions happen through one shared account, managers get a real-time, transparent view of the team’s activity. You can easily see which agent handled which conversation, measure response times, and track overall performance for individuals and the entire sales team. This data helps you spot top performers, address any issues quickly, and provide targeted coaching to improve results.

2. Unified Customer Interaction History

Having all communications stored in a single inbox means every team member can access the full chat history with each customer. This eliminates the risk of duplicated messages or customers having to repeat themselves. Agents can quickly understand past issues or requests and continue conversations smoothly, providing consistent support and a professional customer experience across the board.

3. Smarter Workload Distribution

With multiple agents sharing one WhatsApp Business account, no one has to carry the burden of a full inbox alone. Conversations can be assigned or automatically routed to available staff, speeding up reply times and preventing overload. This is especially useful during busy periods like sales promotions or campaigns, letting your team handle a high volume of inquiries without dropping the ball.

4. Easy Team Growth and Scalability

As your business grows, managing customer chats on one or two devices becomes impractical. Having unlimited user access through the API means you can onboard new agents effortlessly to meet rising demand. You avoid the hassle and confusion of creating multiple WhatsApp accounts or limited device setups, ensuring customers get timely responses no matter how big your team gets.

5. Improved Cross-Department Collaboration

Many businesses involve multiple teams, sales, support, and marketing, all of which need to interact with customers. Sharing one WhatsApp Business account through the API helps these departments work together smoothly. For example, when sales converts a lead into a customer, support can pick up seamlessly without missing context or forcing the customer to start fresh. This makes handoffs cleaner and improves the overall customer journey.

Final Thoughts

Managing customer conversations smoothly is key to growing any business today. Whether you’re running a small sales team or scaling up to a larger operation, WhatsApp Business offers tools to keep your communication efficient and personal. For small teams, the WhatsApp Business app’s linked devices feature can help share access quickly, but it has its limits.

When you’re ready to take collaboration to the next level, the WhatsApp Business API paired with a platform like Trengo provides true multi-agent support. It lets each teammate log in individually, assign conversations, track performance, and maintain a clear view of customer history, all essential for delivering fast, consistent service as your business grows.

By setting up multiple agents on the same WhatsApp Business account, you gain better control, improved teamwork, and the flexibility to scale without missing a message. This not only boosts your team’s productivity but also enhances the customer experience, keeping your brand professional and responsive.

So take the step that fits your team today. Whether you start simple or go full API-powered collaboration with Trengo, you’ll be better equipped to turn chats into sales and customers into loyal fans.