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WhatsApp Calling lets your AI assistant answer voice calls on your WhatsApp Business number, and place outbound WhatsApp calls after the customer agrees. These rules come from WhatsApp. They apply to every business on the platform — not only this product.
Start here — Customers can always call you. You cannot call a brand-new number that has never written to you. They must message you first, then you ask for permission, then they tap Allow.

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What you can do

Inbound calls

Anyone can call your WhatsApp Business number. Your connected assistant answers automatically.

Outbound calls

After a customer allows calling, you can place WhatsApp voice calls to them for 7 days. The same assistant handles the conversation.

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How outbound calling works

1

The customer writes to you

They send a WhatsApp message to this sender, or they reply after you send a regular approved template. That opens a 24-hour chat window.A Voice Call Request will not be delivered to a number that has never written to you.
2

You ask for permission

In the conversation, click Ask to call. WhatsApp shows the customer a permission card. They tap Allow or Decline.
3

They allow

Consent lasts 7 days. During that window you can place WhatsApp calls from the conversation, the API, or automations.
4

You call

Click Call. Your assistant places the WhatsApp voice call. When the call ends, the usual post-call webhook and transcript still apply.

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WhatsApp limits you will hit

These are WhatsApp limits. If a request or call is blocked, it is almost always one of the rows below.
New contact? Send a normal utility or marketing template first. Wait until they reply. Then Ask to call. Do not start with the voice-call template — WhatsApp will not deliver it.

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Enable calling on a sender

  1. Open WhatsApp Senders
  2. Confirm the sender is online, has an assistant, and shows a messaging limit of at least 2,000 / 24hr
  3. Click Enable Calling
  4. Review the permission-request text (created automatically if you do not already have a Voice Call Request template)
The WhatsApp Calling card on that page explains the same flow in the dashboard.
Coexistence senders (numbers also used in the WhatsApp Business app) cannot use calling. Create a Dedicated Platform Number or connect an External Mobile Number instead.

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Using calling in conversations

Once calling is enabled:
  • Ask to call appears when the contact has not granted permission yet
  • Call appears after they allow, until consent expires
  • The chat shows activity lines when you asked, when they allowed or declined, and when a call happened
Hover Ask to call to see why the button is disabled (for example, you already asked in the last 24 hours).

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API and events

You can ask for permission, check status, and place a call from your own systems: Completed WhatsApp calls also send the regular post-call webhook if that is enabled on the assistant.

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FAQ

WhatsApp does not allow businesses to cold-call or cold-ask numbers that have never written to them. The customer must message you first (or reply to a regular template). That is a WhatsApp rule, not a setting you can turn off here.
The 24-hour chat window was probably closed. Send a regular approved template, wait for their reply, then ask again. WhatsApp typically allows one ask per contact every 24 hours (two per week) unless a connected call reset that counter. If a previous ask failed to deliver, you may still have to wait.
Confirm calling is still enabled on the sender, the assistant is assigned, and consent has not expired (7 days). Refresh the conversation. If they declined or WhatsApp revoked consent after unanswered calls, you must ask again (subject to the daily/weekly caps).
Yes. Inbound WhatsApp calls do not need a permission request. Anyone who has your WhatsApp number can call it. Your assistant answers.
If the sender is a US, Canadian, Egyptian, Vietnamese, Nigerian, or Turkish number, WhatsApp does not allow businesses to request outbound calling permission. Inbound calls still work. Use a sender from a supported country to ask and call out.
No. Calling is not supported on Coexistence. Use a Dedicated Platform Number or an External Mobile Number that is not paired with the WhatsApp Business app.
The sender must be online, have an assistant, have a messaging limit of at least 2,000 / 24hr, and not be a Coexistence number. Open Calling unavailable on the sender for the exact reason.
Yes — the assistant still runs a live voice conversation. Minutes (or your plan’s voice usage) are consumed. Keep a positive balance before placing calls.
Yes. In the automation platform, use the WhatsApp voice event trigger plus Request WhatsApp call permission and Place WhatsApp call. Or call the WhatsApp calling API with your API key. The same WhatsApp limits apply — neither path lets you skip the chat window or consent.

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Troubleshooting

More WhatsApp setup issues: WhatsApp troubleshooting.

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WhatsApp resources

Official WhatsApp / Meta documentation (limits can change on their side):

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Next steps