WhatsApp Business API keys
WhatsApp Business Cloud API credentials belong in configuration, not in a commit. This page covers where to create one, what it looks like, and how APIKeyConnect stores it without ever being able to read it.
The facts
- Category
- Social Media
- API host
graph.facebook.com- Env variable
WHATSAPP- Sensitivity
- High
- Create a key
- https://developers.facebook.com/apps/ — Open your app → WhatsApp → API Setup for a temporary token; Business Settings → System users for a permanent one.
- Documentation
- https://developers.facebook.com/docs/whatsapp/cloud-api/get-started
A leaked key here bills you and can read or write account data. Treat it like a password: server-side only, rotated on staff changes.
Kinds of WhatsApp Business key
Temporary access token
Expires in 24 hours — for testing only
System user access token
Permanent token for production
How APIKeyConnect stores it
The key is encrypted in your browser with AES-256-GCM, under a key derived from your master password with PBKDF2-SHA-256 at 600,000 iterations. The password never leaves your device, and the server holds ciphertext it has no way to open.
What the server can see — and what this design does not protect against — is written out in full on the security page. That section exists because a page with no limits section is marketing.
Questions
Where do I get a WhatsApp Business API key?
WhatsApp Business issues keys from https://developers.facebook.com/apps/. Open your app → WhatsApp → API Setup for a temporary token; Business Settings → System users for a permanent one. Once you have it, store it in APIKeyConnect rather than in a .env file you might commit — the key is encrypted on your device with a master password we never receive.
What environment variable should I use for WhatsApp Business?
Most projects use WHATSAPP. APIKeyConnect recognises these names, so importing an existing .env maps the value onto WhatsApp Business automatically instead of leaving it as an unlabelled string, and generating a .env writes it back under the same name.
How dangerous is a leaked WhatsApp Business key?
High sensitivity. A leaked key here bills you and can read or write account data. Treat it like a password: server-side only, rotated on staff changes.
Does WhatsApp Business have more than one kind of key?
Yes — Temporary access token, System user access token. They differ in scope, so keeping them as separate entries rather than one "the WhatsApp Business key" is what lets you rotate the risky one without touching the others.
Can APIKeyConnect see my WhatsApp Business key?
No. The key is encrypted in your browser with AES-256-GCM under a key derived from your master password (PBKDF2-SHA-256, 600,000 iterations). The password never leaves your device and the server stores ciphertext it cannot open. What the server can see is documented in full on the security page, including what this design does not protect against.