What is a WhatsApp display name?

How a WhatsApp display name works

When you register a number on the Cloud API, you enter the name customers should see. Meta reviews it against your business: the name on your website, your business portfolio and your business verification documents. The review result shows as the name status of the number, for example approved or declined.

Customers who have not saved your number usually see the display name next to the number in the chat. That is why the name has to look like the brand the customer actually dealt with, not a keyword or a slogan.

Changing the name later

Meta's display name documentation sets a few limits worth planning around:

• Up to 10 name changes in 30 days per number.
• After a new name is approved, the number must be re-registered within 14 days for the new name to take effect.
• Numbers with an Official Business Account badge cannot change the name themselves; they must contact Meta support.

Meta's detailed naming rules (what counts as a match, which words are refused) are in its Help Center. Read them there before you submit; we do not repeat them here because they change.

Worked example

Meera runs Sunrise Clinic in Pune and her website, GST certificate and Google listing all say "Sunrise Clinic". She first tries "Best Skin Doctor Pune" as the display name, hoping it will help people find her. That name describes a service rather than the business, and it does not match her documents, so it is likely to be declined. She resubmits "Sunrise Clinic", which matches everything Meta can check. A patient who receives an appointment reminder now sees a name they recognise, which also makes them less likely to block or report the message.

Why it matters

The display name is the first trust signal in every conversation. A confusing or mismatched name invites blocks and reports, which feed into the number's quality rating. An approved display name is also one of the conditions Meta lists for the blue badge, and for raising the template count limit on a verified portfolio.

Display name in Broadchat

Broadchat is built on the official WhatsApp Business Platform (Cloud API) and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Meta. In a Broadchat panel, open Channels → All Channels to see each connected number. If Meta is still reviewing the name, or has declined it, the channel card shows a display-name review banner so you know before you plan a campaign. The connect a WhatsApp number article covers where you enter the name during Embedded Signup.