WhatsApp Local Data Storage

Objective

WhatsApp Cloud API Local Storage allows numbers to be registered with the option of having persistent data stored in a specific location.

Full details are available on the WhatsApp Cloud API Local Storage page.

Applies To

• WhatsApp Cloud numbers

Does Messages API support it?

Yes, although this is currently only on request.

Can existing numbers be given local storage?

Yes. If they are Hosted by Vonage numbers they will need to be migrated to WhatsApp Cloud API and a location chosen. Existing numbers on Cloud API must be unregistered and then re-registered with the location required.

There will be a brief outage when this occurs. 

Is this self-service?

Not yet, but in the future we plan to allow the data storage location to be configured from the Vonage dashboard.

How can I get it?

Contact support with details of your WhatsApp account, number and business case so that we can consider moving the number to local storage.

What locations are available?

At the time of writing (Feb 2024) WhatsApp supports these locations:

• APAC: India, Singapore, Indonesia, South Korea, Japan, Australia
• LATAM: Brazil
• MEA: South Africa, Bahrain
• Europe: EU (Germany), UK, Switzerland
• NORAM: Canada

What is the default location if none is specified?

• Hosted by WhatsApp: Numbers are hosted in the US and Cloud API data is stored in the US.
• Hosted by Vonage: Numbers are stored in our US, Asia-Pacific or EU data centres. The location is normally determined by the country code of the WhatsApp number. Please note that On-Premise hosting by Vonage will sunset in 2025.

Do you plan to support this as self-service from the Vonage Dashboard?

Yes, eventually customers will be able to select a location when activating the number. Changes to the way we manage WhatsApp with the customer dashboard are planned for H2 2024.

What is the cost?

There is no additional cost for opting for local data storage.