Meta Business Portfolio (formerly Business Manager)
What a Meta Business Portfolio is, why it holds the WABA and everything business-related, and why some screens and older docs still call it 'Business Manager'.
On this page
A Meta Business Portfolio is the top-level container a business uses to manage everything it has on Meta:
- WhatsApp Business Accounts (WABAs)
- Facebook Pages
- Instagram accounts
- Ad accounts
- Meta apps
- The people or partners who have access to any of it
Example: A restaurant's Business Portfolio, called Spice House, holds its WhatsApp
number, its Facebook Page, its Instagram account, and the two staff members who can manage
them — all under one roof.
"Business Manager" and "Business Portfolio" are the same thing#
- Meta renamed Business Manager to Business Portfolio starting around 2023–2024.
- The rollout happened gradually, so older screens, emails, help articles, and even parts of
the
business.facebook.comURL still say "Business Manager" or "Business Settings" in places. - There's no separate object behind either name — they refer to the exact same container.
| Term seen on screen | What it actually is |
|---|---|
| Business Portfolio | Current name for the container itself |
| Business Manager | Older name for the same container |
| Business Settings | The admin/config area inside a portfolio (users, partners, WABAs, verification) |
| Meta Business Suite | A separate day-to-day tool (posts, ads, inbox) that runs on top of a portfolio — not the admin layer itself |
What lives inside a portfolio#
WhatsApp Business Account(s)
One or more WABAs, each holding phone numbers, templates, and messaging history. See the WhatsApp API glossary.
Meta app(s)
The developer-side container with API credentials. See What Is a Meta Developer Account — and What Is an 'App'?
People and partners
Team members and outside partners (like your WhatsApp provider, a BSP) granted access to specific assets inside the portfolio.
Verification status
Business Verification is applied at the portfolio level. See Business Verification, Green Tick.
Frequently asked#
Is Business Manager the same as Business Portfolio?
Yes — Business Portfolio is just the current name Meta uses for the same container previously called Business Manager.
Do I need to create both a Business Manager and a Business Portfolio?
No, only one — whichever name the screen you're on uses, it's the same setup step.
What's the difference between Business Portfolio and Meta Business Suite?
The portfolio is the admin/ownership container. Meta Business Suite is a separate tool built on top of it for day-to-day work like posting and managing an inbox — not required just to use the WhatsApp API.
Can one Business Portfolio hold more than one WABA?
Yes. A portfolio can hold multiple WABAs — useful for businesses running more than one brand or phone number.
Gotchas & common mistakes#
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