WhatsApp usernames are an optional feature that both businesses and individual WhatsApp users can adopt. Depending on who has a username and how it is used, it affects how people find your business, how contacts are identified in Superchat, and whether a contact's phone number is shared when they message you.

This article explains both sides: what it means for your business to have a username, and what happens in Superchat when a contact has one.

Business usernames

A business username is a unique, searchable identifier that is tied to one of your WhatsApp phone numbers. It lets contacts find and message your business by searching for the username directly in WhatsApp — without needing to know your phone number.

A few things worth knowing about business usernames:

Your phone number stays visible — Adopting a business username does not hide your phone number. It will still appear on your business profile in WhatsApp
One username per phone number — Each phone number can have only one username at a time, and no two WhatsApp numbers can share the same username
Display priority — In WhatsApp chats, your business is shown in this order of priority: a contact's saved name for you, then your verified business name, then your username, then your phone number
No @ symbol — WhatsApp business usernames are displayed without an @ prefix

Business usernames are claimed and managed through Meta — via WhatsApp Manager, Meta Business Suite, or the WhatsApp Business app. Once a username is active, Superchat automatically fetches it and displays it in your channel settings. For a step-by-step guide on claiming a username, see Claim a WhatsApp username for your business.

Where your business username appears in Superchat

You can view your business username in your WhatsApp channel settings:

Go to Settings, then open the settings for your WhatsApp channel
In the Phone number section, a Username field is shown alongside your phone number and other business profile details

This field is currently read-only, as Meta has not yet fully rolled out the username feature. Once Meta makes it generally available (on 01.07.26), Superchat will also support claiming and selecting a username directly from your channel settings — so you can secure the right username for your business without switching tools.

Contact usernames

Individual WhatsApp users can also adopt a username. When a contact who has a username messages your business, their phone number is not automatically shared with you — WhatsApp withholds it to protect the contact's privacy.

Instead, WhatsApp provides a unique identifier for that contact (scoped specifically to your business), which Superchat uses to create and identify the contact record. The contact's WhatsApp username is displayed in place of a phone number.

There is one exception: if your business has previously interacted with that contact's phone number within the last 30 days — by sending or receiving a message, or making a call — WhatsApp will include the phone number even if the contact has a username. This is evaluated per WhatsApp number in your account.

In practice, this means:

Some contacts will appear in Superchat with a username but no phone number — this is expected behaviour
Messaging works exactly the same way as any other WhatsApp conversation; your team does not need to do anything differently
If the contact later shares their phone number with you, Superchat captures it automatically
The contact's identifier is tied to your specific WhatsApp channel — it cannot be used to reach the same person via a different WhatsApp number in your account

Where a contact's username appears in Superchat

When a contact has a WhatsApp username, it appears in the following places:

Contact info sidebar — A Username field is shown under the WhatsApp section of the right-hand contact panel. If the contact has no phone number on record, this will be their only identifier
Full contact details — The username is listed as a built-in contact attribute. If a contact has more than one username on record, they are labelled (1), (2), and so on. You can copy it to your clipboard but cannot edit it
New conversation screen — When starting a new conversation, username-based contacts are shown by their username

FAQs

How do I claim a username for my business?

See the article Claim a WhatsApp username for your business for a full step-by-step guide.

Will my phone number be hidden if I adopt a business username?

No. Your phone number remains visible on your business profile even after adopting a username.

Why does a contact appear with a username but no phone number?

Meta hides phone numbers when contacts choose to use a username and not share their phone number with your business. This is expected behaviour — messaging works exactly the same way as any other WhatsApp conversation.

Can I message a username-based contact from a different WhatsApp number?

You can message a username-based contact from any WhatsApp number that belongs to the same business in Meta.

What happens if a contact's phone number becomes available later?

The phone number will be stored alongside the username in the contact record in Superchat.

Does Superchat update automatically once I have a business username?

Yes — once a username is active, Superchat automatically fetches and displays it. Note that Meta does not assign usernames; your business has to actively claim one. See Claim a WhatsApp username for your business for details.

Can I merge conversations from different channels, such as WhatsApp and Instagram?

This follows standard contact merging behaviour in Superchat, which is independent of the username feature. When merging contacts, here is what to expect:

Contact attributes — You can choose which values to keep where there are conflicts
Automations — All active automations on both conversations are cancelled before the merge proceeds. If at least one automation is running, you will see a confirmation modal before continuing
Assignees — Appended from both conversations. Any users who are not members of the target inbox are automatically removed
Labels — Appended from both conversations
Conversation status — Resolved as follows:

Open & Snoozed → Open
Open & Done → Open
Snoozed & Done → Snoozed
Open & Trash → Open
Open & Spam → Open
Spam & Trash → Spam
Snoozed & Trash → Snoozed
Done & Trash → Done
Snoozed & Spam → Snoozed
Done & Spam → Done