Usernames on WhatsApp: BSUID, new IDs, and impacts on Blip – Blip | Blip Help

⚠️ IMPORTANT

The features, nomenclatures, timelines, and behaviors described in this material may evolve throughout the rollout conducted by Meta and Blip. This documentation will be continuously updated as new definitions become available. Check the changelog to understand what was changed and when.

Overview

The user identification model in WhatsApp Business is evolving.

With the introduction of usernames on WhatsApp by Meta, users will be able to interact with businesses without necessarily sharing their phone number in all interactions. This change introduces new technical identifiers into the ecosystem, such as the BSUID (Business-Scoped User ID), and directly impacts conversational operations, integrations, automations, and relationship strategies historically built on the phone number.

The BSUID is unique per user ↔ business relationship: the same user will have different BSUIDs for each business they interact with (based on the Business Manager/Business Portfolio). Unlike the phone number, which is global and immutable, the BSUID is contextual and restricted to the scope of each business.

In Blip, this evolution also brings changes in the way contacts are identified internally within the platform, as well as alterations in flow variables, APIs, active message sending, and Portal and Desk interfaces.

IMPORTANT! The phone number does not disappear and is not disabled; it simply ceases to be a universal premise in WhatsApp interactions.

What evolves and what does not change

Detail
Every WhatsApp account still requires a linked phone number	Does not change
Native app features (e.g., voice calls, video, location)	Does not change
Authentication templates still need the recipient's phone number	Does not change
Users without a username continue to share their phone number normally	Does not change
Active broadcasts via PN continue to work	Does not change
Phone number is no longer guaranteed in 100% of interactions	Evolves
New users with a username may emerge without a PN, only with a BSUID	Evolves
contact.identity, tunnel.originator, and tunnel.identity may contain a GUID instead of a PN	Evolves
Historical user reconciliation becomes an essential strategy	Evolves

Getting to know the new IDs

Get to know the main identifiers used in WhatsApp and how each one behaves in the new WhatsApp identity model!

General Usernames Timeline: Meta + Blip

⚠️ Dates, phases, and milestones presented reflect the current roadmap shared by Meta and may undergo changes throughout the evolution of the rollout.

Why prepare now?

Meta's rollout will be gradual and will start in specific countries before reaching Brazil. This means that, starting from June/2026, users from those regions can already start conversations with any business without sharing the PN, requiring Blip to immediately support the new IDs and the {guid}@wa.gw.msging.net format.

The most dangerous risk of the transition does not generate a visible error: the user does not disappear, but their historical context can silently fragment. Systems may continue to function while the integrity of the identity degrades.

The earlier the user mapping between PN and BSUID is performed, the greater the chance of preserving history, continuity, and operational integrity. Learn how to prepare.

During the transition, it is still possible to receive and reconcile the phone number and BSUID of the same user in interactions.

Impacts by area

Evolution of contact identification in Blip + possible impact on the use of contact.identity, tunnel.originator, and tunnel.identity variables starting June 1, 2026
Risk mapping in the Blip Portal: how to analyze potential impacts of WhatsApp ID evolution on Builder/Studio flows
BSUID - Contact ID, metadata, endpoints, and applicability in Blip
- PN ↔ BSUID query endpoint - Technical documentation
Sending active messages with BSUID
New Builder/Studio variables
Business Username - Adoption in Blip and best practices
How to prepare for the new WhatsApp identity model

Changelog - Documentation change log

2026

June 1st

Restructuring of the documentation into a Usernames Hub format
Added new dedicated articles about:
- Evolution of contact identification in Blip
- How to analyze potential impacts of WhatsApp ID evolution on Builder/Studio flows
- BSUID - Contact ID, metadata, endpoints, and applicability in Blip
- Sending active messages with BSUID
- New Builder/Studio variables
- Business Usernames
Added a consolidated view of the new IDs in the WhatsApp ecosystem (PN, BSUID, Parent BSUID, Username, and Blip GUID)
Added guidance on operational impacts, technical risks, and preparation strategies
Inclusion of the changelog section (visibility of changes in the doc)
Inclusion of the usernames roadmap page in Blip

April 30th

Updated the original article with technical details about BSUID and the evolution of IDs on WhatsApp
Added information about:
- BSUID in message metadata
  - Properties #wa.bsuid and #wa.parentId
  - Examples of query and extraction in Builder/Studio
- Evolution of the contact.identity field
- Impacts on flows, APIs, and integrations
- Technical recommendations for adaptation
Added alerts about dependency on split and parsing of phone numbers in contact ID variables

March 10th

First publication of the documentation on the evolution of contact identification on WhatsApp.
Introduction to username and BSUID concepts.
Published Meta's initial timeline.
Published initial guidelines on contact identification in Blip.

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