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# Whatsapp Contact Identity Changes: BSUID

## WhatsApp Contact Identity Changes (BSUID)
Meta is introducing new identifiers for WhatsApp users as part of a broader effort to improve privacy and representation across their platforms. As users begin to adopt optional WhatsApp usernames—like **@TinaTextIt**—to hide their phone numbers, businesses will transition to using a backend identifier called a **Business-Scoped User ID (BSUID)** to track and message them.

### New BSUID URNs
Your WhatsApp contacts may now include a new `bsuid:` **URN**. This is a Business System User ID provided by Meta and represents a more stable identifier for a contact than a phone number.
* **Business Specific:** These IDs are unique to your business; a BSUID from one account cannot be moved or used in a different business's account.
* **Format:** You can recognize these identifiers by their fixed structure: they start with a **two-letter country code** followed by a **long alphanumeric string** (e.g., `US.1a2b3c4d5e...`).
**TextIt** is designed to handle this transition automatically. When a BSUID becomes available, it is added to the contact profile as a new URN with no manual action required.

### What’s Changing Next
Meta plans to support messaging using these BSUIDs. Once that happens, `bsuid:` URNs will become the primary way WhatsApp contacts are identified. As part of this transition, we will automatically update URNs in your account:
1. **Existing `bsuid:` URNs:** Once BSUIDs are fully supported for sending messages on Meta’s side, `bsuid:` URNs will be converted into `whatsapp:` URNs. At that point, the `bsuid:` scheme will be removed, and the `whatsapp:` URN will store the BSUID value instead.
2. **Current `whatsapp:` URNs:** Current URNs (which are based on phone numbers) will be moved to `tel:` URNs.
                            

This process will be handled entirely by TextIt and won’t require any manual updates.


These changes won’t affect how your queries or groups work. For example, expressions like `whatsapp != ""` will continue to match WhatsApp contacts as they do today. Your existing flows, campaigns, and group definitions will continue to function normally.

### API Integrations
If your integration currently uses WhatsApp URNs (phone numbers) to identify contacts, you should update it to use the **contact UUID** instead. As identifiers shift away from phone numbers, the UUID will remain the most reliable way to reference contacts in the API.

### Summary
Any impact is limited to new conversations initiated by users who have adopted usernames. Phone numbers will continue to be fully supported—existing customers and outbound messaging to known phone numbers will function as usual, with no changes required. TextIt will handle all of these transitions seamlessly, users won’t be required to do anything.

* **Learn more about WhatsApp BSUIDs:** [Meta Developer Documentation](https://developers.facebook.com/documentation/business-messaging/whatsapp/business-scoped-user-ids/)
* **For Dialogue 360 Users:** [360dialog Blog - WhatsApp Usernames Impact 2026](https://360dialog.com/blog/whatsapp-usernames-business-impact-2026)