Opt-In Rules: Permission Before You Message
WhatsApp's opt-in rule for businesses: you may only message someone who gave you their mobile number (or username) AND gave you permission to receive messages or calls from your business. What a valid opt-in must say (that they are opting in, and your business name), accepted ways to collect it (website, SMS, phone/IVR, in person or on paper), best practices (opt-in per message category, separate opt-in for calls, clear opt-out), honouring opt-out and block requests on or off WhatsApp, the Offers and announcements stop setting (error 131050), and what happens if you message without opt-in (blocks, reports, rate limits, policy enforcement).
On this page
Yes. WhatsApp requires a business to get permission (opt-in) before it messages someone. Under the WhatsApp Business Messaging Policy, you may only contact a person on WhatsApp when both of these are true:
- They gave you their mobile phone number (or WhatsApp username), and
- They gave you opt-in permission confirming they want to receive messages or calls from your business.
Having someone's number is not enough on its own. They must also have agreed to hear from you.
The good news: the opt-in doesn't have to be collected on WhatsApp, and it doesn't have to mention WhatsApp by name. Since the November 2024 policy update, a general opt-in is fine, as long as you follow your local laws.
What a valid opt-in must say#
When you ask for permission, make two things clear:
- That the person is opting in to receive communication from your business.
- Your business name, so they know exactly who will message them.
You must also follow any laws that apply to your communications. You decide how you collect opt-in, and you alone are responsible for making sure it meets those laws and for giving any notices the law requires.
Ways to collect opt-in#
Any method works, as long as it meets the requirements above. Meta gives these examples:
| Method | Example |
|---|---|
| Website | A checkbox or form on your site |
| SMS | The customer agrees by text message |
| Phone | An interactive voice response (IVR) flow during a call |
| In person or on paper | The customer signs a physical form |
Best practices Meta recommends#
People should expect the messages they get from you. To set that expectation:
- Cover every kind of message you'll send in the opt-in, for example order updates, relevant offers and product recommendations.
- Ask for opt-in per message category where you can. This lowers the chance that people block you because a message surprised them.
- Get a separate opt-in before you call someone.
- Explain the value of what they'll receive.
- Tell people clearly how to opt out of each kind of message or call, and honour it.
- Keep opt-in and opt-out flows simple and easy to understand.
- Watch your quality rating, especially when you start using a new opt-in method.
Honouring opt-outs and blocks#
Opt-in isn't forever. The policy says you "must respect all requests (either on or off WhatsApp)" from a person to block you, stop, or otherwise opt out of your WhatsApp messages. That includes removing them from your contact list. So if a customer tells you by email, by phone or in your shop that they want no more WhatsApp messages, that counts too.
The policy also says not to confuse, deceive, mislead, spam or surprise people with your messages.
WhatsApp users also have a setting called Offers and announcements. With it they can stop (or resume) marketing messages from your business, and say how interested they are in your marketing messages. A "Not interested" answer can affect the Per-User Marketing Limit.
Opt-in doesn't replace templates#
Permission tells you who you may message. It doesn't change how. To start a conversation you still need an approved message template, and free-form messages are only allowed inside the 24-hour customer service window. See Template Basics.
What happens if you message without opt-in#
- People block and report you. Meta warns that unsolicited messages raise the risk that users block your business, and users can also report you.
- Your sending gets limited. WhatsApp's systems may limit how many messages you can send, or calls you can start, based on that feedback. If your quality stays low for a long time, you are rate limited. See Messaging Limits & Quality Rating.
- WhatsApp may review your opt-in flow. It can look at your opt-in flows and user feedback after the fact to flag policy violations.
- Policy enforcement can follow. Spam and messaging people at scale without authorization break WhatsApp's rules. That can lead to warnings, blocks of growing length, and finally losing access to WhatsApp for Business. If your account is terminated, WhatsApp may ban you and your organization from all its products in future. See Why WhatsApp Blocks or Restricts a Number.
Technical detail: stopped marketing messages#
If you send a marketing template to someone who turned off your marketing messages with the Offers and announcements setting, the API accepts the request but does not deliver the message. Instead you get a status webhook with:
status:failedcode:131050title: "Unable to deliver the message. This recipient has chosen to stop receiving marketing messages on WhatsApp from your business"
To find out when a user stops or resumes your marketing messages, subscribe to the
user_preferences webhook. Only stop and resume trigger it; "Interested" / "Not interested"
feedback does not. See Status Webhooks for reading
failed statuses.
Frequently asked#
Do I need permission before I message a customer on WhatsApp?
Yes. You may only message someone who gave you their mobile number (or username) and gave you opt-in permission to receive messages or calls from your business. Both are required.
Does the opt-in have to mention WhatsApp?
No. Since the November 2024 policy update, opt-in can be general and doesn't have to be specifically for WhatsApp, as long as you comply with local laws. It must clearly say the person is opting in to hear from you, and name your business.
Can I message a contact list I bought or downloaded?
No. The rule is that the person gave you their number and agreed to hear from your business. A bought or scraped list doesn't meet either condition, and messaging people at scale without authorization can get your access limited or removed.
How do I collect opt-in?
Any way that meets the requirements: a website form or checkbox, an SMS, a phone (IVR) flow, or a signed paper form in person. Make it say clearly that they're opting in and which business will message them.
A customer asked me to stop messaging them. What do I have to do?
Stop, and remove them from your contact list. WhatsApp's policy says you must respect every request to block, stop or opt out, whether the person asks on WhatsApp or somewhere else.
Why did my marketing message fail with error 131050?
The person used WhatsApp's Offers and announcements setting to stop marketing messages from
your business. The message isn't delivered. Subscribe to the user_preferences webhook to
know when someone stops or resumes your marketing messages.
What happens if I message people who never opted in?
They're more likely to block or report you. That feedback can limit how many messages you can send, lower your quality, and lead to policy enforcement: warnings, blocks of growing length, and in the end losing access to WhatsApp for Business.
Once I have opt-in, can I send anything at any time?
No. You still need an approved template to start a conversation, and free-form messages only work inside the 24-hour customer service window. Opt-in also has to cover the kinds of messages you send, so ask for opt-in per category where you can.
Gotchas & common mistakes#
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