WhatsApp Business Cloud API Compliance Guide

When an end customer sends you a WhatsApp message, Meta opens a rolling 24-hour customer service window. During this window:

• Your agents and bot flows can send free-form text, images, documents, and interactive buttons without requiring pre-approval.
• Once the 24 hours expire without a customer reply, free-form messages cannot be sent. You must re-engage using a Meta-approved Message Template.

All business-initiated outreach outside the 24-hour window must use templates registered and approved by Meta. Categories include:

Meta tracks how recipients respond to your messages. If users report or block your number, your Quality Rating moves from Green (High) to Yellow (Medium) or Red (Low).

Messaging Limits: Newly registered Cloud API numbers start at Tier 1 (1,000 unique business-initiated customers per 24 hours). As you send high-quality messages with low block rates, Meta automatically upgrades your limit to 10,000, 100,000, and eventually Unlimited.

Always give customers an easy way to opt out directly on promotional broadcasts:

• Add a Quick-Reply button such as "Stop Promotions" or "Unsubscribe" on marketing templates.
• When a customer clicks Stop, WaCRM's automation engine can automatically remove their marketing tag, protecting your number from being reported as spam.