WhatsApp Messaging Limits
Messaging limits define the maximum number of unique WhatsApp contacts your business can reach in a 24-hour period. These limits apply to both new and existing contacts. However, they do not restrict the number of messages you send to each contact or apply to messages sent in response to contact-initiated messages within a 24-hour window.
Before initiating mass messaging or broadcasts, ensure your messaging limit matches the number of contacts you intend to reach.
Messaging Tiers
There are four distinct messaging tiers for businesses:
-
Tier 1: Send messages to up to 1,000 unique contacts within 24 hours.
-
Tier 2: Send messages to up to 10,000 unique contacts within 24 hours.
-
Tier 3: Send messages to up to 100,000 unique contacts within 24 hours.
-
Tier 4: Send messages to an unlimited number of unique contacts within 24 hours.
You can check your current messaging limit by navigating to Business Manager > Business Settings > WhatsApp Accounts > Settings > WhatsApp Manager > Phone Numbers where the messaging limit for each phone number is displayed.
Upgrading Your Messaging Limits
Your business can automatically upgrade to a higher tier by meeting the following criteria:
Quality Rating: Maintain a quality rating above “low.”
Contact Volume: Reach the current messaging limit with unique contacts within a 7-day period.
If these benchmarks are consistently achieved, your phone number will be upgraded to the next tier. This upgrade process occurs automatically based on your performance.
For more details, please read WhatsApp policies.
Quality Rating
Each phone number associated with the WhatsApp Business API is assigned a quality rating. This rating is determined by analyzing feedback from recent messages sent over the past seven days. Factors influencing the quality rating include whether your number has been blocked or reported by contacts.
Your quality rating can be viewed under Business Manager > Business Settings > WhatsApp Accounts > Settings > WhatsApp Manager > Phone Numbers
Quality States
-
Green: High quality
-
Yellow: Medium quality
-
Red: Low quality
If your quality rating drops to a low state, you will receive notifications via Business Manager and email. Following this, your phone number’s status may change to either Flagged or Restricted.
Phone Number Status
Your phone number’s status is visible in the Phone Numbers section of WhatsApp Manager. The possible statuses are:
Flagged Status:
-
Triggered by a low quality rating.
-
Messaging limit upgrades are restricted while flagged.
-
If quality improves to high or medium and remains consistent for seven days, the status reverts to Connected.
Restricted Status:
-
Occurs when the messaging limit is reached.
-
Prevents new messages until the 24-hour window resets.
-
Responses to contact-initiated messages are still allowed.
Even if quality doesn’t improve, your status will eventually return to Connected, though you may be placed in a lower messaging tier.
Improving Your Quality Rating
To maintain or improve your quality rating, consider the following steps:
-
Review Templates: Check any templates sent in the last seven days and address any that may be causing issues.
-
Compliance: Ensure all messages sent via live chat, automations, and broadcasts adhere to WhatsApp’s policies.
-
Consent Management: Verify that contacts have opted in for the topics of your recent templates. For instance, sending account updates to contacts who only opted in for purchase receipts could result in negative feedback.
For more information, please refer to the Meta’s article Quality Rating and Messaging Limits.
