The WhatsApp Business Messaging Policy, explained
Every business on the WhatsApp Business Platform agrees to Meta's Business Messaging Policy. It covers who you can message, when, and about what, and breaking it can cost you the number. Here is the whole policy in plain English, with links to the official wording.
What the policy is and who it applies to
The WhatsApp Business Messaging Policy defines what is and isn't allowed on the WhatsApp Business App and the WhatsApp Business Platform. It works together with the WhatsApp Business Terms of Service and the WhatsApp Messaging Guidelines, and by using WhatsApp for business you agree to all three.
It applies to every business, in every country, on every provider. Connecting through HabariChat, or any other platform, doesn't change what the rules are; it changes how easy they are to follow.
Opt-in: message people who agreed to hear from you
The foundation of the whole policy: you may only contact someone on WhatsApp if they gave you their phone number and they opted in to receiving messages from you. You are responsible for how you collect that opt-in and for keeping proof that it complies with your local law.
Meta's opt-in best practices recommend telling people what kinds of messages to expect (order updates, offers, reminders) and making it obvious how to opt out. Equally binding: when someone asks you to stop, on or off WhatsApp, you must stop. HabariChat handles that side automatically with a do-not-contact list, described in Add contacts. The technical detail lives in Meta's opt-in documentation.
The 24-hour window and message templates
When a customer messages you, a 24-hour customer service window opens from their last message. Inside it, you can reply freely, with a human or with automation. Outside it, you can only start or continue a conversation with a Message Template that Meta has approved in advance, used for its designated purpose. Meta can review, pause, or reject any template at any time.
In practice: replies to active conversations are free-form, campaigns and re-engagement messages are templates. See WhatsApp message templates for how to create and get them approved from inside HabariChat.
Be who you say you are
Your WhatsApp Business profile must carry accurate, up-to-date customer support contact information: at least one of an email address, a website, or a phone number. You may not impersonate another business, misrepresent who you're affiliated with, or mislead customers about what your business does. Speaking in another brand's name without permission counts as a violation.
Automation is fine, a path to a human is required
Meta explicitly allows bots and automation inside the 24-hour window, on one condition: customers must have a prompt, clear, and direct way to reach a person. Accepted escalation paths include in-chat transfer to a human agent, a phone number, an email address, web support, a support form, or an in-store visit.
HabariChat is built around exactly this pattern: the AI assistant answers what it can and hands the conversation to your team when needed. See Human handoff for how that works.
Protect customer data
The policy sets hard limits on data handling in chats:
- Don't ask people to share, and don't share, full payment card numbers, financial account numbers, national ID numbers, or other sensitive identifiers in messages.
- Don't forward or share information from one customer's chat with another customer.
- Only use data about the people you message to support that messaging, and maintain a published privacy policy.
- Don't use WhatsApp for telemedicine or health information where regulations require specially secured systems for it.
For how HabariChat itself protects conversation data, see Security & Privacy.
Special categories: commerce, news, and restricted industries
- Selling with catalogs or other commerce features: everything you sell must comply with the Meta Commerce Policy, and you remain fully responsible for your transactions, sales terms, and taxes. The details are in the commerce section of the policy.
- News organizations: a business that primarily publishes news must be registered as a News Page through Facebook.
- Prohibited and regulated industries: some businesses can't use WhatsApp at all, and a few are limited to approved countries. The full lists are in Prohibited & regulated industries.
- Political and government use: political parties, politicians, and campaigns are prohibited worldwide, with a narrow path for government entities. See Politicians, political parties & government.
Enforcement: what breaking the rules costs
Meta enforces the policy with both automated systems and human review. Enforcement is graduated but can be severe:
- People can block or report your business, and a sustained low quality rating triggers limits on how many messages you can send.
- Significant negative feedback, harm to users, or policy violations can get access limited or removed entirely, at Meta's sole discretion.
- Termination for violations can extend to a ban on you and your organisation from all future use of WhatsApp products.
- Meta may update the policy without notice; continuing to use the platform counts as accepting the changes.
The enforcement process itself is documented in Meta's Policy Enforcement guide. If it ever happens to you, start with WhatsApp account suspended or banned: what to do.
Common questions
Yes. The WhatsApp Business Messaging Policy applies to every business on the WhatsApp Business Platform, no matter which provider onboarded the number. HabariChat connects you to Meta's official platform and follows these rules by design, but the policy itself is Meta's, and Meta enforces it directly on your number.
Not automatically. Meta requires two things before you message someone: they gave you their phone number themselves, and they opted in to receiving messages from you on WhatsApp. Having someone's number from an old invoice or a bought list does not count as opt-in, and messaging people who never agreed to hear from you is the fastest way to get blocked, reported, and rate-limited.
You can still reach the customer, but only with an approved message template rather than a free-form reply. Once the customer responds to your template, a fresh 24-hour window opens and normal conversation resumes. HabariChat handles this switch for you and templates are managed right inside the platform.
No. Meta's policy prohibits asking people to share full payment card numbers, financial account numbers, national ID numbers, or other sensitive identifiers in WhatsApp messages. If you need those details for a transaction, collect them through a secure channel such as your website or an in-person process, and just use WhatsApp to guide the customer there.
Not necessarily. Meta can update the policy without notice unless the law requires it, and enforcement can start with rate limits or land directly on a suspension, depending on the violation. The reliable protection is to build on the safe side: real opt-ins, approved templates, honoured opt-outs, and a healthy quality rating.