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Updated: Nov 3, 2025
Businesses are required to obtain opt-in before messaging people on WhatsApp.
As per the November 2024 WhatsApp Business Messaging Policy update, before messaging people on WhatsApp, businesses are required to obtain opt-in permission, which can be general and not specifically for WhatsApp, as long as businesses comply with all local laws. Businesses may contact people on WhatsApp if: (a) they have given their mobile phone number; and (b) businesses have received opt-in permission from the recipient confirming that they wish to receive subsequent messages or calls from a particular business.
Requirements
Businesses must follow the below requirements when obtaining opt-in:
Businesses must clearly state that a person is opting in to receive communication from the business
Businesses must clearly state the business’s name that a person is opting in to receive messages from
Businesses must comply with applicable law
Opt-in methods
It is up to businesses to determine the method of opt-in, that they have obtained opt-in in a manner that complies with laws applicable to their communications, and that they have otherwise provided notices and obtained permissions that are required under applicable law.
As long as the opt-in method meets the above requirements, it will be policy compliant. The following are examples of supported opt-in methods:
SMS
Website
By phone (using an interactive voice response (IVR) flow)
In person or on paper (customers can sign a physical document to opt in)
Helpful tips
Businesses should continue to optimize for the user experience while obtaining opt-in. For example:
Users should expect the messages they receive. Businesses can set this expectation by:
Obtaining an opt-in that encompasses the different categories of messages that a business will send (ex: order updates, relevant offers, product recommendations, etc.).
Obtaining separate opt-in by specific message category. This mitigates the risk that users will block your business because they receive unsolicited messages.
Provide clear instructions for how people can opt out of receiving specific categories of messages, and honor these requests.
Ensure opt-in and opt-out flows are clear and intuitive for users.
Businesses should clearly communicate the value of receiving this information.
Businesses should monitor quality rating, especially when rolling out new opt-in methods.
Maintaining high quality
Driving high-quality chat threads between people and businesses is still a top priority.
People can share feedback with WhatsApp or choose to stop receiving marketing messages from individual businesses. People can also block or report a business. Our systems will rate limit businesses if the business’s quality is low for a sustained period of time. We may also reactively evaluate user feedback to flag policy violations and develop additional types of enforcement over time.
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Requirements
Opt-in methods
Helpful tips
Maintaining high quality
