Get Opt-in for WhatsApp

Opt-in refers to a situation where a person actively gives their consent to receive marketing messages or to have their data collected.

Businesses are required to obtain opt-in from customers before sending proactive business-initiated messages outside the 24-hour window. Opt-in can be obtained through various methods, both on and off WhatsApp. We aim to facilitate people receiving relevant information from businesses they want to interact with.

Acceptable opt-in methods include your website, interactive voice response (IVR) flows, or a WhatsApp conversation.

Requirements

To obtain opt-in for messaging over WhatsApp, businesses must meet the following requirements:

Clearly state that the person is opting in to receive messages from the business
Clearly state the business name that the person is opting in to receive messages from
Comply with applicable laws and regulations

Opt-In Methods

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
In a WhatsApp thread
By phone (using an interactive voice response (IVR) flow)
In-person or on paper (customers can sign a physical document to opt in)
It is important for businesses to prioritize the user experience when designing opt-in flows.

Helpful Tips

Businesses should prioritize the user experience and obtain opt-in from users in order to maintain a positive relationship. Here are some ways to achieve this:

Set clear expectations for the types of messages users will receive by obtaining opt-ins that encompass different categories of messages, such as order updates, relevant offers, and product recommendations. Additionally, obtain separate opt-ins for each specific message category to mitigate the risk of users blocking your business due to unsolicited messages.
Provide easy-to-follow instructions for users to opt out of receiving messages in specific categories and honor these requests promptly.
Ensure that your opt-in and opt-out processes are clear and intuitive for users to navigate.
Clearly communicate the benefits of receiving your business's messages on WhatsApp.
Continuously monitor your quality rating, especially when rolling out new opt-in methods, to ensure that users are satisfied with your messaging practices.
By following these guidelines, businesses can prioritize the user experience while maintaining a positive relationship with their customers on WhatsApp.

Maintaining High Quality

Ensuring that conversations between people and businesses are productive and valuable remains a key focus for us. We give people the ability to block or report businesses, and our systems will limit a business's messaging capabilities if their quality is consistently low. We may also periodically review businesses' opt-in processes and user feedback to identify policy violations and explore new enforcement measures.

FAQ

How will WhatsApp enforce this policy?

To ensure that businesses maintain a high quality of service for their customers, we take user feedback very seriously. If users feel like they did not opt-in to receive messages from a business, they can block or report the business. This feedback is a crucial input into the business' quality score, and if the score drops below a certain threshold for a sustained period of time, our systems will rate limit the business.
We also proactively evaluate businesses' opt-in flows, including user feedback, to prevent policy violations. Our goal is to create a safe and positive environment for our users, and we will continue to introduce new types of enforcement to ensure that businesses are meeting our standards.