WhatsApp Rate Limiting
Sending unique message recipients per day according to tiers.
Rate Limit Tiers
WhatsApp has imposed rate-limiting when ramping up your Official WhatsApp messaging application.
There are three WhatsApp's rate limit tiers:
Every new WhatsApp-enabled number will start as Tier 1, after both Facebook Business Verification and display name are approved.
Tier | Rate limit |
Tier 1 | Limited to 1000 unique message recipients per day |
Tier 2 | Limited to 10000 unique message recipients per day |
Tier 3 | Limited to 100000 unique message recipients per day |
Tier 4 | Unlimited message recipients per day |
It is unable to move manually or request to move between/increase rate limit tiers.
Moving to the next tiers
Your Official WhatsApp phone number will be automatically moved to the next tier by WhatsApp if it meets the following requirements:
Total number of unique recipients sent across the past 7 days
Initiated X or more conversations with unique customers, where X is your current messaging limit divided by 2.
Message quality rating is Medium or High
Phone number status is connected
1. Total number of unique recipients (past 7 days)
Each time you initiate a new conversation with a unique customer we will determine if your limit should be increased. Here's the criteria:
In the last 7 days you have initiated X or more conversations with unique customers, where X is your current messaging limit divided by 2.
Example 1: Your Official WhatsApp phone number begins at Tier 1 (1k/day).
On day 1, the number sends to 300 unique recipients. On day 2, this number sends to another 200 unique recipients again.
Within 24 hours from day 3, the number would be upgraded to Tier 2 based on having been sent to 500 unique recipients within the past 2 days.
| Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | |
|---|---|---|---|
Business-initiated conversations (new) | 300 | 200 | 0 |
Business-initiated conversations in last 7 days | 300 | 500 | 500 |
Messaging limit | 1K | 1K | 10K |
Example 2: Your Official WhatsApp phone number begins at Tier 1.
On day 1 to day 3, the number sends to 100 unique recipients each day.
During days 4-7, the number continues to send total 300 messages to unique recipients.
Within 24 hours from day 8, the number would be upgraded to Tier 2 based on having been sent to 600 unique recipients within the past 7 days.
| Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 | Day 6 | Day 7 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Business-initiated conversations (new) | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 50 | 50 | 100 |
Business-initiated conversations in last 7 days | 100 | 200 | 300 | 400 | 450 | 500 | 600 |
Messaging limit | 1K | 1K | 1K | 1K | 1K | 1K | 10K |
2. Message quality rating
Since WhatsApp encrypts messages, it relies on user feedback to measure the quality of messages. WhatsApp uses it to track "quality rating" for senders, which can affect how users are able to move between rate limiting tiers.
To maintain high quality, it recommends the following:
Follow the WhatsApp Business Policy.
Highly personalised and useful messages to users.
Avoid sending customers too many messages a day.
A low-quality rating can result in an Official WhatsApp phone number preventing from moving to a higher rate tier or, in some cases, to a lower rate limit tier.
If you meet all conditions, we will increase your messaging limit by one level in 24 hours.
For more details, please refer to this article.
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