Opt-in
Explicit, recorded permission from a customer to receive WhatsApp messages from a business — required by Meta's Commerce Policy before any business-initiated conversation.
Last updated: 2026-05-03
Definition
Opt-in is the customer's explicit agreement to receive WhatsApp messages from a specific business, captured before any business-initiated conversation. Meta's Commerce Policy requires merchants to record (a) the customer's phone number, (b) the channel where consent was captured (website checkbox, in-store form, IVR, paper form, click-to-chat ad), (c) the timestamp, and (d) the scope of consent (transactional only, marketing too, etc.). Failing to maintain opt-in records exposes the merchant to phone number quality penalties, template suspensions, and ultimately phone number bans for repeated violations.
How it applies in India
Indian businesses align opt-in capture with DPDPA 2023 consent requirements: timestamped, purpose-specific, withdrawable, and stored in a manner the data principal can audit on request. WatEase auto-logs opt-in events from forms, checkout, and click-to-WhatsApp ads, and surfaces them in a per-customer audit trail.
Frequently asked questions
Is buying a phone-number list and messaging it on WhatsApp allowed?
No. Meta's Commerce Policy explicitly forbids messaging customers from a purchased list without explicit, traceable opt-in. Doing it gets your number quality-rated red, then banned. WatEase rejects bulk imports without an opt-in source field.
Can I assume opt-in from prior SMS or email subscribers?
No. WhatsApp opt-in is channel-specific. Subscribers to your email or SMS list need a fresh, explicit WhatsApp opt-in. Common practice is to send a one-time SMS asking them to confirm.
Related terms
- WhatsApp Template MessageA pre-approved message format that a business can send to a customer outside the 24-hour service window — required for any business-initiated conversation.
- Conversation CategoryOne of four labels Meta assigns to a WhatsApp conversation — Marketing, Utility, Authentication, or Service — that determines its price and rules.
- Quality RatingA traffic-light score (Green / Yellow / Red) Meta assigns to each WhatsApp Business phone number based on customer block and report rates.
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