Opt-in
The recorded permission a customer gives before a business sends them WhatsApp template messages. Meta requires that you collect it, make clear which business is messaging, and honour opt-outs.
One term from the WhatsApp Business Platform glossary. Last updated 2026-07-25.
Meta requires a business to hold permission before messaging someone on WhatsApp, and to make clear at the point of collection which business will be messaging and roughly what for. It does not, however, dictate where permission is collected — a checkout checkbox, a website form, an in-store signup, an IVR confirmation or a prior WhatsApp conversation can all qualify, provided the record is kept.
Opt-out handling is the half that gets neglected. A business must honour unsubscribe requests, and honour them fast, because the alternative is a rising block rate — which feeds directly into the number's quality rating and from there into its messaging limit. In India, opt-in discipline is also what keeps WhatsApp campaigns clear of the complaint patterns that get numbers reviewed.
Related terms
- Quality rating
- The health score Meta assigns each WhatsApp phone number, derived from how recipients react to its messages. Blocks and reports push it down, and a low rating restricts the number's messaging limit.
- Template message
- A pre-approved message format required to contact a customer outside the 24-hour customer service window. Meta categorises templates as Marketing, Utility or Authentication, and charges a different rate for each.
- Message category (Marketing, Utility, Authentication, Service)
- The four buckets Meta sorts WhatsApp conversations into. Marketing, Utility and Authentication are template messages and each carries its own rate; Service messages are free-form replies inside the 24-hour window.
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