A WhatsApp messaging limit is the number of unique customers your business can message outside the 24-hour customer service window in a rolling 24 hours. New portfolios start at 250. Verifying your business, or sending 2,000 delivered high-quality template messages in 30 days, lifts it to 2,000. After that it rises automatically to 10,000, 100,000 and unlimited when your quality is high and you have used at least half your limit in the last 7 days.
The tiers
| Limit | How you get there |
|---|---|
| 250 | Every new business portfolio |
| 2,000 | Business verification, partner-led verification, or 2,000 delivered template messages to unique customers in 30 days with high-quality templates |
| 10,000 | Automatic scaling |
| 100,000 | Automatic scaling |
| Unlimited | Automatic scaling |
The limit counts unique customers, not messages, and only those you message outside a customer service window. When a customer messages you, a 24-hour window opens and your replies inside it do not count. The limit is shared by every number in the portfolio, so one busy number can use it all. Coming from the WhatsApp Business app? Its broadcast lists work differently: 256 contacts a list, and only people who saved your number.
How to move up
- Get to 2,000 with verificationIt is the fastest path for most stores. See WhatsApp business verification.
- Keep quality highMeta scores quality from how customers treated your messages over the last 7 days, weighted towards recent ones: blocks, reports, mutes and archives all count against you. Message people who opted in, about things they care about.
- Use at least half your limitAutomatic scaling needs you to have reached at least half your current limit in the last 7 days. A business at 2,000 that messages 500 people a day will stay at 2,000.
- Let it scaleWhen both conditions are met, the portfolio moves up one level within 6 hours. There is no form to fill in.
Planning a big send, such as White Friday or Ramadan? Ramp up in the weeks before. Each step needs a week of sending at half your current limit, so a portfolio at 2,000 cannot reach 100,000 the night before the sale.
How to check your limit
- In WhatsApp Manager, go to Account tools, then Messaging limits.
- Through the API, request the
whatsapp_business_manager_messaging_limitfield on your phone number. The oldermessaging_limit_tierfield is deprecated.
The other limits that stop a campaign
| Limit | What it is | Error |
|---|---|---|
| Per-user marketing limit | WhatsApp may cap how many marketing templates one person receives from all businesses, based on their recent engagement. Wait at least 24 hours before retrying. | 131049 |
| Throughput | Up to 80 messages per second per number by default, automatically upgraded to up to 1,000 for eligible numbers. | 130429 |
| Pair rate limit | One message every 6 seconds to the same customer, with short bursts allowed. | 131056 |
Marketing messages sent inside an open customer service window do not count towards the per-user marketing limit. Utility messages, such as an order confirmation, are not subject to it at all, which is one more reason to keep them free of promotions.
Frequently asked questions
Is the WhatsApp messaging limit per phone number or per business?
Per business portfolio. Every number in the portfolio shares one limit, so adding numbers does not add capacity.
Do replies to customers count towards my messaging limit?
No. The limit counts unique customers you message outside the 24-hour customer service window. Replies inside an open window do not count.
What does error 131049 mean?
A marketing template was not delivered because the customer has hit WhatsApp’s per-user marketing limit, or because you retried too often. Wait at least 24 hours before sending to that customer again.
How long does it take to go from 2,000 to unlimited?
At least three automatic steps, each needing a week in which you used half your current limit with high quality. Plan for weeks, not days.