"Compliant" on WhatsApp means something specific — not a vague standard
Business owners often ask whether their WhatsApp messaging is "compliant" without knowing there are two separate rulebooks at play: Meta's WhatsApp Business Messaging Policy (which governs what you can send and to whom, and can get your number banned if broken) and India's data-protection and telecom-marketing rules (which govern consent and unsolicited commercial communication). A message can pass one and fail the other. This checklist covers both, in the order Meta actually checks them.
Rule 1: You need opt-in before you send anything promotional
Meta requires documented consent — commonly called opt-in — before a business sends a marketing message to a customer. Verbal consent at the counter is valid, but you should log it (name, number, date, how consent was given) rather than rely on memory. A customer who gave you their number to receive a bill has NOT automatically opted in to promotional broadcasts — billing and marketing consent are treated separately. Ferbz keeps these as distinct fields per customer for exactly this reason.
Rule 2: Every promotional message needs a working opt-out, and you must honour it immediately
Every marketing template must include a clear way to stop future messages — a 'reply STOP' line or an opt-out button. When a customer opts out, Meta expects the business to suppress marketing sends to that number going forward. Continuing to broadcast to opted-out numbers is the single fastest way to tank your WhatsApp quality rating, which in turn caps how many messages you're allowed to send per day (see Rule 4).
Rule 3: Know the difference between marketing, utility, and authentication templates
Meta classifies every approved template into one of three categories, and pricing plus restrictions differ by category. Utility templates (a bill, an order update, a reminder tied to an existing transaction) can be sent more freely and cost less. Marketing templates (offers, campaigns, general promotions) are held to stricter opt-in enforcement and cost more per message. Authentication templates (OTPs) have their own narrow rules. Filing a promotional message under a utility template to save cost is a policy violation Meta actively audits for.
Rule 4: Your quality rating decides your daily sending limit — protect it
New WhatsApp Business accounts start in a messaging tier capped at 250 business-initiated conversations per rolling 24 hours, then unlock 1,000 → 10,000 → 100,000 as Meta's quality rating for your number improves. Rating drops when customers block you, report you as spam, or don't respond over time. In practice: a business that only messages opted-in customers with relevant, well-timed content stays green and scales up; a business that broadcasts to everyone regardless of consent gets throttled or banned within weeks.
The 5-minute self-audit
Ask yourself: (1) Can I show, for any given customer, how and when they consented to marketing messages? (2) Does every promotional template I use have a visible opt-out? (3) Am I sending bills and reminders as utility templates, not marketing ones? (4) Have I checked my WhatsApp Manager quality rating in the last 30 days? If any answer is no, fix that one item before sending your next broadcast — it's the one most likely to get flagged.