Meta’s New WhatsApp Message Limits: What Businesses Need to Know

Meta has always strived to evolve WhatsApp into a more powerful channel for excellent customer engagement. For this, the Tech Giant last year introduced two new Messaging Limit policies, both aiming at refining the user experience as well as enhancing user engagement. These policy updates are most relevant for businesses leveraging WhatsApp for marketing communications, and Cunnekt is here to help you stay ahead of the curve.

What Has Changed?

Meta has rolled out two key updates in the year 2024, first in February and later in September, both changes dictating marketing message frequency on WhatsApp. These changes have been rolled out across the globe.

Update 1: Active from February 2024

Effective from February 6, 2024, but fully rolled out on February 13, 2024.

What Changed:

• Meta has limited the total number of marketing template messages a user can receive across all businesses.
• This limit applies regardless of whether a user has interacted with your business previously.

Impact:

• Even if it’s the first message from your business that day, it may be blocked if the user has already hit the daily threshold from other brands.
• Only marketing templates starting new conversations are affected.
• Ongoing conversations are not impacted.

Update 2: Rolled Out in September 2024

• With the new set daily messaging limit, businesses can now send only 2 marketing template messages per user per 24-hour period, unless the user replies.
• If a user responds, you can continue the conversation using free-form messages with no limits.
• Already open conversations allow for one additional template message, after which a response is required for further outreach.

Impact of Such Changes: Take an Instance

Instance 1: Suppose you, as a Business on the Cunnekt platform, send a Marketing Template message to a user. Later, when the user does not respond, you can send one more marketing message. In case the user still does not respond, then Meta will restrict you from sending any more of these messages, as it compromises the credibility of WhatsApp and projects it as a Spam platform. 

What it means is you can send n number of marketing template messages to a User if he or she replies to each of them. But when the user chooses not to reply to the last two or only two template messages, then Meta will block you from further sending any promotional messages, and your message delivery fails. 

Instance 2: Suppose you are sending the marketing template to a non-responsive user for the second time, or even the first time, but the message delivery fails. Meta can still block you from sending template messages. Why is that? Because the user has already reached their limit for receiving promotional messages. As per Policy Changes, Meta has put a promotional messaging reception cap on WhatsApp Users, i.e., a User can receive a limited number of promotional messages on WhatsApp. If the limit is reached, Meta will block other businesses, like you, from sending more messages. And this is another reason your message delivery can fail.  

Here, what you can do is try re-sending the template message after 2 hours. In case it fails again, try after four hours, and then 8 hours, 16 hours, and so on, until the message finally delivers.     

Why is Meta Doing This?

Meta’s research shows that reducing unsolicited marketing messages leads to:

• Higher User Engagement
• Better Read Rates, thus Better User Experience
• Fewer Users muting, archiving, or blocking your business conversations

This is a strategic move by Meta to make WhatsApp a higher-quality channel for brands, thus encouraging more meaningful interactions and discouraging spammy campaigns.

What Should Cunnekt Clients Do?

To all Cunnekt clients, the platform ensures you do not need to worry; instead, learn to optimize your strategy by these updates, like:

Plan Smarter Campaigns

Limit marketing pushes to no more than two per user per day.

Encourage More Responsive Engagement

You can craft messages that prompt replies so you can move the conversation into free-form messaging.

Segment your Audience Wisely

You must focus on engaged audiences to reduce the risk of message wastage.

Use Conversation Windows

If a user responds, take advantage of the open 24-hour session to deliver value.

Final Thought

These changes must feel restrictive at first, but they represent a hidden opportunity for you as a Business to refine your approach and improve your RoI on marketing expenditure. If you learn to focus on customer chat relevance, you can build stronger and trusted relationships with customers.

To know more about such updates, follow Cunnekt and learn tips and strategy guides to make the most of your time and money for WhatsApp Marketing.

About the Writer

Sumant Kumar