A restricted WhatsApp account can stop a business taking orders and bookings overnight. Most restrictions can be understood, and many can be appealed. This guide covers accounts on the WhatsApp Business Platform (the API).
First step: Don't panic, and don't create a new account to get around it. Open Business Support Home, read which policy was flagged, and start from there.
Where to see what happened
Meta tells you in several places:
- Business Support Home, in Meta Business Suite or Business Manager. It shows the policy, any active restriction, and how to appeal.
- WhatsApp Manager, as a banner.
- Email, sent to your Business Manager admins. Make sure those addresses are ones somebody checks.
What each level of enforcement means
| Level | What it means for your business |
|---|---|
| Warning | Nothing is blocked yet. It names the policy you broke |
| 1 or 3 day restriction | You can't send marketing, utility or authentication templates, or add numbers |
| 5, 7 or 30 day restriction | You can't send any messages, or add numbers |
| Account lock | All messaging is blocked until an appeal succeeds |
| Permanently disabled | The account is removed from the platform |
Restrictions get longer if violations are repeated. Severe harms, such as scams, can lead to removal straight away.
Common reasons accounts get restricted
- Spam. Sending messages people didn't ask for, or sending too many.
- Wrong template category. For example, a promotion sent as a utility message.
- Too much negative feedback. Customers blocking or reporting you.
- Restricted content. Meta limits certain categories of business and product.
For most businesses, the usual risk is a campaign sent to an old contact list. People who never agreed to hear from you are the ones most likely to block you.
How to appeal
- Open Business Support Home and select your messaging account.
- Choose the violation and click Request Review.
- Explain what happened, add supporting details, and click Submit.
- Watch the In Review tab. Meta says a decision typically takes 24 to 48 hours.
If Meta reverses the decision, your account returns to its earlier status. Restricted and disabled accounts can still appeal, although some spam violations can't be appealed and you'll need to wait for the restriction to end.
Tip: Be specific. Say which campaign or template was involved, who received it, how those customers opted in, and what you've changed.
What to do while you're restricted
- Check what still works. With a 1 or 3 day restriction, you may still be able to reply to customers inside an open chat.
- Tell your team so that customers get a call back.
- Pause campaigns and automations until you understand the cause.
- Don't send a mass message from another number. That can make the problem worse.
How to avoid it happening again
- Only message customers who have opted in, and keep a record of it.
- Make opting out easy, and respect it straight away.
- Choose the honest template category.
- Send fewer, more relevant campaigns.
- Avoid unofficial bulk-sending tools. Use the official platform.
- Keep Business Manager admin emails up to date.
ServiceBot.ae tracks consent on each contact, sends campaigns only to opted-in contacts, and uses approved templates, which makes these habits easier to keep. No tool can guarantee that an account is never restricted, because Meta makes the final decision.
Using the normal WhatsApp Business app?
The steps above are for the API. If your number is on the free WhatsApp Business app, you'll see warnings inside the app, and you can usually request a review there.