Best Practices and What to Avoid

Think of WhatsApp as a trust channel. Taking care of both your number and the group’s number is crucial in maintaining the health and quality of the entire account.

When you onboard your number to the WhatsApp Business API platform, ensure you go through a warm-up phase and pace your messages accordingly. Have people message the number and engage in test conversations. You can then start sending a few test templates to new numbers. The first few weeks are crucial to build a good quality rating within WhatsApp. Below are some best practices and things to avoid when using this channel.
 

✅ Best Practices

1. Don’t message leads older than 30 days 
   Always put yourself in the recipient's shoes. How would you respond if the business sent you a particular template? Would you choose to block, report, or add to contacts?
    
2. Get Consent First
   Always get the customer’s permission before messaging them. This can be through a website opt-in I.e. Privacy Policy, a form, or verbally confirmed.
    
3. Use Approved Templates for First Contact
   Use only pre-approved message templates to initiate conversations. WhatsApp requires this to maintain quality.
    
4. Be Helpful and Relevant
   Focus on adding value. Share useful information, offers relevant to their interest, or respond to their queries promptly.
    
5. Personalize Messages
   Use the customer’s name and context when possible. Personalized messages get better responses and feel less spammy.
    
6. Monitor Message Quality Ratings
   If messages get marked as spam or blocked, your quality rating drops. Keep an eye on it and adjust your approach if needed.
    
7. Respect Opt-Out Requests
   If a customer asks to stop receiving messages, stop immediately. You can also offer a clear way to opt out (e.g. "Reply STOP to unsubscribe").

❌ What to Avoid

1. Don’t Spam
   Avoid sending messages to users who haven’t opted in. This is a quick way to get flagged or banned.
    
2. Don’t Send to Restricted Countries
   These include Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Syria, and three sanctioned regions in Ukraine (Crimea, Donetsk, Luhansk).
    
3. Don’t Message Multiple Templates if there is no Response
   Sending multiple templates over a short period of time without the client responding can get you reported.
    
4. Don’t Overload with Promotions
   Too many offers or aggressive sales pitches can annoy users and get your number reported.
    
5. Don’t Ignore Negative Feedback
   Take complaints or opt-outs seriously. WhatsApp tracks user reports and may suspend the number.
    
6. Don’t Share Irrelevant Content
   Keep messages focused on what the customer signed up for. Random updates or off-topic info can harm engagement.
    
7. Don’t Send Sensitive or Confidential Info
   Avoid sending passwords, payment links without context, or anything that could raise red flags.
    
8. Don’t Assume WhatsApp = Cold Outreach Tool
   WhatsApp is for engaged, opted-in customers. Use it to build relationships, not to hunt leads blindly.