Understanding WhatsApp Business API Message Limits
WhatsApp Business API message limits determine how many unique customers you can message each day. Understanding these limits is crucial for planning your messaging strategy and scaling your business communications.What Are Message Limits?
Message limits are the maximum number of unique WhatsApp user phone numbers your business can deliver messages to, outside of customer service windows, within a moving 24-hour period.Key Point: Limits are calculated at the business portfolio level and
shared by all phone numbers within that portfolio. This means if you have
multiple WhatsApp Business numbers, they all share the same daily limit.
Starting Limits
When you first create a WhatsApp Business API account, you start with:- New Business Portfolios: 250 messages per day
- New Phone Numbers: Share the portfolio’s limit (not individual 250 limit)
Limit Tiers
Your messaging limit can be increased through these tiers:| Tier | Daily Message Limit | How to Achieve |
|---|---|---|
| Tier 250 | 250 messages | Starting limit for new portfolios |
| Tier 2,000 | 2,000 messages | Complete scaling path |
| Tier 10,000 | 10,000 messages | Automatic scaling |
| Tier 100,000 | 100,000 messages | Automatic scaling |
| Unlimited | No limit | Automatic scaling |
How to Increase Your Limit to 2,000
To move from 250 to 2,000 messages per day, you need to complete one of these scaling paths:Option 1: Verify Your Business
Complete business verification through Meta Business Manager. This is the fastest way to increase your limit.Option 2: Send High-Quality Messages
Send 2,000 delivered messages outside of customer service windows to unique WhatsApp users in a 30-day period using templates with high quality ratings.Quality Matters: Your message quality rating significantly impacts your
ability to scale. Focus on sending relevant, valuable messages to maintain
high quality scores.
Automatic Scaling (2,000+ Messages)
Once you reach 2,000 messages, WhatsApp will automatically increase your limit if you meet these criteria:- High-Quality Messages: You’re sending high-quality messages across all phone numbers and templates
- Utilization: In the last 7 days, you’ve used at least half of your current messaging limit
Portfolio-Based Limits
WhatsApp Business API uses a portfolio-based limit system where all phone numbers within a business portfolio share the same daily messaging limit.How Portfolio-Based Limits Work
- Shared Capacity: All WhatsApp Business phone numbers in your portfolio share the same daily limit
- Immediate Access: New phone numbers automatically get the portfolio’s current limit
- Unlimited Numbers: You can add as many phone numbers as needed without affecting your limit
- Centralized Management: One limit to manage across all your business numbers
Checking Your Current Limit
- Go to app.otpiq.com and log in to your account
- Navigate to WhatsApp → Account
- View your current messaging limit and scaling information
Message Quality and Scaling
Your ability to scale depends heavily on message quality. WhatsApp evaluates:- Relevance: Messages should be relevant to recipients
- Engagement: Recipients should engage positively with your messages
- Compliance: Follow WhatsApp’s commerce and business policies
- Template Quality: Use well-designed, approved templates
Quality Rating: Maintain “Medium” or “High” quality ratings across all
your templates to ensure smooth scaling.
Customer Service Windows
Important: Message limits only apply to messages sent outside of customer service windows. Within 24 hours of a customer messaging you, you can send unlimited messages to that customer.Customer Service Window: 24-hour period after a customer initiates contact
where you can send unlimited messages without counting against your daily
limit.
Best Practices for Scaling
1. Start with High-Quality Templates
- Use clear, relevant messaging
- Avoid promotional language in utility templates
- Include proper opt-out mechanisms for marketing
2. Monitor Your Usage
- Track your daily message consumption
- Aim to use at least 50% of your limit for automatic scaling
- Monitor quality ratings regularly
3. Plan Your Scaling Strategy
- Begin with business verification for fastest scaling
- Focus on utility and authentication templates (lower cost, higher approval rates)
- Build up to 2,000 messages before expanding to marketing
4. Maintain Quality Standards
- Respond promptly to customer messages
- Avoid spam-like behavior
- Follow WhatsApp’s best practices
Common Scaling Issues
| Issue | Solution |
|---|---|
| Stuck at 250 | Complete business verification or send 2,000 high-quality messages |
| Quality Rating Low | Improve message relevance and engagement |
| Not Utilizing Limit | Increase message volume while maintaining quality |
| Template Rejections | Review WhatsApp policies and improve template content |
Throughput Limits
Beyond daily message limits, WhatsApp also has throughput limits (messages per second):- Standard: 80 messages per second
- High Throughput: 1,000 messages per second (requires unlimited daily limit)
- Portfolio must have unlimited messaging limit
- Phone number must message 100K+ unique users in 24 hours
- Maintain Medium or High quality rating
Next Steps
Ready to start scaling your WhatsApp messaging? Here’s what to do:- Connect Your Account: Follow our WhatsApp Business API connection guide
- Create Quality Templates: Design templates that provide value to your customers
- Monitor Performance: Track your message quality and usage
- Scale Gradually: Build up to higher limits through consistent, high-quality messaging
Connect WhatsApp API
Learn how to connect your WhatsApp Business API to Otpiq
API Reference
Explore our comprehensive API documentation
Need help with your WhatsApp Business API setup? Contact our support team at info@otpiq.com or check our documentation for more guides.