WhatsApp rules and quality rating
The 24-hour window, when templates are required, patient opt-in, quality rating and messaging limits — what keeps your number safe.
4 min read
WhatsApp Business API rules are set by Meta and are the same for every business. A team that knows them reaches patients on time and keeps the risk of restrictions to a minimum. This article puts everything a patient coordinator needs to know on one page.
The 24-hour customer service window
Every time a patient writes to you, a 24-hour window opens. Within it you can send free text, photos, voice notes, PDFs and templates. Once it closes, you can only send approved templates.
| Situation | What you can send |
|---|---|
| The patient wrote in the last 24 hours | Anything: free text, files, templates |
| More than 24 hours since the patient's last message | Approved templates only |
| You're writing to the patient first (e.g. a form lead) | Approved templates only |
| The patient wrote after tapping your Facebook/Instagram "Send WhatsApp message" ad | Anything for 72 hours (Meta treats these conversations as free) |
As soon as the patient replies to your template, the window reopens. To create templates, see WhatsApp templates.
Tip
Wrap up the important points before the window closes. If a patient asked "Price?" in the evening, send the treatment plan and your questions before the same time the next day; miss the 24 hours and you'll have to restart with a template.
Patient opt-in
Meta requires patients to agree to receive WhatsApp messages before the business sends the first message.
- The opt-in must be clear: the patient should know they'll receive messages from Aura Dental Clinic on WhatsApp.
- Add a checkbox to your web forms: "I agree to receive treatment information and appointment reminders on WhatsApp."
- If the patient wrote to you on WhatsApp first, you don't need separate consent to reply in that conversation.
- If the patient says "please stop", record it and stop sending marketing messages.
Quality rating
Meta rates your number's quality based on patient feedback over the last 7 days (blocks, reports, how templates are received):
| Rating | Colour | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| High | Green | All good. You're eligible for limit increases. |
| Medium | Yellow | Negative feedback is rising. Review what you send. |
| Low | Red | Serious risk. The number may be Flagged, templates may be paused and limit increases stop. |
When quality drops to Low, stop bulk template sends immediately. Think about why patients block you: did you message people who hadn't opted in, write too often, or send something irrelevant? Quality recovers within days with good messaging.
Messaging limits
Meta limits the number of unique people you can reach outside the 24-hour window (with templates): 250 → 2,000 → 10,000 → 100,000 → unlimited. The limit is shared by all numbers in your Meta Business portfolio. Business verification takes you to 2,000; higher tiers come automatically with good quality and enough usage. Details: Connect the WhatsApp Business API.
Meta may also cap how many marketing messages one person can receive in a short period across all businesses; some marketing templates may then not be delivered. This isn't a problem with your number.
Pricing (general)
Meta charges for WhatsApp messages per message, based on the recipient's country:
- Marketing templates are always charged.
- Utility templates are free when sent within the 24-hour window and charged outside it.
- Authentication templates are charged.
- Free-text replies within the window are free.
Rates vary by country and are updated by Meta. See how WhatsApp charges are billed to your account on the Billing page, or ask our support team.
Blocking and reporting risks
The following lower your quality rating and, at worst, get the number restricted:
- Bulk messaging people who haven't opted in, or bought or outdated lists.
- Sending the same patient many marketing messages in a short time.
- Sending content that's irrelevant or not in the patient's language (e.g. a Turkish campaign to a German-speaking patient).
- Misleading prices, "guaranteed" results, or content against Meta's commerce policy.
- Using the official API and an unofficial tool on the same number.
Best practices
- Write the first message in the patient's language and keep it personal: use their name and mention which form they came from.
- Send bulk messages to small, relevant groups — for example, only implant patients in the "Quote sent" stage.
- Limit marketing messages to one a week and offer an opt-out each time ("Reply STOP to unsubscribe").
- Reply within 5 minutes when a patient writes; fast replies improve both conversion and quality.
- Check your quality rating weekly in Settings → WhatsApp.
Example: instead of sending a "last chance" message to 40 UK patients awaiting a deposit on the same day, send each one a utility or marketing template on different days, matched to their treatment plan and backed by the coordinator's personal follow-up.
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