Build trust by meeting Meta’s requirements
Think about the last time you received a spammy message. Chances are you ignored it, blocked the sender, or even reported it. Your customers feel the same way. That’s why Meta has strict requirements to make sure messages sent on WhatsApp are relevant, valuable, and respectful of user preferences. Let's dive into what those requirements are and how meeting them helps you build trust and create a better experience for your customers.
Create your first WhatsApp template
Before you can start messaging customers, you’ll need to create a WhatsApp template. Meta uses templates to maintain quality and ensure a positive experience on WhatsApp. Each template must be approved before it can be sent.
The good news is that you can build and submit templates for Meta review directly within Klaviyo. Watch the video below to learn how to build a WhatsApp template in Klaviyo.
Understand Meta’s quality control mechanisms
Meta is committed to keeping WhatsApp a safe and valuable space for users. To ensure that brands deliver a consistent, high-quality experience, Meta has several checks in place that control how messages are sent and received. Understanding these mechanisms will not only help you protect your brand’s reputation and maintain a healthy sender status on WhatsApp, but will also lead to higher engagement and trust from customers.
Templates and approval process
What it is:
WhatsApp templates enable you to initiate conversations with customers on WhatsApp.
How it works:
Before it can be used for sending, every template is reviewed by Meta to ensure it’s clear, relevant, and aligned with WhatsApp’s quality standards. You can create WhatsApp templates and submit them for review directly within Klaviyo. This approval process can take up to 24 hours when you’re new to WhatsApp, but as you build your sender reputation, it can take as little as a few minutes.
Note: When a customer messages your business on WhatsApp, you can reply with a conversational message that doesn’t require a template or approval.
User controls
What it is:
Meta empowers users to manage their relationship with businesses via functionalities like blocking, reporting, sharing Interested/Not Interested feedback, and the option to stop or resume receiving marketing messages.
How it works:
Customers can use these built-in controls to decide whether they want to temporarily or permanently stop receiving messages from your brand on WhatsApp.
Messaging limits
What it is:
Messaging limits determine how many unique users your brand can message within a 24-hour period.
How it works:
When you’re just starting out, Meta doesn’t let you send to your entire audience right away. Every brand starts with a smaller daily cap that grows as you maintain good engagement and keep a healthy quality score.
Per-user marketing template limits
What it is:
To keep WhatsApp a valuable and engaging channel, Meta may limit how many marketing messages a user receives from any business on WhatsApp within a certain period of time. This means that during peak season, users don’t get bombarded by messages from brands.
How it works:
These limits adjust dynamically based on how users engage with marketing messages. People who interact less frequently may receive fewer messages, while engaged users are more likely to see your campaigns.
Quality ratings
What it is:
Quality ratings act as a traffic-light system that evaluates the performance of your templates and the overall health of your WhatsApp account.
How it works:
Once a template is approved and starts sending, Meta assigns it a quality score based on customer engagement and feedback. Templates that receive repeated negative responses via user controls or low engagement may be paused or disabled. If several templates perform poorly in a short period, your sending number’s quality rating may be impacted. This can reduce your messaging limits or lead to account suspension.
Best practices for sending your first messages on WhatsApp
Your first WhatsApp messages set the tone for your relationship with both subscribers and Meta. Follow these best practices to make a strong first impression, encourage engagement, and build trust from the start.
Only send to consented subscribers
Your very first WhatsApp message is crucial because that’s when Meta displays very prominent Block and Report buttons. Only send to subscribers who’ve given explicit consent and are expecting to hear from you. Double opt-in can help automate the first message and confirm subscriber intent. Following up with a welcome message right after signup is another way to build trust right from the start.
It’s also recommended to include opt-out language in all your templates, so customers can easily unsubscribe if they no longer want to hear from you. Opt-outs don’t affect your template quality score, and prevent negative feedback that can damage your sender reputation.
Make it relevant and personalized
Customers are more likely to engage when messages feel timely and personal. Start with proven, high-value flows such as welcome series, abandoned cart reminders, and order updates. These are triggered by real customer actions, making them expected and relevant. They help build strong engagement signals that boost your sender reputation with Meta.
Additionally, use customer data to personalize messages with details like name, past purchases, or preferences so every send feels meaningful.
Lead with the most important information
Grab your audience’s attention right away by putting the key message at the top, whether it’s a discount code, time-sensitive offer, or important update. Use clear, direct language and formatting like bold text to highlight what matters most and encourage engagement.
Keep in mind that WhatsApp messages get truncated after the first 5 lines, so make those opening sentences count.
Encourage interactions with CTA buttons and quick replies
Make it easy for subscribers to engage with your messages by adding call-to-action (CTA) buttons and quick replies. Since WhatsApp is a conversational channel, include at least one quick reply in every template so customers can respond with a single tap.
Quick replies boost engagement and give you valuable insight into what your audience cares about. These insights in turn help you personalize future messages and build stronger relationships over time.