Messaging limit guide
Learn what WhatsApp messaging limits are, how they're calculated at the Business Portfolio level, and why they matter for your business
Messaging limits decide how many new customers your WhatsApp Business number can reach every day. This guide explains what they are, how they're calculated, and why they matter for your business.
What's covered
What are messaging limits?
Messaging limits on the WhatsApp Business Platform define the maximum number of unique customers your business can message in a moving 24-hour period, outside of the customer service window.In simple terms, messaging limits control how many different WhatsApp users you can start template-based conversations with each day. Meta sets these limits to prevent spam and to make sure businesses maintain high-quality communication.
Messaging limits are shared across your Business Portfolio
Meta calculates messaging limits at the Business Portfolio level, not per number. This means:
If your Business Portfolio has multiple WhatsApp API numbers, all of them share the same messaging limit
One number alone can consume the entire portfolio's limit
For example, if your portfolio limit is 10,000 and one phone number sends messages to 10,000 users, no other number in the portfolio can initiate new conversations until the limit resets.
Messaging limits for new businesses
Newly created Business Portfolios start with a messaging limit of 250 unique users per day. As your account builds a good track record of quality messaging, Meta can automatically increase the limit to 2000, 10000, 100000, or unlimited users per day.
Why messaging limits matter
Messaging limits directly impact:
How many new customers you can message daily
Large-scale marketing or sales campaigns
Your ability to grow your business through the WhatsApp API
Important update (effective October 7, 2025)
Earlier, limits were applied per phone number. Starting October 7, 2025, messaging limits are applied at the portfolio level instead.
Key takeaways
Messaging limits cap how many new, unique customers you can message in a rolling 24-hour period
Limits are calculated at the Business Portfolio level and shared across all numbers in it
New portfolios start at 250 and can scale up to 2,000, 10,000, 100,000, or Unlimited
Since October 7, 2025, scaling happens at the portfolio level and can take effect within 6 hours
FAQs
Do messaging limits apply per number or per portfolio? Since October 7, 2025, they apply at the Business Portfolio level. All numbers under the same portfolio share one limit.
What happens if I reach my messaging limit? Meta temporarily stops you from starting new conversations with additional users until the rolling 24-hour window resets.
What's the starting messaging limit for a new WhatsApp Business API portfolio? 250 unique users per day.
Can my messaging limit go down? Limits are meant to scale up as your quality and usage improve; they aren't designed to decrease on their own, but poor messaging quality can slow or stall further scaling.
Where can I check my current messaging limit? You can check it by checking your messaging limits, either from your DoubleTick dashboard or directly in Meta's WhatsApp Manager.
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