WhatsApp Opt-In Rules: Staying Compliant in India
Valid consent, where to collect it, what to store, honouring STOP, DPDP considerations and how opt-in quality protects your quality rating.
Opt-in is not paperwork — it is the single strongest predictor of whether your number stays healthy.
What counts as valid consent
Meta requires that the user has given your business permission to message them, that it is clear it is your business messaging, and that the user knows what they signed up for. Practically:
- A checkbox at checkout or on a lead form, unticked by default, naming WhatsApp explicitly.
- A user messaging you first (implied consent for that topic).
- A QR code or wa.me link the user deliberately used.
- An opt-in captured in-store with a written record.
Purchased databases, scraped numbers and "we have their number from an old order" are not consent.
What to store per contact
- Timestamp and timezone
- Source (checkout, ad, widget, QR, offline form)
- Exact wording shown to the user
- IP or store/branch identifier
- Any later opt-out and its timestamp
Keep it queryable. If Meta or a customer asks, you need the record within minutes.
Honouring opt-out
Support STOP, UNSUBSCRIBE, and their local-language equivalents automatically, and suppress marketing instantly — not on the next sync. Confirm the opt-out in one short message and keep the door open: "You'll no longer receive offers. Reply START anytime."
Keep transactional messages separate: a customer who opted out of marketing still expects delivery updates for a live order, and Meta's utility category exists precisely for that.
India's DPDP considerations
Treat phone numbers and conversation content as personal data: collect the minimum, state the purpose, keep it only as long as needed, and give users a way to request deletion. Publish a privacy policy that names WhatsApp as a channel and Meta as a processor.
Why this protects revenue
Quality rating is driven by blocks and reports. A clean, consented list with sensible frequency keeps you green, which keeps your messaging limit high, which keeps campaigns from throttling in the middle of a festive sale. Compliance here is not legal overhead — it is deliverability.
Put this into practice with TIZYY
Official Meta Cloud API, template builder, campaigns, flow automation and a shared team inbox — live in minutes.