Glossary
What is the WhatsApp messaging limit?
The cap on unique customers a business portfolio can reach outside the 24-hour window in a rolling day, its tiers from 250 to Unlimited, and how upgrades happen.
By Broadchat teamPublished Updated 3 min read
Definition
Messaging limit: The messaging limit is the maximum number of unique WhatsApp users a business can start conversations with, using templates outside the 24-hour customer service window, in a rolling 24-hour period. The tiers are 250, 2,000, 10,000, 100,000 and Unlimited. Since October 2025 the limit is set per business portfolio and shared by all its phone numbers. Replies to customers who wrote first do not count.
Also called: Messaging tier, Business-initiated limit, Messaging limit tier
How the WhatsApp messaging limit works
The limit counts unique people, not messages. Sending three templates to Priya in one day uses one slot. Only people you reach outside an open customer service window count; if a customer messaged you in the last 24 hours, your reply is not limited this way.
Since 8 Oct 2025, Meta sets the limit per business portfolio. If your portfolio has five numbers, they share one limit. The old 1K tier was removed at the same time, so the ladder is:
| Tier | Unique users per rolling 24 hours |
|---|---|
| Starting | 250 |
| 2K | 2,000 |
| 10K | 10,000 |
| 100K | 100,000 |
| Unlimited | No cap on unique users |
How to move up
To leave 250, Meta lists three paths: complete business verification, go through partner-led verification, or send 2,000 delivered messages using high-quality templates within 30 days. Meta reviews each request and may deny it.
After that, upgrades are automatic. If your quality rating is high and you have used at least half of your current limit in the last 7 days, the portfolio usually moves up one tier within about 6 hours. There is no form that skips a tier, and no partner can buy you one.
Worked example
Rangoli Home has a verified portfolio at the 2,000 tier. For Diwali, Meera plans a sale announcement to 6,000 opted-in customers. Sending all 6,000 in one go would fail for everyone after the first 2,000 unique users. Instead she sends 1,900 a day for three days and waits two more for any remaining sends. Because she used well over half her limit over the week with good feedback, the portfolio can step up to 10,000, so next month's campaign fits in one day.
If a send is blocked because of template category misuse, Meta returns error 131064. That is a policy signal, not a tier problem: check your template categories first.
Messaging limit in Broadchat
Each number's card under Channels → All Channels shows its current messaging limit, read live from Meta. When you send from CRM → Bulk Campaign, Broadchat paces the campaign to respect the number's messaging limit and throughput, and retries messages that hit the per-user rate limit. For the full story on how limits and quality interact, read quality rating and messaging limits explained.
Related terms
Sources
- Messaging limits — Meta for Developers, checked 12 October 2026
- WhatsApp Business Platform changelog — Meta for Developers, checked 12 October 2026
Broadchat team · Product and partner success team
The people who build and support Broadchat, the white-label WhatsApp Business API platform. We write from what we see while onboarding partners and their clients on the official WhatsApp Cloud API, and we check every article against Meta's current documentation.
Last updated:
Frequently asked questions
Does the messaging limit apply to replies?
No. It counts unique users you contact with templates outside the 24-hour customer service window. Replies to a customer who wrote to you in the last 24 hours do not use the limit.
Does business verification take me to 100,000?
No. Verification is one path to the 2,000 tier. Higher tiers come from automatic upgrades when quality is high and you have used at least half your limit over 7 days. Meta decides each step.
Why did my second number not get its own limit?
Since 8 Oct 2025 the messaging limit belongs to the business portfolio and is shared by all its numbers. Adding a number adds capacity for throughput and teams, not extra unique users.