WhatsApp marketing

WhatsApp opt-in: how to collect consent the right way

WhatsApp requires opt-in before you message customers. See what counts, how to ask on forms, QR codes and in chat, and how to record consent in India.

  • 3 min read
  • Updated
  • By Ashmit Arya
On this page (8)
  1. What WhatsApp requires
  2. Where to ask for permission
  3. Record it
  4. Honour opt-outs automatically
  5. A simple opt-in script for your team
  6. Make opting in worth it
  7. Sources
  8. Frequently asked questions

Opt-in sounds like paperwork. In practice it is the single biggest thing that keeps your number healthy, your read rates high and your sending limit growing.

What WhatsApp requires

WhatsApp's Business Messaging Policy requires two things, opt-in and opt-out:

  1. Opt-in. You may only contact people on WhatsApp if they gave you their number and you have their permission to send them messages or calls.
  2. Opt-out. If someone asks you to stop, block them or end the conversation, you must honour it, even if the request is made outside WhatsApp.

The policy also says the business is responsible for following the laws that apply to it, so check your own obligations.

Where to ask for permission

At the point of contact

  • A checkbox on your enquiry or booking form: "I agree to receive updates on WhatsApp."
  • A tick at checkout for order updates
  • A line on your visiting card or counter sign

Through WhatsApp itself

  • A click-to-chat QR code or link: the customer starts the chat, which is a clear signal
  • A first reply asking "May we send you updates here? Reply YES"
  • A click-to-WhatsApp ad: the customer taps to message you

Write the request in plain words. Say what you will send ("offers and order updates") and how often if you know.

Record it

Permission you cannot show later is hard to rely on. In Responseify each contact has a Messaging Consent section, and you can mark a contact as consented to store the date as your own record. Contacts who started a chat with you are treated as having reached out first.

Responseify contact panel with the Messaging Consent section and the contact details

What to notice: consent is stored on the contact, next to their tags and notes. How consent and opt-outs work.

Honour opt-outs automatically

Put "Reply STOP to opt out" in marketing templates. When a contact sends an opt-out word, Responseify marks them as opted out and skips them in later broadcasts, including ones scheduled earlier, because opt-outs are checked again at the moment of sending.

A simple opt-in script for your team

  • "Would you like order updates and offers on WhatsApp? You can reply STOP any time."
  • "We can send your appointment reminders here. Is that okay?"

Make opting in worth it

People agree more readily when they can see the value. Say what they get ("order updates and early access to offers"), keep the promise, and send less than you could. A customer who opted in and then gets one useful message a month stays. One who gets five a week blocks you, and blocks hurt your quality rating.

You can also let customers start the chat themselves with a QR code or pre-filled link, which is a clear signal that they want to hear from you. To see the sending side, read how to send bulk WhatsApp messages without getting banned and the broadcast rules guide.

Sources

Frequently asked questions

Is opt-in required for every message?

Opt-in is required before you contact people. Inside the 24-hour window after a customer writes to you, you are replying to them.

Does a customer messaging me count as opt-in?

It lets you reply inside the window. For later marketing messages, make sure they also agreed to hear from you.

Can I use a purchased contact list?

No. People on a purchased list did not give you permission, and messaging them risks complaints and restrictions.

How do I handle an opt-out request made by phone?

WhatsApp's policy says to honour it even when made outside WhatsApp. Mark the contact as opted out in your CRM.

About the author

Ashmit Arya · Founder, Responseify

Builds Responseify, a WhatsApp CRM for Indian businesses, and tests what these guides describe in the product himself. Every number here is sourced and dated, and posts are updated when the rules change.

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  • Where we give figures about our own examples, we say so and show how we counted.
  • Found a mistake or an out-of-date rule? Email us and we will correct it. More about us on the About page.
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