What do you do if your WhatsApp Number is Blocked? Steps, Best Practices and Messaging Templates

Help! My WhatsApp number is blocked. How to unblock it?’

Imagine your entire brand runs on WhatsApp, be it promotional campaigns, retargeting campaigns, or customer support initiatives. And one fine day, you receive a message that says, ‘Your WhatsApp Business account is banned.’

Hurts, doesn’t it?

A banned WhatsApp Business account disrupts customer communication, the pain of losing all media files and user lists, and starting your WhatsApp marketing journey from scratch. Things could get much worse if your customers lose trust in your brand.

But isn’t there a way to not get your WhatsApp account banned in the first place? Or what are the immediate actions you should take after your WhatsApp Business account is blocked?

We will cover all that in this article. Stay tuned.

6 Possible Reasons Behind Your WhatsApp Business Account Getting Blocked

Well, before we get to the details of how to unblock your account, let’s first understand why your account got blocked in the first place. A banned WhatsApp Business account is quite common. In September 2023, over seven million WhatsApp accounts were banned in India. While WhatsApp sent a user report to clarify the reasons for these bans, a little over 2.5 million accounts were proactively banned without prior notice. 

As a small business, I know that an account ban without knowing the reason could be frustrating. That’s why you must know all the possible reasons to take the required preventive measures. 

Reason 1: Your message content is inappropriate or illegal

According to WhatsApp’s Terms, your account will be banned if your messaging content is ‘illegal, obscene, defamatory, threatening, intimidating, harassing, hateful, racially or ethnically offensive’. 

If you attach malicious files to your message, the WhatsApp algorithm marks you as a threat to its users and instantly blocks your account.

Reason 2: You’ve been blocked by way too many users 

If your messages are offensive or trigger a large group of users in some way, they are likely to block your WhatsApp number. As many users block your account, WhatsApp considers your account suspicious or spam and blocks your number.

Reason 3: You are mass messaging and interacting with users outside of your contact list 

WhatsApp only allows brands to send messages to users who have your contact number saved to their phones. If you are running a mass messaging campaign that taps into other brands’ contact lists or those outside your contact lists, your account is at risk of getting banned. This act falls under extracting users' personal information without their knowledge.

Reason 4: Adding users to groups and broadcast channels without their consent

Sometimes, brands add users to multiple WhatsApp groups without their permission. While the intent behind this could be providing a better user experience or promoting other product features, users might find it inappropriate. If a user complains about your brand, WhatsApp will ban your WhatsApp number.

Reason 5: Using an illegal WhatsApp marketing software

Many WhatsApp marketing software offers illegal whatsapp API to override the system to schedule bulk WhatsApp messages, auto-reply, and auto-dialing features. You have to understand that WhatsApp doesn’t support this level of automation and uses machine-learning tools to identify and block accounts that deploy such tools. 

Reason 6: WhatsApp has just updated its policies, and you are adhering to most of them 

WhatsApp keeps updating its terms and services, and sometimes, the ban happens simply because you were unaware of a policy update that necessitated making specific changes to your account. 

Here’s a unique case where a user’s WhatsApp account was banned because the previous owner of the same number violated WhatsApp policies 😅. 

Keep an eye on WhatsApp’s changing terms and conditions to avoid such instances. 

What does it mean when your WhatsApp Business Account gets banned? 

Typically, WhatsApp bans accounts if it believes any of their activities violate its Terms of Service.

But what does a WhatsApp account ban mean for your business? 

Well, there are two types of WhatsApp account bans: temporary and permanent account bans.

Temporary WhatsApp account ban 

A WhatsApp Business account is temporarily banned if one violates some WhatsApp terms and conditions or uses an unofficial version of WhatsApp to scrape information. Sometimes, WhatsApp temporarily bans accounts because they send too many messages or spam messages. 

In case of a temporary WhatsApp ban, you will see a notification like this when you open your WhatsApp app 👇

In case of a temporary ban, your account can stay banned for several hours to several days. A timer on your WhatsApp app (like shown above) displays the duration of the ban, after which, you can automatically recover your account. 

Implications

A temporary ban has no direct implications other than pausing your account for a specific duration. However, suppose the temporary ban is caused by using an unsupported version of WhatsApp, we suggest backing up your chat history, uninstalling this version, and re-installing the latest version to prevent similar incidents in the future. 

Permanent WhatsApp account ban

A permanent WhatsApp account ban is rather severe, and you cannot recover your account in this case. It happens if one violates critical WhatsApp policies or deviates from the key ‘terms of service’ several times. 

Some common reasons behind a permanent WhatsApp account ban include sending illegal messages, bulk messaging through an unauthorized WhatsApp scheduling app and repeatedly getting blocked by multiple users. 

In case of a permanent ban, you will see a message like this when you open your WhatsApp app  👇 

 Implications

A permanent ban on your WhatsApp Business account means losing all your customer data, chat history, and media files. WhatsApp’s decision is final, and you won’t be able to recover the account. However, we suggest contacting WhatsApp Support to clarify the ban. That way, you can take preventive measures to avoid similar incidents.

Steps to Reverse a WhatsApp Business Account Ban 

Removing a permanent ban on your WhatsApp account is not an option. But, if you strongly feel the ban is irrelevant, submit a review request. You never know but WhatsApp might agree with you after a second round of assessment and remove the ban. This also means you will get a valid clarification from WhatsApp on the ban. 

3 ways to unblock your WhatsApp Business Account:

1. Delete your old account and re-register 

• Delete your existing account and uninstall WhatsApp Business.
• Now, go to the app store and reinstall the app. 
• Try registering from the same number again. If it doesn’t work, try again after 30 days. 

Alternatively, register with a different contact number, but in that case, you will lose all information from the previous account. 

2. Request an account review to WhatsApp Support

• Sign in to ‘WhatsApp Business Manager’.
• Click All Tools at the top of the page, followed by Business Support Home.
• Select your WhatsApp Business Account.
• Select from the list of violations and click Request Review.

• Enter supporting details and click Submit.

The Meta team typically takes up to 48 hours to review your account. They either remove the ban or explain why they banned your account in the first place. There is an additional information field to explain why this ban is invalid. 

Take inspiration from this user who recovered their account in the same way. Here is the message they used while submitting the request: 

3. Email WhatsApp Support

Email the WhatsApp Support team directly if your account ban has not been reversed after trying the above two methods. Fill out this form to explain your concerns.

Use the templates below for the same: 

Template 1: You’re not sure about the reason behind the ban 

Subject: Seeking clarification behind WhatsApp Account ban and recovery request

Dear WhatsApp Support Team, 

I noticed that my WhatsApp account has been banned for violating WhatsApp terms and conditions. However, I am not aware of the policies I have violated. I have used the platform responsibly for 'x' (number of years) to communicate with my customers. 

I would like clarification on the issue and request that you review my account and help me recover it. 

Best regards, 
[Your Name]
[Business Name]

Template 2: You agree with WhatsApp and are seeking help to recover your account 

Subject: Apology for WhatsApp policy violation and account recovery request

Dear WhatsApp Support Team, 

I acknowledge that I have violated a WhatsApp policy [Mention the policy] and apologize for my action. I promise to be more careful in the future and will ensure this is not repeated. 

I request that you reassess the matter and, if possible, help me recover my WhatsApp Business account.

Best regards, 
[Your Name]
[Business Name]

Prevention Tips and Best Practices to Avoid Future WhatsApp Bans 

If you can prevent WhatsApp account bans, nothing like it! But how to do that? Follow these tips: 

1. Know the WhatsApp policies in detail 

If WhatsApp is your trusted marketing channel, you and your entire team must be well-versed in whatsapp policies. Make it a habit to monitor any policy changes and adhere to them so your account isn’t banned. Follow Gallabox on social media (LinkedIn | Instagram | X) to stay informed on important WhatsApp news and updates!

2. Use an authorized WhatsApp marketing tool

Use an authorized WhatsApp marketing tool such as Gallabox to manage your WhatsApp marketing initiatives. With Gallabox’s shared WhatsApp inbox, enable multi-agent logins in the same WhatsApp account, view customer and team conversations, and track chat history to ensure no malicious messages are sent that may result in your account getting banned.

3. Use Broadcasts instead of ads when retargeting customers

When planning your retargeting campaigns, use broadcasts instead of ads. Using the WhatsApp Broadcast feature, you can send messages to multiple WhatsApp contacts at one go instead of reaching out to users one by one. This powerful feature is available only with WhatsApp Business API integration. 

Since users have opted in to receive your messages under broadcast campaigns, targeting them instead of random users or those outside your contact list is always a better idea. This is an ethical practice and increases your chances of conversion since you target high-intent users who have shown interest in your products by joining your broadcast channel. 

With Gallabox, maximize your WhatsApp broadcasts by segmenting high-intent users, identifying window shoppers, retargeting abandoned cart users, and showcasing products with built-in catalog templates.

4. Avoid bulk messaging––work on your message quality instead

Be more responsible with your WhatsApp messaging strategy. Focus on quality over quantity and build a system where each message is reviewed before it reaches the users. While good-quality messages help nurture your audiences and increase conversions, poor-quality messages increase the chance of an account ban and may lead customers to tag you as spam. And remember, happy customers come back for repeat purchases and can double up as brand ambassadors to evangelize your products/services.

Conclusion

For a small business, you may or may not know why a WhatsApp account is banned. But what’s important is that you stay calm, try your best to recover your WhatsApp account, and if nothing works, move on!

Make sure to follow preventive measures to ensure that your WhatsApp account is not banned. 

The biggest disappointment as a small business is when you don’t do anything wrong, but your account still gets blocked because of an unauthorized WhatsApp solution. The first preventive measure is using the right WhatsApp marketing solution. 

Call us biased, but we recommend Gallabox for its exceptional features, including WhatsApp's shared inbox, an intelligent WhatsApp chatbot, broadcasts, drip sequences, custom WhatsApp workflows, click-to-Whatsapp ads, and native payments! 

Want to experience it first-hand? 

Start your Free Trial now and boost your small business!

FAQs

1. How can I find out the exact reason for the block or ban of my WhatsApp?
   WhatsApp may not always provide the exact reason for the ban. However, submit a review request to WhatsApp Support to get clarification on the ban.
2. Is the block or ban temporary or permanent?
   A WhatsApp account ban can be temporary or permanent. Temporary bans last a few hours to several days, while permanent bans permanently lose your account.
3. Can I appeal the decision to block or ban my WhatsApp number?
   If you feel the ban is irrelevant, request a review to WhatsApp Support. They will reassess the ban and may remove it if they agree with you.
4. How do I contact WhatsApp support to inquire about the block or ban? 
   Contact WhatsApp Support by signing into WhatsApp Business Manager, selecting your account, and requesting a review. Alternatively, email WhatsApp Support directly using the provided form.
5. How long does it typically take for WhatsApp to review and respond to block or ban inquiries?
   The Meta team typically takes up to 48 hours to review your account and either remove or explain the ban.
6. If my WhatsApp number is blocked or banned, will I lose my account data, contacts, or chat history?
   In case of a permanent ban, you will lose all your customer data, chat history, and media files. WhatsApp's decision is final, and you won't be able to recover the account.
7. Can I get back my whatsapp number if my account is blocked?
   If your account is temporarily banned, you can recover it after the duration of the ban. However, you cannot recover the account or associated number for permanent bans.
8. How to prevent future WhatsApp bans?
   To prevent future WhatsApp bans, you need to know the policies in detail, use authorized whatsapp marketing tools such as Gallabox, opt for broadcasts over ads, avoid bulk messaging, and focus on message quality.