WhatsApp Business number banned or restricted: what to do
Stop first. Do not disconnect in Boss, reconnect, or try another number. Work out whether the phone app is banned, Boss cannot send, or you are only rate limited, then appeal the right way using the owner's own Facebook account. Most results come within 24 to 48 hours. Meta decides, so we cannot promise it will be lifted.
Which kind is it
Phone app banned: the WhatsApp Business App says this account cannot use WhatsApp or that terms were violated. Boss cannot send: the phone still works but Boss messages fail with Business account has been locked, error code 131031. Meta may still be reviewing company details, or a policy was broken. Only limited: Meta caps how many new customers you can message a day, or slows you down because quality is low. That is not a ban. If both sides stop working, Meta has usually banned the number itself.
Do this straight away
First, stop. Do not disconnect in Boss, connect again, or try another business portfolio or number. Second, screenshot what you see on the phone and in Boss and send it to us from another number on WhatsApp 011-2922 2627. We will check how Meta sees the number.
Appeal: the phone app
On the banned screen tap Request a review and write a few honest lines: what shop it is, what the number is for (replying to customers, invoices, payment reminders) and what happened. Most replies come within 24 to 48 hours, sometimes longer. Appealing the same thing again does not make it faster.
Appeal: the Meta business account (Boss cannot send)
On a computer open business.facebook.com and choose this shop's business portfolio. Go to Business Support Home, then account overview, find the violation under this WhatsApp account and request a review. Write honestly the shop name, what the business does, the website or page, how you use WhatsApp (answering price questions, invoices, payment reminders, about how many a day) and what happened, without exaggerating. On the same page complete the company details, because incomplete details can also cause a lock. Results usually come in 24 to 48 hours.
After it is lifted
We first check that Meta shows the number can send, then test with one reply in Boss. Send little for the first few days and no bulk messages. If it stays locked or is rejected, we open a Meta support ticket with the number, the WhatsApp account ID and the error code. After a rejection the same account usually cannot be appealed again, and we will tell you the next step.
Questions bosses ask
Can Boss appeal for me?
An appeal needs the owner's own Facebook account. We go through it with you and help prepare what to write.
How long does it take?
Most results come in 24 to 48 hours, sometimes longer. Appealing the same thing again is not faster.
How do I reduce the risk later?
Message only customers who contacted you and agreed to messages, do not buy lists, do not send the same text to many people at once, and stop when a customer says stop. Connect WhatsApp by the checklist in "What to prepare before connecting" and do it in one go.
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