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Have you been blocked or banned on WhatsApp Business? The good news is that most bans are temporary and can be resolved by contacting WhatsApp’s customer service team – but it’s still worth working out why you’ve been banned so you can prevent it from happening again in the future.
In business, time is money – so being locked out of your WhatsApp Business account is not only frustrating, but costly too. You run the risk of missing important messages from customers and jeopardising your reputation as a company.
Read on to discover the main reasons why WhatsApp Business accounts get blocked, how long a WhatsApp ban lasts, and what you can do about it.
Why has my WhatsApp Business account been blocked?
There are several reasons why your WhatsApp Business account may have been banned. Most temporary bans occur when several customers have a poor experience, or when WhatsApp’s internal monitoring technology detects patterns in your messages that it thinks are spam or scams.
Read through the reasons below to see if any apply to your recent activity.
1. Your account was reported multiple times in a short timeframe
Maybe you’ve sent unsolicited promotional messages to your contacts, or added customers to group messages without their permission – and they’ve reported your account. There’s a thin line between sending relevant updates and promotions, and flooding your customer’s inbox with notifications that they might perceive to be spam.
2. You’ve sent large numbers of messages in a short timeframe
Firing off too many messages in a short period of time can trigger WhatsApp’s system for flagging suspicious activity.
3. You’ve sent the same message to too many people
If you copy and paste the same text to many contacts at once, WhatsApp may think you are using a bot to send those messages and flag your number as a source of spam.
4. You’ve used a brand-new account to broadcast messages
When you first set up a WhatsApp Business account, it’s a good idea to slow down and build up your activity over time. Try to ramp up your message frequency over the first month or two, rather than sending many broadcast messages at once.
5. You’ve violated WhatsApp’s Terms of Service
WhatsApp explains the acceptable and unacceptable ways to use the platform in their Terms of Service document. Examples of misuse include threats and harassment, publishing misleading information, impersonating others, bulk messaging and auto-messaging. If they believe that you have broken these terms, you’ll receive a suspension.
What happens if my WhatsApp account is blocked?
If your account has been banned, you’ll get an error message on opening the app that reads: “Your phone number is banned from using WhatsApp. Contact support for help.”
While the ban is in place you won’t be able to access your contacts and conversations, and you’ll be prevented from sending or receiving any messages.
How long does a WhatsApp ban last?
A temporary suspension can last from 30 minutes up to 7 days, depending on the severity of the case.
Once the suspension period is over and the ban lifts, take care to avoid the activity that led to the account being banned.
Can WhatsApp ban a business number permanently?
Yes. WhatsApp will permanently ban business numbers that repeatedly violate their Terms of Service. In this case your business mobile number would be completely barred from using the platform, and you’d lose access to your contacts and past conversations.
How to unblock your WhatsApp Business account
If you think WhatsApp has made a mistake in banning your account, get in touch with WhatsApp customer support or click on “request a review” in the app and follow the on-screen instructions.
How to stop your WhatsApp Business account being blocked
Your account has finally been reactivated – fantastic! Before jumping straight back into business-as-usual, take some time to consider these guidelines for best practice on WhatsApp that will prevent you from getting blocked or banned again.
1. Ask your contacts for permission before adding them to groups
Prevent customer complaints by checking in with your contacts before you add them to groups. Make sure that they’ve opted in to receive the type of notifications that you plan to send, and…
2. Don’t send promotional messages to unknown contacts
WhatsApp is a brilliant business tool for building trust with your customers – but WhatsApp users are rightly suspicious about marketing materials that come from unfamiliar sources. Be sure that new contacts know who you are and opt in to receive marketing messages before you share them.
3. Keep your promotional messages relevant
It’s unlikely that all of your customers will be interested in every single service or item that you offer, and too many irrelevant messages are sure to cause your customers to unsubscribe – or worse, report you for spam. Try to use audience segmentation to tailor your marketing messages to specific subgroups of customers.
4. Send promotional messages in batches
If sending too many messages was the sticking point for your ban, try to limit the number that you send in any one working day. Split up large quantities of messages into batches instead of sending them at the same time.
5. Use good spelling and grammar in your messages
Poorly worded messages containing spelling errors are likely to be flagged as spam by your customers. If you haven’t already, consider creating best practice guidelines and pre-approved, templated messages for your team. Not only will this make it less likely that your account will be reported in the future, it also helps to create a professional image of your company and build trust and credibility in the eyes of your clients.
6. Keep your account secure
Unfortunately, hackers and scammers are increasingly targeting WhatsApp users, and Business accounts are no exception. Get clued up on the most common WhatsApp scams, and take steps to secure your account. To prevent account takeovers, never share your WhatsApp verification code with others.
7. Read the Terms of Service on WhatsApp’s website
It’s not the most exciting read, but it might shine some light on the issues that resulted in your account ban. Read the full Terms of Service here.
Next steps
Set yourself up for success on WhatsApp Business by making the most of all the features it has to offer.
- First, learn how to optimise your WhatsApp Business profile and make a great first impression on your contacts.
- Next, set up WhatsApp Business labels to keep track of customers as they move through your sales funnel, helping you to avoid sending an irrelevant message at the wrong time.
- Finally, get familiar with Quick Replies and set up professional, polished, pre-approved templated messages that save you time and effort – while keeping your spelling and grammar standards high.
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Author:
George Lineker
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