Why My WhatsApp Message Did Not Send

If a message you sent shows as Failed or never reaches the customer, one of a handful of causes is almost always responsible. This guide walks through each, in order of likelihood.

When to use this guide

Any time a message in the Inbox or a broadcast shows Failed, or the customer says they never received it.

Before you start

• Access to the conversation or broadcast where the issue happened.

Step-by-step

1. 1

   Check the 24-hour window

   Open the conversation. If the timer in the header shows 'Window closed', you can only send a pre-approved template — free-form text will fail. See the WhatsApp 24-Hour Rule.

2. 2

   Check the template status

   If you sent a template, open Settings → WhatsApp → Templates and confirm it shows Approved (not Pending or Rejected). Rejected templates can never be sent.

3. 3

   Check the customer's number

   If the failure says 'Number not on WhatsApp', the contact does not have an active WhatsApp account on that number. Confirm the country code and digits are correct.

4. 4

   Check whether the customer opted out

   Customers can block your business in WhatsApp. If they have, every message will fail with 'User opted out'. There is no way to override this — they must un-block you.

5. 5

   Check your WhatsApp number's quality rating

   Settings → WhatsApp → Number health. If your quality is Low or your number is Restricted, Meta is throttling your sends. Reduce broadcast volume and improve template content.

6. 6

   Check media size and format

   Images must be under 5 MB, videos under 16 MB, documents under 100 MB. Compress and re-send if needed.

What happens next

If none of the above explains the failure, take a screenshot of the conversation and the failure message and contact Support — include your workspace name and WhatsApp number.

Common issues