Opt-in (WhatsApp consent)
Opt-in on WhatsApp is the customer's recorded consent to receive the business's messages on WhatsApp — required by Meta and the basis for data protection compliance.
Also known as: WhatsApp opt-in · WhatsApp consent · WhatsApp contact permission · WhatsApp opt-in flow
Try CRPRO free for 7 daysOpt-in is the record that a customer agreed to receive messages from the business on WhatsApp. Meta requires the business to have that consent before starting a conversation through the official API, and data protection laws such as Brazil's LGPD require a legal basis to process personal data — and a WhatsApp number is personal data.
Why it matters
Messages to people who did not ask lead to blocks and reports. That drags down the number's quality, stalls increases to the messaging limit and can lead Meta to restrict the account. Without documented consent, the business is also exposed under data protection law.
Common ways to ask
- A form with an explicit checkbox ("I want to receive messages on WhatsApp"), never pre-ticked.
- In-person sign-up with a tick or signature.
- WhatsApp itself, with a message that asks for permission and records the answer.
- Click-to-WhatsApp ad: a customer who starts the conversation is asking for service — which is not the same as authorizing marketing later.
Keep the date, the channel and the text the customer accepted.
Opt-out: when the customer asks to leave
The customer can withdraw consent at any time. On CRPRO, a contact who replies with only an opt-out word — SAIR, PARAR, CANCELAR, STOP or DESCADASTRAR — is flagged, and workflows and the AI agent stop sending to them. CRPRO does not keep the opt-in record for you, and a message or template bulk send does not skip opted-out contacts on its own: choosing the list is the business's responsibility.
Frequently asked questions
What is opt-in on WhatsApp?
It is the customer's recorded consent to receive the business's messages on WhatsApp. Meta requires that consent before the business starts a conversation, and it also serves as the basis for data protection compliance.
Has a customer who messaged me already opted in?
They asked for service, and the business can reply within the 24-hour window. To send marketing later, ask for permission explicitly and keep the record.
How do I record opt-in?
Keep the date, the channel (form, store, conversation) and the exact text the customer accepted. A field or tag on the contact helps build a send list with only the people who agreed.
What happens when the customer asks to leave?
On CRPRO, a reply with an opt-out word flags the contact, and workflows and the AI agent stop sending to them. In a message or template bulk send, remove the contact from the selection — for example, with a tag.
Related pages
Related glossary terms
WhatsApp Business API
The WhatsApp Business API is Meta's official connection that links a business number to CRMs, chatbots and support platforms, billed per message.
Meta template (HSM)
A Meta template (HSM) is the Meta-approved message a business sends on WhatsApp outside the 24-hour window, in the marketing, utility or authentication category.
Quality Rating and Messaging Tier
Quality rating and the messaging limit (messaging tier) are Meta's measures of message quality and of how many people a business can reach per day outside the window.
Spam on WhatsApp
Sending unsolicited messages that leads users to block or report the number — the main cause of quality drops and bans on WhatsApp.