What rules does Meta impose on WhatsApp chatbots?

Meta allows chatbots and AI assistants on WhatsApp Business, provided they comply with the WhatsApp Business Messaging Policy: you only contact people who gave you permission, you reply with free-form messages only within the 24-hour window and you always give the customer a way to talk to a person. Since 15 January 2026, the platform terms prohibit companies whose main product is an AI assistant, such as general-purpose assistants, except in countries where the law requires Meta to allow it.

What documents define the rules?

• WhatsApp Business Messaging Policy: what you can send, to whom and how. It applies to the WhatsApp Business app and to the API.
• WhatsApp Messaging Guidelines: general rules for using WhatsApp, which you accept together with the business policy.
• Platform terms (Meta Terms for WhatsApp Business): the contract you accept when you use the API, including the rule on AI providers.

When you use a tool such as Manychat or an AI assistant connected to the API, these rules apply to your account. Meta can change the policy without prior notice, except where the law requires it.

Can I use an AI assistant to reply to customers?

Yes. The policy says you can use automation to reply within the 24-hour window, as long as there is a fast, direct way for the customer to reach a person.

What changed in 2026 for AI?

The platform terms, updated on 15 January 2026, created the "AI Provider" category: whoever develops or supplies AI technology, such as language models, generative AI platforms or general-purpose AI assistants. These companies are prohibited from using the WhatsApp API to provide that technology when it is the main function of the service, and not a secondary one. Meta decides case by case.

The rule separates two cases:

• Prohibited: an AI assistant that answers any question, offered on WhatsApp as a product in itself.
• Outside the prohibition: a business that uses AI to answer questions about its services, prices and hours. Here the AI is secondary to the service you sell.

The terms allow you to hire an AI provider as a solution provider. In that case, WhatsApp conversation data cannot be used to create, train or improve AI models. The exception is tuning a model used exclusively for your business.

Meta charges AI Providers under separate rules. The charge for service messages that started on 1 October 2026 does not apply to them.

What about Meta's own AI assistant?

Meta has the Meta Business Agent, available since 1 July 2026. Each reply is charged by tokens, at $2.00 per million, even within the free window for conversations that arrive through ads.

What is opt-in and how do you collect it?

You can only send messages to someone on WhatsApp if you meet two conditions:

1. the person gave you their phone number or username;
2. the person authorised receiving messages or calls from you on WhatsApp.

Meta lets you choose how you collect permission, but the method must comply with applicable law. In Portugal that includes the GDPR. The policy recommends:

• asking for permission by message type (reminders, offers, news);
• asking for separate permission for calls;
• explaining how the person stops receiving each type of message;
• saying what the person gains from receiving the messages.

If someone asks to stop receiving messages, on WhatsApp or outside it, you must comply and remove the person from your contact list. When the customer writes to you first, you can reply within the 24-hour window. To write to them afterwards, with templates, you need permission.

How should handoff to a human work?

The policy requires a chatbot to offer at least one of these paths to a person:

• transfer to a person in the conversation itself;
• phone number;
• email;
• support on your website;
• in-person service;
• contact form.

If you work alone, the person is you. Configure the assistant to notify you when the customer asks to talk to you and to give your email or phone number. The business profile on WhatsApp also needs a support contact: email, website or phone.

What can you not send?

The policy prohibits, among other things:

• impersonating another business or misleading the customer about your business;
• requesting or sending full payment card numbers, bank accounts or identity documents;
• sharing one customer's conversation information with another customer;
• requesting or sending health information where the law requires systems with enhanced protection;
• sexually explicit or offensive content;
• discriminating against people by race, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, disability or another personal characteristic.

There are also products and services you cannot sell or promote through WhatsApp, such as weapons, alcohol and tobacco, drugs and medicines, medical products, virtual currencies, gambling for money, adult products, dating services, multi-level marketing and payday loans. Some have exceptions in specific countries and only on the API. Political parties, politicians and election campaigns cannot use the API.

What happens if you do not comply?

Meta uses automated systems and human review to detect violations. The consequences provided for are:

• Templates with a lower rating. Each template has a quality rating (green, yellow or red) calculated from blocks, reports and read rate. A template with a low rating can be paused or disabled.
• Sending limit. A new portfolio can only send templates to 250 different people per 24-hour period outside the service window. The limit only rises with good-quality templates, and Meta can reduce the sends of accounts that receive many blocks and reports.
• Restriction or removal of access. Meta can limit or remove access to the account if you harm users, receive many negative reactions or violate the terms.
• Future ban. If the account is terminated for a violation, Meta can prevent you and your business from using WhatsApp products in the future.

If you think your account was blocked by mistake, you can appeal through Meta's Policy Enforcement process.

Checklist before you connect the chatbot

1. The business profile has a support email, website or phone number.
2. You have recorded permission from each person you send templates to.
3. The chatbot answers questions about your business and does not work as a general-purpose assistant.
4. The customer can ask to talk to you and receives your contact details.
5. The chatbot does not ask for card data, bank accounts or identity documents.
6. Any request to stop receiving messages is honoured.
7. You know how much you will pay. The WhatsApp Business API pricing guide explains the rates.