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My WhatsApp Template Message Failing to Send to Some Users?

A template that reaches most people but fails for some almost always fails for a reason Meta reports back. Here is how to find that reason and what to do about it. If templates fail for everyone, first check the WhatsApp integration page for an account health alert and your payment method.

1. How to Check Why WhatsApp Template Messages Fail​

If your WhatsApp template messages fail to send, follow these steps to find the reason:

  1. Open Inbox and click the contact. Contacts whose last message failed show a warning sign next to their name.
  2. Find the failed message. It has a red ! icon next to its time.
  3. Hover over the ! icon. A tooltip shows the reason WhatsApp gave.
A chat in the Team Inbox with a failed template message and the tooltip Message undeliverable on its red alert icon

2. How to Check Why a Broadcast Message Failed​

If some recipients of a broadcast did not get the message, find who and why:

  1. Go to Engage > Broadcasts and open the broadcast.
  2. The counters show how many messages were sent, delivered, read, replied and failed. Under Filter By, choose All Failed Recipients.
  3. Hover over the red ! icon next to a recipient's FAILED status to see the reason.
Broadcast Detail for a completed WhatsApp broadcast with Messages Failed 1, the All Failed Recipients filter and the tooltip Message undeliverable on a failed recipient
  1. To review every recipient at once, click Export Data. The file lists each recipient with their message status and failure reason.
Open the exported file and review the details to identify participants for whom the message failed, along with the failure reasons.
warning

Note: For a list of common error reasons and their solutions, refer to the sections below.

Common Error Reasons and Solutions​

Invalid parameter​

  • Reason: The request included one or more unsupported, misspelled, or incorrectly formatted parameters.
  • Solutions:
    • Double-check that all parameters match the expected format and data type.

User's number is part of an experiment​

  • Reason: The message was not sent as part of an experiment.

  • A small share of WhatsApp users do not receive marketing template messages unless:

    • A customer service window is open.
    • An open marketing conversation exists.
    • An open free-entry point conversation exists.

    Messages to these users will fail with error code 130472 and won’t be billed. Resending will result in the same error.

  • Solutions:
    Contact the customer via non-WhatsApp methods and ask them to message you, allowing you to resend the message within the customer service window.

Message Undeliverable​

  • Reason: Unable to deliver the message. Potential causes include:
    • The recipient's phone number is not a valid WhatsApp number.
    • The recipient has not accepted the new Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
    • The recipient is using an outdated version of WhatsApp.
      • Required versions:
        • Android: 2.21.15.15
        • SMBA: 2.21.15.15
        • iOS: 2.21.170.4
        • SMBI: 2.21.170.4
        • KaiOS: 2.2130.10
        • Web: 2.2132.6
  • Solutions:
    • Use another communication method to contact the recipient and:

      • Confirm they can send messages to your WhatsApp business number.

      • Confirm they have accepted the latest Terms of Service (Settings > Help, or Settings > Application information will prompt them to accept the latest terms/policies if they haven't done so already).

      • Check Blocked Contacts: Ensure your business number isn’t on their blocked list:

        Go to Settings > Privacy > Blocked Contacts.

      • Ask them to update their WhatsApp to the latest version.

Business eligibility payment issue​

  • Reason: There was an issue with the payment method related to your account.
  • Solutions:
    • Check the About Billing For Your WhatsApp Business Account section and verify your billing setup.
    • Common issues include:
      • No payment account is attached to the WhatsApp Business Account.
      • No active or set credit line (Payment Account).
      • WhatsApp Business Account is deleted or suspended.
      • The timezone or currency is not configured.
      • Exceeded the conversation free tier threshold without a valid payment method.

Meta Marketing Optimization​

  • Reason: The message was not delivered to maintain a healthy ecosystem and engagement standards.
  • Solutions:
    • Avoid retrying immediately if you receive this error code and suspect it is due to the delivery limit. Retry after gradually increasing time intervals until the message is successfully delivered.
    • Refer to Per-User Marketing Template Message Limits for more details on delivery thresholds.

Meta has implemented "Per-User Marketing Template Message Limits" to improve message delivery and read rates. If your messages are marked as "Undeliverable," it is likely due to these limits. Refer to the Meta Help Document for detailed explanations and error codes that notify you of such issues.

How to Avoid the "Undeliverable" Issue​

  • Submit Utility-Based Content:
    If your message is utility-related, submit the template under the "Utility" category instead of "Marketing" for better delivery success.
  • Initiate Customer Interaction:
    Ask customers to send a message to your business number first, then respond with a template message to ensure successful delivery.
  • Start with Fewer Conversations:
    Begin with a small number of conversations to improve the chances of your messages being read and delivered.
  • Set Up Click-to-WhatsApp Ads:
    Engage customers by setting up a Click-to-WhatsApp Ad. Check out our guide on how to set up a Click-to-WhatsApp Ad.

Something Went Wrong​

  • Reason: The recipient's number is blocked in the Whautomate platform, preventing messages from being sent.
  • Solution:
    1. Navigate to the contact in the Whautomate platform.
    2. Edit the contact details and check if the number is blocked.
    3. If blocked, unblock the contact to resume sending messages to the recipient.

Other Reasons for Delivery Issues​

Some scenarios may cause a message to appear as "sent" but not "delivered." These include:

  1. Customer Offline for Over 30 Days
    Messages for offline customers are held for 30 days; after that, they are not delivered.
  2. Customer Blocking Your Business Number
    Customers may have blocked your business phone number or another business phone number owned by the business.
  3. Restricted or Sanctioned Country
    Delivery may fail if the customer is in a restricted or sanctioned country.

WhatsApp account paused by Meta​

Number on the suppression list​

  • Reason: The number is on Engage > Contacts > WhatsApp Suppressions (it opted out or was undeliverable before), so it is skipped.
  • Solution: Remove it from the list only if the person wants your messages again. See How to check undeliverable or failed WhatsApp contacts.
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