Unlike SMS, where carriers enforce STOP keywords automatically, WhatsApp leaves opt-out handling entirely up to the business sending the messages. If a customer replies STOP, UNSUBSCRIBE, or similar and you keep broadcasting to them anyway, that's the kind of pattern that can lead Meta to downgrade or restrict a phone number's messaging quality rating.
We handle this automatically now. When a contact replies with STOP, UNSUBSCRIBE, CANCEL, QUIT, or a couple of close variants, their contact record is marked opted-out immediately — no action needed from your team. Every future broadcast, whether sent from a CSV upload, a Pipeline stage, or a saved Group, skips that contact automatically and records the reason clearly instead of silently dropping them.
If a customer changes their mind, replying START or SUBSCRIBE reverses it. Your team can also toggle the opt-out status manually from the Contacts page at any time, for cases that need a judgment call.
This isn't just about avoiding a penalty — it's basic respect for the people you're messaging. A platform built for the long term treats opt-outs as a first-class feature, not an afterthought.