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Best practice: Warming up your WhatsApp number

How to increase your messaging volume on a new WhatsApp number and protect your quality rating.

Written by Martha Franklin

When you connect a new WhatsApp number to Superchat, it is important not to send large volumes of messages immediately.

From Meta's perspective, a brand new number that immediately starts sending large volumes of messages is indistinguishable from a spam operation. To protect users, Meta restricts numbers that show sudden spikes in outbound messaging activity, particularly when those messages are blocked or go unanswered.

Warming up your number means gradually increasing the volume of messages you send over the first few weeks, building a track record of positive engagement that signals to Meta you are a legitimate sender.

Recommended warm-up schedule

Meta does not publish an official warm-up schedule, and is not fully transparent about exactly what is required to establish a healthy sending reputation. For the first five days, we recommend not exceeding 150 messages a day so as to not risk account restriction.


However, during this time you can also check your account quality and conversation limit to see if you are already allowed to send more messages.

Note: You can also speed up the process by submitting a business verification to Meta, which improves quality rating and conversation limit considerably.

How to check your quality rating and conversation limit

Click on Settings Inboxes & Channels your desired inbox the relevant WhatsApp channel.

If you want to learn more about how Meta assesses your quality rating, see How Meta assesses the quality of your WhatsApp number for further details.

If your rating drops to yellow or red:

  • Pause outbound sends

  • Review your template content and targeting

  • Give your number time to recover before continuing

Who to send messages to first

The contacts you send to during the warm-up period can be as useful as the volume. Aim to prioritise:

  • Contacts who are likely to reply — two-way conversations are a positive signal for Meta

  • Opted-in contacts only — never send to purchased or scraped lists. Explicit consent is a core requirement

Avoid sending to large, unengaged lists during the warm-up period. Keeping your messages highly relevant to people who are expecting them is the most reliable way to maintain a healthy quality rating.

What to send during warm-up

Keep your early messages engaging and highly relevant. Good options include:

  • Order confirmations or appointment reminders to contacts who are expecting them

  • Follow-ups to recent inbound conversations

  • Re-engagement messages to contacts who have previously interacted with your business

Avoid sending broad promotional campaigns until your number has established a healthy quality rating.

FAQs


How long does warming up take?


This varies and Meta does not give a precise answer. Most numbers tend to be in a healthy position within two to four weeks, but this is not guaranteed.

Do I need to warm up a number I have used before?


If you are migrating an existing number from another provider or from the WhatsApp Business App, the number already has a messaging history with Meta. You may not need a full warm-up, but it is still advisable to increase volume gradually rather than sending at full scale immediately after migrating.

What happens if I skip the warm-up?


Sending high volumes too early can result in a drop in your quality rating, a reduction in your daily messaging limit, or in severe cases a temporary restriction on outbound messaging. These restrictions can take weeks to recover from.

Does warming up affect inbound messages?


No. Warming up only relates to outbound message volume. You can receive and respond to inbound messages at any time without restriction.

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