Sending a WhatsApp message

WhatsApp send sends a single WhatsApp template message to one number, to test a template or to reach one customer, and shows your recent sends. It sends one message to one number each time. There is no free-text message and no bulk sending on this page: to reach many people, use Campaigns.

The WhatsApp send page with the To (phone number) and Template fields, a greyed-out Send message button and the Recent sends table — WhatsApp send: the composer at the top, your recent sends below.

Before you send

Check these four things first. A send that fails any of them is not delivered.

An enabled message template

A saved contact with this number

The person must be a saved contact in Contacts, with their number in international format starting with + (for example +15551234567).

WhatsApp consent recorded

The contact must have WhatsApp consent recorded. Consent to calls does not count for WhatsApp.

Your store's calling consent confirmed

An owner must have completed the confirmation under Settings › Calling consent. Until then, no calls or messages are sent.

A number that is not a saved contact is refused. RuleInside looks up the contact by the exact number you type. If there is no contact with that number, the message is not sent and the send log shows Suppressed with the reason opt_out. Add the contact first, then record their WhatsApp consent, then send.

Sending a message

Enter the number

Type the recipient’s number in To (phone number), in international format with the country code.

Choose the template

Pick it under Template.

Fill in the variables

If the template uses send-time values, type each one under Template variables.

Click Send message

This does not send yet: it opens a confirmation.

Click Send now

The message is sent, or the page tells you why it was not.

Every field

Only the account owner can fill in and send this form.

Field	What it does	Allowed values and limits	Default	Who can change it
To (phone number)	The recipient’s WhatsApp number.	International format, including the country code: it must start with `+` or `00`. Spaces, dashes and brackets are fine. Letters (for example an extension such as `x12`) are not allowed, and a number without `+` or `00` is refused, because no default country is assumed. The example in the box is `+15551234567`.	Empty	Owner
Template	Which registered template to send. Each option shows the purpose followed by the template name.	Only templates whose Kind is Message and which are Enabled.	The first template in the list	Owner
Template variables	One box for each send-time value the chosen template uses, labelled with that value’s name. If one name fills two blanks, there is one box. Shown only when the template has send-time values.	Every box must be filled.	Empty. The boxes are cleared whenever you change the template.	Owner

Values set as Fixed text on the template are not shown here: they are the same on every send. Values set as Contact field are not shown either: they are filled from the contact whose saved number matches the number you typed. When a template uses contact fields, the form says so: “This template uses contact fields (e.g. name). Those are filled from the contact matching this number - if no matching contact exists, the send is blocked.”

Contact details are matched on the number exactly as saved. Save your contacts’ numbers in international format starting with +, so they match what you type here.

If the number cannot be used, a red message says: “A valid E.164 phone (or a default_calling_code) is required.” Retype the number starting with + and the country code.

What the page shows instead of the form

You have no enabled WhatsApp message template yet. Register a message template, or enable an existing one, under WhatsApp templates. Call permission templates cannot be used to send a message.
We couldn’t load your WhatsApp templates right now. Refresh the page; contact support if it keeps happening.
This workspace isn’t linked to a store yet. No form and no log are shown. Contact support.
A member who is not the owner sees a note that only account owners can send WhatsApp messages. The Recent sends log is still visible to them.

Buttons and the confirmation

Button	What happens
Send message	Greyed out until a number is typed, a template is chosen and every variable box is filled. It does not send: it opens the confirmation.
Cancel (in the confirmation)	Closes the confirmation. Nothing is sent.
Send now (in the confirmation)	Sends the message. It reads Sending… while it works, and the confirmation cannot be closed until it finishes.

The confirmation is titled Send this WhatsApp message? and reminds you that this sends a real WhatsApp message to the number you typed, may incur a messaging charge, and is skipped if the number is opted out, on a do-not-contact list, or has no WhatsApp consent.

A sent message cannot be recalled. Every click of Send now sends a new message: a second click is not recognised as a repeat. After each completed send the form clears the number and the variables, so you do not send the same message twice by accident.

What happens after Send now

RuleInside checks your account is active, finds the enabled template, finds the contact by number, runs the checks described in Why a send is suppressed, fills in the variables, picks the sending number, and tries to send straight away. The checks run again just before the message goes out. A message appears at the bottom of the screen with the result:

What happened	Message you see
WhatsApp accepted the message	Message Sent - it’s on its way.
Waiting in the queue to be sent	Message Queued - it’s on its way.
Being sent right now	Message Sending - it’s on its way.
Held until later (calling hours, missing time zone, or WhatsApp blocking your account)	Queued, not sent yet (…), with the reason in brackets, for example “held: outside the calling hours where this person is; it is sent when they open”
Refused by the checks	Not sent (Suppressed): …, with a reason such as `no_consent`, `opt_out`, `dnc` or `frequency_cap`. See the reasons.
A variable came out empty	Not sent (Failed): unresolved template params at index [n].
WhatsApp refused the message	Not sent (Failed): Failed.
WhatsApp asked us to slow down; it will be retried	Not sent (Retrying): Retrying.
No clear answer came back	We could not confirm whether this message reached WhatsApp. Check the send log before sending it again, so the person does not receive it twice.
The request could not be made	A red message with the reason, or Could not send the WhatsApp message.

Other refusals you may see in red:

This account is not active; outbound WhatsApp is disabled. Your account is suspended, on hold or not yet set up. Contact support.
No WhatsApp account with messaging enabled + an assigned agent is available for this client. On Phone numbers, check that your WhatsApp number has Messaging enabled switched on and an agent assigned.
No enabled WhatsApp message template configured for purpose … The template you chose is no longer enabled. Enable it under WhatsApp templates.

Recent sends

Under Recent sends you see your newest 100 WhatsApp sends, newest first. The log covers every WhatsApp message your store sends, not only the ones sent from this page: automatic follow-ups, event follow-ups, campaigns and manual sends. Every member can see it. If nothing has been sent yet it says No WhatsApp sends yet. If the log cannot be loaded, refresh the page and contact support if it keeps happening.

Column	What it shows
When	When the message was created, in your own browser’s time zone.
To	The recipient’s number.
Origin	What sent it: Immediate follow-up, Event follow-up, Re-engagement, Manual or Campaign. Follow-ups after campaign calls show their own names, for example “Call Answered Followup” and “Call Missed Followup”.
Status	Where the message is in RuleInside. See below.
Delivery	What WhatsApp reported after accepting it. See below.
Detail	One line, cut short; hover to read it all. It shows WhatsApp’s failure reason and code, the reason a send was suppressed, a hold or error message, or WhatsApp’s reference for the message. A dash when there is nothing to show.

Status

Status	Colour	Meaning	What happens next
Queued	Grey	Waiting to be sent: due for its first try, held for the person’s calling hours, or held while WhatsApp blocks your account. Detail shows the reason when it is held.	Sent when it is due.
Sending	Grey	Being sent right now.	Becomes Sent, Retrying, Failed or Unconfirmed.
Sent	Green	WhatsApp accepted the message. This is not proof it reached the phone: see Delivery.	Nothing more.
Retrying	Grey	An attempt failed in a way that is safe to repeat (for example WhatsApp asked us to slow down), or a check could not be read at that moment.	Tried again after about 5, 10, 15 and then 30 minutes. After 5 attempts it becomes Failed.
Suppressed	Red	Refused by the checks: the person may not be contacted (or the campaign was cancelled). Detail shows the reason.	Never sent. Sending again creates a new attempt that is checked afresh.
Failed	Red	Will not be sent: WhatsApp refused it, a variable was empty, the retries ran out, or it was queued 7 days or more ago and was still waiting for WhatsApp to unblock your account or for the contact’s time zone.	Nothing more. Our team is notified of most of these.
Unconfirmed	Red	The message may have reached WhatsApp, but no clear answer came back.	Not retried automatically, so the person is not messaged twice. Our team is notified. Check before sending again.

Delivery

Delivery reports come from Meta, so they appear only when your WhatsApp number is connected through Meta (it shows the Connected through Meta badge on Phone numbers). For any other number, Delivery always shows No report from WhatsApp.

Delivery	Colour	Meaning
Delivered	Green	WhatsApp reports it reached at least one of the person’s devices.
Read	Green	WhatsApp reports the person read it.
Accepted by WhatsApp	Grey	WhatsApp accepted it but has not yet reported it delivered.
Not delivered	Red	WhatsApp reports it could not be delivered. Detail shows WhatsApp’s reason and code. It is not sent again automatically.
No report from WhatsApp	Grey	Sent, or possibly sent, but no report has arrived.
Not sent	Grey	The message never went to WhatsApp (its status is Queued, Retrying, Suppressed or Failed).

A later report never moves a message backwards: for example, Delivered is not replaced by Accepted by WhatsApp, and Read replaces everything else.

Why a send is suppressed

These checks apply to every WhatsApp message your store sends: manual sends, follow-ups and campaigns. If a check cannot be completed at that moment, the message is not sent.

Your account is active. A suspended account, or one not yet set up, sends nothing.
Your store has confirmed its calling consent under Settings › Calling consent, for the country it trades in.
The person has not opted out of WhatsApp. A number with no saved contact counts as opted out.
The number is not on your WhatsApp do-not-contact list.
The contact has WhatsApp consent recorded. Consent to calls is separate and does not count.
The weekly marketing limit. For a template whose Meta category is Marketing, a contact receives at most 4 marketing WhatsApp messages in any rolling 7 days, across campaigns, follow-ups and manual sends. Messages that are queued, sending, retrying, sent or unconfirmed count; suppressed and failed ones do not. Utility and Authentication templates are not counted or limited.
Marketing quiet hours. A Marketing template is sent only during the calling hours where the person is (your store’s calling hours, or a campaign’s own). Outside them the message waits as Queued until the hours open. If the contact has no time zone, or the calling hours are not valid, it also waits and says so. A message that waits only because the contact has no time zone, and was queued 7 or more days ago, is not sent: its status becomes Failed and Detail says why. An immediate follow-up (a reply in a chat the shopper started) does not wait when it goes within 24 hours of that chat; after that, it waits like any other Marketing message. Utility and Authentication templates do not wait.
Marketing stopped. If WhatsApp refused an earlier Marketing message because the person told WhatsApp to stop marketing messages from your business, that number gets no more Marketing templates from your store: the send is Suppressed with the reason marketing_stopped. This is checked when the message is queued and again just before it goes out. Utility and Authentication templates still go. If the person turns your marketing messages back on in WhatsApp, Meta tells RuleInside and the stop is lifted. A stop recorded after they turned them back on stays. This applies to a number connected through Meta.
Checked again at the last moment. Opt-out, do-not-contact and consent are checked again just before the message goes out, so a STOP that arrives while a message is waiting stops it.

Two more things can hold a message:

WhatsApp is blocking your account. For a number connected through Meta, if Meta blocks your account from sending (for example because no payment method was added), messages wait as Queued with a detail beginning “held: Meta is blocking this WhatsApp account from sending”. RuleInside checks again every 15 minutes and sends them once Meta allows it. A message that has waited 7 days or more is marked Failed instead of being sent late. Fix the account in Meta’s WhatsApp Manager; the Phone numbers page shows what Meta reports.
Pace. RuleInside sends at most 200 WhatsApp messages per store per hour.

Reasons you may see

Reason in Detail or in the message	What it means	What to do
`no_consent`	The contact has no WhatsApp consent recorded.	Record WhatsApp consent on the contact in Contacts.
`opt_out`	The person opted out of WhatsApp, or there is no saved contact with this exact number.	If they opted out, only they can opt back in, by replying START. If the contact is missing, add it with the number in `+` format and record WhatsApp consent.
`dnc`	The number is on your WhatsApp do-not-contact list.	If it was added by a STOP reply, only the customer can reverse it, by replying START. See STOP and START.
`frequency_cap`	A Marketing template, and the contact already had 4 marketing WhatsApp messages in the last 7 days.	Wait until the oldest of those is more than 7 days old, or use a template that Meta itself categorises as Utility, when the message really is one.
`marketing_stopped`	A Marketing template, and the person told WhatsApp to stop marketing messages from your business.	Nothing. Only the person can turn your marketing messages back on, in WhatsApp. Utility and Authentication templates still reach them.
`no_store_attestation`	Your store has not completed its calling consent confirmation.	An owner completes Settings › Calling consent.
`error`	A check could not be read at that moment. Nothing was sent.	Try again later.
`do_not_call`	On a follow-up after a call, the person asked not to be called.	Nothing.
`held: …`	The message is waiting (calling hours, missing time zone, or WhatsApp blocking your account). Its status is still Queued.	Follow the text: set the contact’s time zone, fix the calling hours, or fix the account in WhatsApp Manager.
`not sent: queued 7 or more days ago, and this contact still has no time zone; set the time zone and send it again`	A Marketing message waited 7 days for the contact’s time zone and was not sent. Its status is Failed.	Set the contact’s time zone, then send the message again.
`unresolved template params at index [n]`	A variable came out empty. The number counts from 0, so `index [0]` is `{{1}}`.	Fill in that detail on the contact, or change the variable’s source on the template.

STOP and START

A customer who replies STOP to your WhatsApp messages is opted out of WhatsApp messages and calls from your store, and any message waiting for them is suppressed when its turn comes. You cannot reverse an opt-out from the portal: only the customer can, by replying START. See STOP and START for the details.

Common questions

My send says Suppressed: opt_out, but they never opted out.

There is probably no saved contact with this exact number. A number with no contact counts as opted out. Add the contact in international format (for example +15551234567), record WhatsApp consent, and send again.

It says Queued, not sent yet (held: outside the calling hours ...).

The template is in the Marketing category, so it waits for the person’s calling hours and is sent then. You do not need to do anything. If the reason mentions a missing time zone, set the contact’s time zone: a message still waiting for one 7 days after it was queued is not sent.

It says Sent, but the customer did not get it.

Sent means WhatsApp accepted the message. Look at Delivery: Not delivered shows WhatsApp’s reason in Detail, and No report from WhatsApp means no report arrived (always the case when your number is not connected through Meta). A common reason is WhatsApp blocking your account, for example because no payment method was added: check your number’s status on Phone numbers.

It says Unconfirmed. Should I send it again?

Not straight away. The message may have arrived. RuleInside does not retry it on its own, so the person is not messaged twice, and our team has been notified. Check with the customer, or contact support, before sending again.

It says Failed with unresolved template params.

A variable came out empty, usually because the contact is missing the detail the template uses (such as a name). Fill in that detail on the contact, or change the variable on the template to fixed text or a send-time value.

How many marketing messages can one person get?

At most 4 Marketing-category WhatsApp messages per contact in any rolling 7 days, across campaigns, follow-ups and manual sends. Utility and Authentication templates are not counted.

Why is the Send message button greyed out?

It stays grey until you type a number, choose a template, and fill in every box under Template variables.

Why don't I see my template in the list?

Only templates whose kind is Message and which are Enabled can be sent. Check the template under WhatsApp templates.

Can I send to many people at once?

Not from this page: it sends one message to one number. Use Campaigns to reach many people.

Does sending cost money?

The confirmation warns that a send may incur a messaging charge. When your number is connected through Meta, Meta bills you directly for the messages you start.

Can a team member who is not the owner send?

No. Members can read Recent sends, but only the account owner can send.

Can I type my own text instead of using a template?

No. WhatsApp requires a pre-approved template to start a conversation, so RuleInside cannot send free-form text.

Getting started

Your agents

Your website

Calls and messages

Reaching your customers

Rules and consent

Store and integrations

Developers

Your team and account

Billing

Help

Sending a WhatsApp message

Before you send

Sending a message

Every field

What the page shows instead of the form

Buttons and the confirmation

What happens after Send now

Recent sends

Status

Delivery

Why a send is suppressed

Reasons you may see

STOP and START

Common questions

​Before you send

​Sending a message

​Every field

​What the page shows instead of the form

​Buttons and the confirmation

​What happens after Send now

​Recent sends

​Status

​Delivery

​Why a send is suppressed

​Reasons you may see

​STOP and START

​Common questions

Before you send

Sending a message

Every field

What the page shows instead of the form

Buttons and the confirmation

What happens after Send now

Recent sends

Status

Delivery

Why a send is suppressed

Reasons you may see

STOP and START

Common questions