24-Hour Messaging Window
If you're seeing an error that you can't send a message to a contact, or your automation stopped sending messages, it's most likely because the 24-hour…
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Why can't I send messages to a contact?
If you're seeing an error that you can't send a message to a contact, or your automation stopped sending messages, it's most likely because the 24-hour messaging window has closed. To reach contacts after the window closes, you need to send a message using a WhatsApp template. If the messaging window isn't the issue, see Problems with sending messages on WhatsApp for a full troubleshooting checklist. This is a Meta policy that restricts businesses from messaging users more than 24 hours after their last interaction.
What is the 24-hour messaging window?
The 24-hour messaging window is a policy by Meta to prevent businesses from spamming users. It states that a business cannot send messages to a user more than 24 hours after their last interaction. Simply put, if a user hasn't messaged your automation in the last 24 hours, you can't message them.
Learn more about the 24-hour messaging window in how messages work at WhatsApp Business.
What the window costs from 1 October
The window itself doesn't change — what changes is the price of the messages inside it. From 1 October 2026, Meta charges for replies sent inside the 24-hour window, which were free until then. What Meta charges covers the rates and what else is affected.
Two things worth knowing:
- Shorter conversations now cost less. Every reply inside the window is billed, so a flow that reaches an answer in four messages costs less than one that takes twelve.
- Ads that click to WhatsApp still open a free 72-hour window. Conversations that start from a click-to-WhatsApp ad are free for their first 72 hours, which is longer and cheaper than any other entry point.
The charges come out of your wallet, so there's nothing to set up with Meta on your side.
How the 24-hour window affects conversations
When a contact interacts with your automation, a 24-hour window opens, allowing you to freely message them. If the contact sends another message within this window, the 24-hour period resets, and the interaction continues as a single conversation.
If the contact does not send another message within the 24-hour window and later re-engages with your automation after the window has closed, a new 24-hour window opens, and this interaction counts as a new conversation.
Example of the 24-hour window
- Day 1: User sends a message to your automation, opening the 24-hour window.
- Day 2: You can send messages within this window. If the contact responds again, the window resets.
- Day 3: If the contact doesn't respond within 24 hours, the window closes. If the contact re-engages with your automation on Day 3, a new 24-hour window opens, counting as a new conversation.
This way, a single contact can have multiple conversations with your automation throughout the month if they keep messaging your business outside the 24-hour window.