WhatsApp opt-in and consent rules for India (DPDP Act compliant)

Why opt-in is non-negotiable

You can only message customers on WhatsApp who have given you explicit, recorded consent. This isn't a platform nicety — it's the law under India's Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act, 2023, and it's Meta's enforced policy. Numbers that message people who didn't opt in get banned, and businesses that flout the DPDP Act face penalties.

The good news: compliant opt-in isn't hard, and a list built on real consent performs dramatically better than a scraped one anyway.

What counts as valid opt-in

A valid opt-in is explicit, specific, and recorded. Explicit means the customer took a clear action — ticked a checkbox, replied with a keyword, or started a conversation via a click-to-WhatsApp ad. Specific means they agreed to be contacted on WhatsApp for your kind of messages (marketing, not just order updates). Recorded means you can prove when and how they opted in.

What does NOT count as opt-in: buying a contact list, importing numbers scraped from a directory, messaging someone because they gave you their business card, or assuming a past purchase means consent for marketing. Each of these will get your number flagged.

Recording consent in AiConva

Every contact in AiConva has an opt-in status and an opt-in source field. When a contact opts in via a CSV import, a form, or a keyword reply, the source is recorded against them. This gives you an audit trail: if Meta ever asks 'where did you get permission to message this person', you can answer with the date and channel of their opt-in.

Always set the opt-in source when you add contacts. The platform also enforces an automatic opt-out: when a contact replies STOP, UNSUBSCRIBE, or STOP ALL, they're marked opted out system-wide and no campaign or flow can message them again.

The 24-hour service window

When a customer messages you first, a 24 hour service window opens. During that window you can reply with free-form text at no marketing cost. After 24 hours, you can only re-engage using an approved template. This window is the backbone of conversational support and lead capture — it's where the highest-value, free-form interaction happens.

Design your automations and support to make the most of the window. Capture what you need while it's open, and use a utility template to re-open dormant conversations if needed.

Practical opt-in channels

1. Website: a click-to-chat widget or wa.me link with a clear value proposition.
2. Forms: a checkbox consenting to WhatsApp messages at signup or checkout.
3. In-store: a QR code that opens a chat and records the opt-in source.
4. Click-to-WhatsApp ads: every ad click opens a conversation that counts as opt-in.
5. Keyword: invite customers to text a keyword (e.g. OFFERS) to your number.