What is counted
The limit is about unique customers your business messages, not the number of texts inside an open chat. Replying to someone who wrote to you, inside the 24-hour service window, is the normal support path and is not a way to “buy” a higher tier.
Meta has moved many portfolios from a per-number ladder to a business portfolio limit. WhatsApp Manager is the source of truth for the figure on your account. A screenshot of that screen is more accurate than a blog post, including this one, because Meta adjusts tiers.
How the cap grows
- New and unverified businesses start low. A starting cap of a few hundred unique customers in 24 hours is common.
- Finish business verification.
- Keep the quality rating green. Blocks and spam reports stall the increase and can pause templates.
- Send gradually. Meta raises the limit after you use a large share of the current cap with healthy quality. Jumping from a test list to a full database on day one is how numbers stall at the first tier.
What does not raise it
- Opening a second number to split the same audience. Meta links portfolios, and a red quality rating follows the business.
- Buying a “pre-warmed” number. You inherit unknown quality and you may be using a number Meta already restricted.
- Filing marketing copy as a utility template. That is a template problem, not a limit unlock.
If sends stop at the cap
Campaign reports show failed recipients. Wait for the rolling window to free unique slots, or ask Meta’s path (shown in WhatsApp Manager) whether the portfolio qualifies to move up. Best SMS Bulk cannot set the integer.
FAQ
Where do I see my current limit?
WhatsApp Manager, on the phone number or the business portfolio messaging limit. The OneBox and campaign screens follow that cap. They do not replace it.
Do customer replies count against the limit?
The business-initiated unique-customer cap is what blocks cold outreach. A person who messages you opens a service window for free-form replies. Check WhatsApp Manager if a specific send was refused for “limit reached.”
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