TextBay can send WhatsApp messages the same way it sends SMS, but WhatsApp is Meta’s network with Meta’s rulebook. Three rules cover almost everything.
Rule 1: You need a registered sender #
WhatsApp through Twilio needs a one-time sender registration (or Twilio’s sandbox for trying things out). Register in the console: WhatsApp senders; the walkthrough is at Twilio’s WhatsApp self sign-up guide. Once the sender’s status is ONLINE, TextBay’s Twilio page shows it under channel readiness, and the WhatsApp channel on the Send page starts working.
Rule 2: The 24-hour window #
You may send free-form messages to a person only within 24 hours of their last message to you. Outside that window, WhatsApp delivers only templates that Meta has approved in advance.
- In the inbox, every WhatsApp conversation says where the window stands: open (and for how much longer) or closed.
- Business-initiated campaigns to people who have not written recently must use an approved template: TextBay’s Templates page lists your account’s WhatsApp templates with their approval state (approved, pending, rejected with Meta’s reason), ready to fill and send.
Rule 3: Quality is scored #
A new sender starts with a small daily limit on business-initiated conversations. Clean usage grows it; blocks and reports shrink it and can pause the sender. TextBay shows the current quality rating and messaging limit next to the sender on the Twilio page. The practical advice: message people who expect it, make templates useful, and honour every opt-out.
WhatsApp has no STOP keyword; people simply block a sender they are done with. That is also why TextBay’s opt-out line button only applies to SMS and MMS.