Understanding WhatsApp unsubscribes and consent syncing
Understanding WhatsApp unsubscribes and consent syncing
Understand how Klaviyo syncs WhatsApp marketing consent when subscribers opt out or update their preferences in WhatsApp.
Subscribers can opt out through keywords or Meta user preferences, and Klaviyo reflects both changes in consent and reporting.
How subscribers opt out of WhatsApp marketing
There are two ways a subscriber can withdraw consent for WhatsApp marketing:
Method | What triggers it | Consent method recorded |
|---|---|---|
Opt-out keyword | The subscriber replies to one of your WhatsApp messages with an opt-out keyword such as STOP or UNSUBSCRIBE. | Keyword |
Meta user preference | The subscriber turns off marketing messages from your business directly in their WhatsApp settings. | Meta user preference |
Both methods remove the subscriber's WhatsApp marketing consent in Klaviyo, and Klaviyo honors both. For details on the keyword path, see About WhatsApp keywords.
How Meta user preferences work
WhatsApp lets recipients control whether they receive marketing messages from a business, directly within WhatsApp. When someone turns this off for your business, Meta notifies Klaviyo through your WhatsApp Business connection, and any further marketing message to that recipient fails to deliver.
The failed message returns error 131050. This is the code and reason you will see in Klaviyo:
131050: Unable to deliver the message. This recipient has chosen to stop receiving marketing messages on WhatsApp from your business.
Because Meta blocks these messages at the source, they will keep failing until the recipient opts back in. Continuing to send to them wastes sends and lowers your deliverability metrics.
This preference applies only to marketing messages. A subscriber's marketing preference does not affect utility or authentication messages.
How Klaviyo syncs consent
Previously, Klaviyo surfaced only the 131050 error, and the profile stayed subscribed. Now Klaviyo keeps consent in sync automatically:
- When Klaviyo receives an opt-out from Meta or a marketing message returns error 131050, it updates the profile's WhatsApp marketing consent to Unsubscribed. Because Meta blocks these messages, any further marketing message to that profile would keep failing, so Klaviyo unsubscribes them instead of continuing to send.
- Klaviyo records the consent method as Meta user preference, so you can tell these unsubscribes apart from keyword opt-outs and manual changes.
- Because the profile is now unsubscribed, Klaviyo stops including them in WhatsApp marketing sends. This prevents repeated 131050 failures for a recipient who has already opted out.
You do not need to take any action for this to happen.
When a subscriber opts back in
If a recipient later turns marketing back on for your business in WhatsApp:
- Meta notifies Klaviyo, and Klaviyo resubscribes the profile to WhatsApp marketing.
- Klaviyo again records the consent method as Meta user preference.
The resubscribe happens automatically, and the profile can receive your WhatsApp marketing messages again.
How WhatsApp unsubscribes appear in reporting
If a profile opts out through a Meta user preference after you send them a message, they appear as an unsubscribe in that message's reporting:
- Campaigns: Klaviyo counts the profile in the campaign's unsubscribe reporting.
- Flows: Klaviyo counts the profile in the flow message's unsubscribe reporting.
This lets you see when a specific send led to an unsubscribe, the same way you can for your other channels.
Meta user preferences vs. the unsubscribe keyword
Both mechanisms remove a subscriber's WhatsApp marketing consent, and Klaviyo honors both. The difference is how each one is triggered and recorded:
- A subscriber triggers an unsubscribe keyword opt-out by replying to your message with an opt-out keyword. The consent method is recorded as the keyword.
- A subscriber triggers a Meta user preference opt-out by turning off marketing for your business in WhatsApp. Klaviyo records the consent method as Meta user preference.
A subscriber can opt out through either path, and both result in an unsubscribed WhatsApp marketing status.
Additional resources
Use these resources to learn more about WhatsApp consent and unsubscribe behavior.