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Manage WhatsApp consent

Learn how WhatsApp consent management works in Dotdigital.

Gareth Burroughes avatar
Written by Gareth Burroughes
Updated over a week ago

We recommend using native WhatsApp consent management, which operates independently from SMS. This article explains how to set this up in Dotdigital.

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Opt-in and opt-out methods

We support the following methods for managing your WhatsApp consent:

Opt-in methods

  • Surveys, pages, and forms.

  • Start keywords: START, RESUBSCRIBE, UNSTOP.

  • Import multiple contacts simultaneously using contact import.

Opt-out methods

  • "Stop promotions" button (included in the template)

  • Stop keywords: STOP, UNSUBSCRIBE, REMOVE, QUIT, CANCEL, END.


View WhatsApp subscription status

You can view the WhatsApp subscription status of a contact:

Limitations

Currently, we don’t support WhatsApp subscription status using Import, API, or our CRM connectors, such as Microsoft Dynamics or Shopify.

You can use SMS subscription status for the API, Import, or connector integrations, but this is not recommended.

Suppressed contacts

To view suppressed WhatsApp contacts, go to Audience > Suppressions. Learn more in View suppressed contacts.


Collect WhatsApp subscribers with Surveys, pages, and forms

You can collect mobile numbers using Surveys, pages, and forms.

To do this:

  1. Create or edit a form.

  2. Add a form text box to the form.

  3. For question type, select Contact mobile number.

  4. For Subscribe to, select SMS, WhatsApp, or both.

You can share this form as standalone landing page or as a popup embedded on your website.

You can also use the form to reach out to your existing email or SMS subscribers and gather the necessary consent with a We’re on WhatsApp campaign.


Collect WhatsApp subscribers with start words

You can collect WhatsApp consent directly within the WhatsApp platform itself. When a user sends a message that begins with any of these specific keywords, their phone number will be automatically subscribed to receive your WhatsApp marketing messages:

Trigger words

Function

START

Initiates subscription

RESUBSCRIBE

Reactivates a previous subscription

UNSTOP

Reverses a previous unsubscribe action

Any message beginning with these keywords (case-insensitive) will trigger the subscription process.

How it works

When a user sends a message with a trigger word, the system processes their subscription as follows:

For new contacts

  • A new contact record is created in your Dotdigital account

  • The WhatsApp subscription status is set to "subscribed"

  • The contact is immediately eligible to receive marketing messages

For existing contacts

  • The contact's record is updated with the new WhatsApp subscription status

  • If previously unsubscribed, the contact is resubscribed

  • Marketing messages can resume to this contact

This process happens automatically without requiring any manual intervention from your team.

Collect WhatsApp subscribers

To learn additional ways to collect WhatsApp subscribers, see how to use the click-to-chat feature to create subscription opportunities across multiple channels.


Import WhatsApp subscribers

You can import WhatsApp subscribers using our import multiple contacts tool. This is useful when you have existing customer data with mobile numbers and want to add them to your WhatsApp marketing list.

File format requirements

You can only import Excel, CSV, TXT, and ZIP file formats.

Mobile number requirements

  • You must include mobile numbers to add WhatsApp subscribers.

  • Mobile numbers must use the international phone number format starting with (+): +44 7000 000000.

Subscription status

When a phone number is imported, by default, it's subscribed to both SMS and WhatsApp unless the mobile number is already unsubscribed or suppressed.

You can set different subscription statuses for email, SMS, and WhatsApp channels independently.

Consent

You must have consent from contacts before importing them as WhatsApp subscribers. Only import contacts who have explicitly agreed to receive WhatsApp marketing messages from your business.


Manage unsubscribes with the WhatsApp Stop Promotions button

Include the custom quick reply button in your templates to manage WhatsApp unsubscribes effectively.

To avoid redundancy and discourage blocks or reports, add the marketing opt-out button to:

  • The first message a customer receives.

  • The first message after a long period without marketing messages.

  • Messages sent to unengaged customers.

Whenever a recipient selects this button or uses one of the STOP keywords (STOP, UNSUBSCRIBE, REMOVE, QUIT, CANCEL, END), their WhatsApp subscription status is automatically updated to Unsubscribed.

Supported “Stop promotions” translations

Language

Stop promotions - translated

Afrikaans

Stop promosie

Arabic

إيقاف عمليات الترويج

Azerbaijani

Tanıtımları dayandır

Bengali

প্রচার বন্ধ করুন

Bulgarian

Спиране на промоциите

Catalan

Atura les promocions

Czech

Zastavit propagace

Croatian

Zaustavi promociju

Dutch

Promoties stoppen

Danish

Stop promoveringer

English

Stop promotions

German

Promotions stoppen

Spanish

Detener promociones

Estonian

Peata promokampaaniad

Filipino

Itigil ang promotion?

Finnish

Lopeta markkinointi

French

Se désabonner

Georgian

სააქციო შემოთავაზებების შეწყვეტა

Greek

Διακοπή προωθητικών

Gujarati

પ્રચાર રોકો

Hausa

Tsayar da garaɓasa

Hebrew

הפסקת הודעות הקידום

Hindi

प्रमोशन रोकें

Hungarian

Promóciók leállítása

Indonesian

Hentikan promosi

Italian

Interrompi promozioni

Japanese

宣伝を停止

Kannada

ಪ್ರಚಾರಗಳನ್ನು ನಿಲ್ಲಿಸಿ

Kazakh

Жарнамаларды тоқтату

Korean

홍보 중단

Kyrgyz

Жарнамаларды токтотуу

Lao

ຢຸດການສົ່ງເສີມ

Latvian

Pārtraukt reklāmas

Lithuanian

Sustabdyti reklamas

Macedonian

Запри ги промоциите

Malayalam

പ്രൊമോഷനുകൾ നിർത്തുക

Malay

Berhentikan promosi

Marathi

प्रमोशन थांबवा

Norwegian

Stopp promoteringer

Persian

توقف تبلیغات

Polish

Zatrzymaj promocje

Portuguese

Parar promoções

Punjabi

ਪ੍ਰੋਮੋਸ਼ਨ ਰੋਕੋ

Romanian

Opreşte promovările

Russian

Не присылать рекламу

Kinyarwanda

Guhagarika poromosiyo

Sinhala

ප්‍රවර්ධන නවත්වන්න

Serbian

Прекини промоцију

Slovak

Zastaviť propagácie

Slovenian

Ustavi promocijo

Albanian

Ndalo promovimet

Swedish

Ej marknadsföringsinlägg

Swahili

Sitisha matangazo

Tamil

விளம்பரங்களை நிறுத்துக

Telugu

ప్రచారాన్ని ఆపివేయండి

Thai

หยุดการโปรโมท

Turkish

Tanıtımları durdur

Ukrainian

Зупинити рекламу

Urdu

پروموشنز بند کریں

Uzbek

Promopostlarni toʻxtatish

Vietnamese

Dừng quảng cáo

Zulu

Misa amaphromoshini

Chinese (CHN)

停止推广

Chinese (HKG)

停止推廣

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