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Which Messages Are Risky? Prohibited Content and Spam Detection

SaaS Team December 03, 2025
Prohibited Content Policy Risk Management
Which Messages Are Risky? Prohibited Content and Spam Detection

Which Messages Put Your Account at Risk?

WhatsApp Business API is not an unlimited space where you can send any kind of message. Meta (Facebook) enforces extremely strict Commerce Policies to protect user safety and experience on the platform. Violating these policies doesn't just result in message rejections; it can also lead to permanent closure of your business account.

Fundamentals of Meta Commerce Policy

Meta's Commerce Policies apply across all business platforms (Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp). These policies aim to:

  1. Protect User Safety
  2. Ensure Legal Compliance
  3. Maintain Community Standards
  4. Prevent Spam and Fraud

Prohibited Sectors and Topics (Detailed List)

Message templates on the following topics will definitely be rejected and account closure risk is extremely high:

🚫 Category 1: Illegal Products and Services

  • Drugs and Controlled Substances: Including prescription medications
  • Weapons and Explosives: Firearms, knives, ammunition
  • Animal Products: Endangered species, ivory
  • Human Organs: Even organ donation campaigns can be risky
  • Counterfeit Products: Replica, imitation branded products

🚫 Category 2: Restricted Products

  • Tobacco Products: Cigarettes, cigars, e-cigarettes (vape)
  • Alcohol: Sales, promotion, delivery are prohibited
  • Supplements: Some health supplements are restricted
  • Prescription Drugs: Medical consultation and drug sales
  • Medical Devices: Certain health equipment

🚫 Category 3: Gambling and Games of Chance

  • Online Casinos: Gambling with real money
  • Sports Betting: Even if legal, promotion on WhatsApp is prohibited
  • Lottery and Sweepstakes: Prohibited except for some exceptions
  • Crypto Gambling: Blockchain-based gambling

⚠️ Category 4: Risky Financial Services

  • Cryptocurrency: Bitcoin, Ethereum and other cryptocurrency sales and promotion (may be allowed in some countries, but very risky)
  • Short-term Loans: Payday loans
  • Binary Options: Binary option trading
  • Forex Trading: Forex trading platforms (risky even if licensed)
  • Pyramid Schemes: MLM and similar structures

⚠️ Category 5: Adult Content

  • Sexual Content: Pornography, escort services
  • Dating Apps: Some romantic dating services
  • Adult Products: Even sexual health products should be handled carefully

⚠️ Category 6: Controversial Topics

  • Political Campaigns: Election campaigns and political ads
  • Religion and Belief: Sensitive topics, calls for religious conversion
  • Social Issues: Extremely controversial social matters

Behaviors Detected as Spam

Even if your content is completely legal, the following behaviors cause your messages to be detected as spam:

1. Aggressive Marketing Language

❌ Wrong Examples:

  • "BIG DISCOUNT!!! 🔥🔥🔥 DON'T MISS IT!!!"
  • "LAST CHANCE! BUY NOW! GET IT URGENT!"
  • "ONLY TODAY! 90% OFF! CLICK NOW!"
  • "EARN MONEY! REGISTER NOW! DON'T MISS THE CHANCE!"

✅ Correct Examples:

  • "John, your exclusive 15% discount code for your previous purchase is ready"
  • "Special prices this week on products you're interested in"
  • "We have a special offer for products in your cart"

2. Excessive Emoji and Symbol Usage

Rule: Use maximum 1-2 emojis per sentence.

❌ Spam Appearance: "🔥🔥🔥 SUPER CAMPAIGN 💰💰💰 BUY NOW 🎁🎁🎁"

✅ Professional Appearance: "Hello Sarah 👋 Our special campaign has started. Free gift for the first 100 people! 🎁"

3. Unclear and Shortened Links

❌ Unsafe Appearance:

  • bit.ly/xyz123
  • tinyurl.com/abc
  • goo.gl/def456

Meta gives negative points to these links because they are frequently used in phishing attacks.

✅ Safe Appearance:

  • www.yourbrand.com/campaign
  • yourcompany.com/products/special-offer
  • store.com/category/discount

Clear, recognizable domain names build trust.

4. Misleading or Exaggerated Claims

❌ Prohibited Claims:

  • "Guaranteed results!"
  • "Lose 10 kg in 7 days!"
  • "Earn $1000 per day!"
  • "Cures COVID-19!"
  • "Legal guarantee, definitely works!"

✅ Realistic Statements:

  • "87% of our customers are satisfied with the results"
  • "Support for weight control with balanced nutrition and exercise"
  • "Additional income opportunity"
  • "May support the immune system"

5. Urgency and Pressure Tactics

❌ Aggressive Approach:

  • "Last 5 minutes!"
  • "You'll regret if you don't buy now!"
  • "Your friends bought it, you should too!"
  • "Stocks running out, decide now!"

✅ Gentle Reminder:

  • "Our campaign ends on December 23"
  • "Special prices available this month"
  • "Limited number of products remaining"

Impact of User Complaints

Critical Point: If users mark your message as "Spam" or complain "I didn't want this," your quality score drops and ban risk increases, no matter how innocent or legal your content is.

Complaint Rates and Consequences:

  • Less than 1%: Normal, healthy level
  • 1-3%: Warning zone, be careful
  • 3-5%: Danger zone, limit reduced
  • More than 5%: Very high account suspension risk

Strategies to Reduce Complaint Risk:

  1. Opt-in Proof: Obtain and save clear permission from each user
  2. Easy Opt-out: Offer unsubscribe option by writing "STOP" or "CANCEL"
  3. Value Proposition: Send only content that will interest the user
  4. Frequency Control: Don't send more than 1 marketing message per day
  5. Segmentation: Don't send the same message to everyone, personalize

Special Cases and Exceptions

Healthcare Sector:

  • Allowed: Appointment reminders, prescription notifications, health advice
  • Prohibited: Disease treatment claims, over-the-counter drug sales, "miracle solution" promises

Finance Sector:

  • Allowed: Account notifications, transaction confirmations, invoice reminders
  • Prohibited: Crypto trading, high return promises, offers carrying fraud risk

Education Sector:

  • Allowed: Course announcements, educational content, webinar invitations
  • Risky: "Guaranteed diploma", "job guarantee", exaggerated salary promises

Template Rejection Reasons

When Meta rejects your templates, it usually gives a vague explanation. Here are the real rejection reasons:

  1. Prohibited content detected (categories above)
  2. Spam-like language (excessive caps, emojis, exclamation marks)
  3. Unclear purpose (unclear what the template will be used for)
  4. Poor grammar (spelling errors, disorganized sentences)
  5. Misleading information (false claims)
  6. Inappropriate category (Marketing template submitted as Service)
  7. Variable issues (sample data not clear enough)

Risk Management: Proactive Approach

Pre-Template Submission Checklist:

  • Is content in a prohibited category?
  • Are there excessive caps or emojis?
  • Does the link look clear and trustworthy?
  • Are claims realistic and provable?
  • Is opt-in process clear and documented?
  • Is opt-out mechanism available?
  • Are grammar and spelling correct?
  • Are variables filled with appropriate examples?
  • Is category selection correct? (Marketing/Service/OTP)

Emergency Plan:

If your template is rejected:

  1. Be patient: Don't resend immediately, wait 24 hours
  2. Analyze: Determine what went wrong
  3. Fix: Rewrite content according to rules above
  4. Test: If possible, test on another account or similar templates
  5. Resubmit: Submit corrected version for approval

Conclusion and Recommendations

To succeed on WhatsApp Business API:

  1. Be conservative: Don't work in gray areas, follow clear rules
  2. Think user-centric: Ask "Would I be bothered if I received this message?"
  3. Stay professional: Avoid aggressive, cheap sales tactics
  4. Be transparent: Be clear about what you're sending and why
  5. Stay current: Meta policies constantly change, keep track

Golden Rule: When in doubt, it's better not to send. One spam complaint can reset dozens of your successful campaigns.

Source: Meta Commerce Policies - Regularly check the full text of policies.