WhatsApp best practices — quality rating, opt-in and avoiding blocks

A WhatsApp number is only as good as its reputation with Meta. These habits keep your messages delivered, your templates approved and your AI answers right. In Pathshala you can check most of them from WhatsApp Settings and the Knowledge Base.

#Get permission before you message

• Message people who reached you — parents of your students, people who enquired, customers who bought.
• When you take a number on an admission or enquiry form, say you will send updates on WhatsApp.
• Never buy or scrape lists. Typed-number broadcasts are allowed only on your own number for this reason.
• Respect STOP at once. Pathshala does this for you — never press Resubscribe unless the person asked. See Opt-outs.

#Protect your quality rating

On your own number, the Your WhatsApp number card shows Quality rating and Last checked. Press Check it still works to refresh it.

• Send what people expect: fee reminders, absence alerts, results, receipts.
• Keep Marketing templates for real offers, and send them to people likely to want them, not to everyone.
• Spread big broadcasts out. Start with your most engaged list (current parents) before older enquiries.
• Watch broadcast reports. Many Not delivered or a falling read rate are early warnings.
• If a template is Paused by Meta, stop using it and rewrite it.

#Write templates that get approved

• Choose the right category: reminders and alerts are Utility; offers are Marketing.
• Say who you are in the first line, and why you are writing.
• Use variables for names, amounts and dates, numbered {{1}}, {{2}}, {{3}} in order, with realistic sample values.
• Add "Reply STOP to opt out" to the footer of anything you broadcast.
• Do not create a near-copy of a built-in template — Pathshala already has fee reminder, absence, notice, result and more.

#Keep the AI answering correctly

• Fill in every knowledge base category, with exact fees and the ₹ sign. The AI can only quote amounts it can find in your own data.
• Use Latest updates for holidays, offers and new batches, with a Valid till date so old news stops.
• Use Try a question after every change.
• Upload the PDFs people ask for to Documents, with keywords in English, Hindi and Hinglish spellings.
• Answer chats the AI hands over: someone who asked for a person gets a task due within the hour.

#Weekly checklist

• WhatsApp Settings: quality rating fine; Receiving replies says Receiving; Ready to send all Ready.
• Templates: nothing Rejected, Paused by Meta or Not on your current number that you still need.
• Knowledge Base: latest updates current; expired ones removed; Try a question on this week's common questions.
• WhatsApp Inbox: no unread chats left from the week.
• Broadcasts: last week's reports checked; failed numbers corrected.
• WhatsApp usage: bill paid before the pay-by date.
• Visits & callbacks: this week's demos and callbacks confirmed.

#Before a big send

• The template is Approved on the number you send from.
• The audience count looks right in the broadcast preview.
• You picked the right class or enquiry status, and Current students only if that is what you mean.
• You have enough balance planned on your WhatsApp bill — each delivered message is charged.

Related: Templates · Broadcasts · Troubleshooting

#Questions people ask