Common WhatsApp Business Message Failure Codes

Below is a table summarizing the key error codes discussed above, along with a brief description and suggested solution for each.

Error Code	Error Type	Description	Possible Solution
131026	Message & Delivery	Message Undeliverable / Receiver Incapable – The recipient isn’t on WhatsApp, uses an outdated version, or hasn’t accepted the latest Terms.	Verify the recipient’s number, ask them to update their app, and confirm they’ve accepted WhatsApp’s Terms.
131000	Message & Delivery	Something Went Wrong – A generic error indicating an unknown failure during message sending.	Retry sending the message; if the error persists, contact support.
131005	Message & Delivery	Access Denied – Insufficient permissions to perform the requested action.	Check and update your permissions and access tokens.
131008	Message & Delivery	Required Parameter Is Missing – A necessary field is absent in your API request.	Ensure that all required parameters are included in your request.
131009	Message & Delivery	Parameter Value Is Not Valid – One or more parameter values are incorrect or misformatted.	Double-check and correct the values and formats in your API request.
131016	Message & Delivery	Service Unavailable – A temporary issue with WhatsApp’s service prevents message delivery.	Wait and try again later.
131021	Message & Delivery	Recipient Cannot Be Sender – The sender and recipient phone numbers are identical.	Use a different recipient number.
131042	Message & Delivery	Business Eligibility Payment Issue – Payment or billing issues (e.g. missing payment account, over-the-limit credit) prevent messaging.	Review and update your billing details in WhatsApp Manager.
131045	Message & Delivery	Incorrect Certificate – There’s an error in phone number registration due to an invalid or missing certificate.	Re-register the phone number with the correct certificate.
131047	Message & Delivery	Re-engagement Message Required – More than 24 hours have passed since the recipient last responded.	Use an approved business message template to re-initiate conversation.
131048	Message & Delivery	Spam Rate Limit Hit – Too many messages have been flagged or blocked as spam from this number.	Review your account’s quality status and adjust the message frequency accordingly.
131049	Message & Delivery	Meta Chose Not to Deliver – To maintain a healthy messaging ecosystem, Meta limits message delivery (often affecting marketing messages).	Retry after a longer interval or consider switching to a utility message template if appropriate.
131051	Message & Delivery	Unsupported Message Type – The message type you’re attempting to send is not supported by WhatsApp.	Ensure you are using a supported message type as per WhatsApp guidelines.
131052	Message & Delivery	Media Download Error – The recipient’s device couldn’t download the media file included in the message.	Verify that the media URL is valid, the file type is supported, and the file is accessible.
131053	Message & Delivery	Media Upload Error – The media file failed to upload (possibly due to size, file type, or formatting issues).	Check that the file meets WhatsApp’s requirements (size, format) and that upload parameters are correct.
131057	Message & Delivery	Account in Maintenance Mode – The WhatsApp Business Account is temporarily unavailable (e.g. due to throughput upgrades or maintenance).	Wait a few minutes and try sending the message again.
132000	Template Error	Template Parameter Count Mismatch – The number of variables provided does not match the number defined in the template.	Adjust your API request to include the exact number of parameters required by the template.
132001	Template Error	Template Does Not Exist – The specified template is unapproved or missing in the chosen language.	Verify that the template name, language, and approval status are correct.
132005	Template Error	Template Hydrated Text Too Long – The final message (after parameters are applied) exceeds the allowed character limit.	Shorten the base text or reduce the parameter content to meet the character limit.
132007	Template Error	Template Format Character Policy Violated – The template contains unsupported formatting or characters.	Modify the template to adhere to WhatsApp’s formatting guidelines.
132012	Template Error	Template Parameter Format Mismatch – The format of the provided parameters does not match what the template expects.	Correct the parameter formats according to the approved template’s specification.
132015	Template Error	Template Is Paused – The template is temporarily disabled due to low quality or negative feedback.	Improve the template’s quality and resubmit it for approval.
132016	Template Error	Template Is Disabled – The template has been permanently disabled due to repeated quality issues.	Create a new, compliant template.
4 / 80007	Throttling/Rate Limit	API Too Many Calls / Rate Limit Issues – Your application has exceeded the allowed number of API calls.	Implement throttling or exponential backoff to reduce request frequency, or wait and try again.
130429	Throttling/Rate Limit	Rate Limit Hit – The API’s message throughput limit has been reached.	Reduce message frequency or try again later.
131056	Throttling/Rate Limit	(Business Account, Consumer Account) Pair Rate Limit Hit – Too many messages have been sent from your business to the same recipient in a short period.	Wait before sending additional messages to the same recipient.
130472	Throttling/Rate Limit	User’s Number Is Part of an Experiment – The recipient is in a test group, affecting message delivery (typically for marketing messages).	Review marketing experiment guidelines; note that messages to such users may not be delivered as expected.
133000	Phone Registration/Verification	Incomplete Deregistration – A previous deregistration attempt did not complete successfully.	Complete the deregistration process before retrying registration.
133004	Phone Registration/Verification	Server Temporarily Unavailable – The WhatsApp server is temporarily unreachable, impacting phone number registration or related processes.	Wait for some time and try the request again.
133005	Phone Registration/Verification	Two-Step Verification PIN Mismatch – The provided two-step verification PIN is incorrect.	Verify and re-enter the correct PIN.
133006	Phone Registration/Verification	Phone Number Re-Verification Needed – The phone number must be re-verified before it can be used with the WhatsApp Business API.	Follow the re-verification process as prompted by your WhatsApp Business Manager.
133008 / 133009	Phone Registration/Verification	Too Many Two-Step Verification PIN Attempts – Excessive incorrect PIN entries have triggered a temporary lockout.	Wait for the lockout period to expire before attempting again.
133010	Phone Registration/Verification	Phone Number Not Registered – The phone number has not been registered on the WhatsApp Business Platform.	Register the phone number to enable messaging.
133015	Phone Registration/Verification	Please Wait Before Registering – The number was recently deleted and cannot be re-registered immediately.	Wait a few minutes before attempting to register the phone number again.
135000	Generic	Generic User Error – An unknown error occurred due to issues with request parameters.	Review your request syntax and parameters; if the issue persists, contact support.

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This table should help you quickly identify the error type and take appropriate action for troubleshooting WhatsApp Business API message failures.