What starts the clock
The clock starts when the customer sends a message, and it restarts each time they send another one. A template you sent does not start it. Their reply does. Until they reply, you are still outside the window.
Inside the window
- Reply in free text from BSB OneBox. No template.
- Send images, answer the question, and hand the thread to another agent.
- A chatbot can answer here too, then pass the chat to a person.
Outside the window
The reply box will warn you, or the API will reject a free-text send. Open the chat again with an approved marketing or utility template. If they answer, the 24-hour clock starts over and free text is allowed again.
Click-by-click for the OneBox reply box is in the Help Center. This is WhatsApp platform policy. It is not a Best SMS Bulk outage.
This is not the messaging limit
Teams mix up two different “24 hour” rules:
| Customer-care window | Messaging limit | |
|---|---|---|
| What it controls | Whether you may type freely in one chat | How many unique customers you may message in a rolling day |
| What fixes it | The customer replies, or you send a template | Business verification and careful sends, until Meta raises the tier |
| Typical block | Free text fails, templates still send | New conversations stop even with an approved template |
A new number often cannot create authentication (OTP) templates until that messaging limit is high enough. The path is in the Help Center: connect the number, verify the business, send real opted-in campaigns, then create the OTP template. If you need codes before that, use SMS OTP or the BSB Message OTP profile.
FAQ
What is the WhatsApp 24-hour window?
It is the customer-care session that starts when a customer messages you. For 24 hours you can reply in free text. After that, only an approved template can reopen the chat.
Does sending a template start the 24-hour window?
No. The window starts when the customer replies. Your template alone does not open free text.
Why can I not type a normal WhatsApp reply?
The customer last wrote more than 24 hours ago. Insert an approved template. When they reply, you can type again.
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