Build an opt-in page
A hosted page where people give you permission to message them on WhatsApp. They enter their name and number, they land in a contact group, and they can optionally get a welcome message straight away.
This is the clean way to build a list you can broadcast to. Everyone on it asked to be there, which is exactly what Who you're allowed to message requires — and it is what protects your number from blocks later.
Steps
- Open Opt-in pages and create one.
- Pick the WhatsApp number the sign-up is for.
- Write the headline — what someone gets by signing up.
- Write the blurb — a line or two under the headline with the detail.
- Write the success message — what they see after submitting.
- Choose the group sign-ups are added to. Do this; otherwise they arrive ungrouped and you cannot broadcast to them as a set.
- Optionally choose a welcome template, sent automatically on sign-up.
- Save, and share the page's link.
Writing it
The headline is a promise. Be concrete about what they will receive:
| Good | Weak |
|---|---|
| Get order updates on WhatsApp | Subscribe |
| Weekly offers, one message a week | Join our list |
| Appointment reminders so you never miss one | Sign up for updates |
The blurb sets frequency. "About one message a week. Reply STOP any time." People who know what they signed up for do not block you.
The success message should tell them what happens next. "You're in — watch for a message from us shortly."
Use the welcome template
A message arriving within seconds confirms the number was right and gets your business into their chat list. If they reply, a 24-hour window opens that you can answer in for nothing. It also means the whole thing is tested end to end at the moment of sign-up.
Where to share the link
- In your Instagram or Facebook bio
- As the destination of an ad
- In your email signature and newsletters
- As a QR code on packaging or in-store — see Click-to-chat links and QR codes
- On your website, next to whatever you are asking people to sign up for
Watching it work
The opt-in pages list shows sign-ups per page, so you can tell which placement is actually producing and which is decoration.
If something goes wrong
- Sign-ups are not appearing in the group. Check a group was selected on the page — it is optional, and easy to leave empty.
- The welcome message is not sending. The template must be approved for the same number the page uses. Check on Templates.
- People sign up with wrong numbers. Some typos are unavoidable. The welcome template catches most: a number that never delivers was wrong.
- Sign-ups but no engagement later. Usually a gap between what the headline promised and what you actually send.
Next
Set up a Support Assistant to answer the first questions for you.