What required details belong in WhatsApp advertising?
The sender must be identifiable, and the recipient needs a way to stop the advertising. § 7 UWG and Meta require this. Here you see the details with their source.
The short answer.
Required information in an advertising message on WhatsApp is mainly this: the sender must not be disguised or concealed, and the recipient must have a valid address to which they can send the request to stop, without costs beyond the basic rates. This is regulated by § 7 UWG in Germany. Meta also requires a business profile with contact details. As of: November 2, 2026, not legal advice.
The required information at a glance.
| Detail | What is required | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Sender | The identity of the party on whose behalf the message is sent must not be disguised or concealed | § 7 para. 2 no. 3 letter a UWG |
| Unsubscribe option | A valid address to which the recipient can send the request to stop, without costs beyond the basic rates | § 7 para. 2 no. 3 letter c UWG |
| Notice of the right to object | At the latest at the first contact, in an understandable way and separate from other information | Art. 21 para. 4 GDPR |
| Business profile on WhatsApp | Contact details for customer service, at least an email, website or phone number, kept up to date | Meta, Business Messaging Policy |
| Consent beforehand | Without prior express consent, advertising by electronic mail is always an unacceptable nuisance | § 7 para. 2 no. 2 UWG |
Sources: § 7 UWG, Art. 21 GDPR, WhatsApp Business Messaging Policy, accessed on November 2, 2026.
Must the sender be identifiable in the advertising message?
Yes. Under § 7 UWG , paragraph 2 no. 3 letter a, it always counts as an unacceptable nuisance if the identity of the sender on whose behalf a message is sent is disguised or concealed. For your business, this means: the recipient must be able to see who the advertising comes from. A message from a number with no recognizable company name and no connection to your business is therefore a risk. Write the company name in the message and keep your WhatsApp business profile up to date.
Source: § 7 UWG, accessed on November 2, 2026.
Which unsubscribe method must an advertising message name?
An advertising message must give the recipient a valid address to which they can send the request to stop. According to § 7 UWG, paragraph 2 no. 3 letter c, this must not cause costs beyond the basic rates. If this address is missing, the advertising counts as an unacceptable nuisance. On WhatsApp, a simple way is a reply to the message itself. Meta also requires that you respect requests to stop communication and that you give clear instructions for unsubscribing.
Sources: § 7 UWG and Meta, Business Messaging Policy, accessed on November 2, 2026.
Do I have to point out the right to object ??
Yes, if you process personal data for advertising. Under Article 21 paragraph 4 of the GDPR, the person concerned must be expressly informed of their right to object to direct advertising at the latest at the first contact. The notice must be understandable and given separately from other information. After an objection, according to Article 21 paragraph 3, the data may no longer be processed for these advertising purposes. A lawyer can check how you word the notice for your business.
Source: Art. 21 GDPR (legal text), Regulation (EU) 2016/679 in the Official Journal: EUR-Lex, accessed on November 2, 2026.
Which privacy information belongs to the consent?
For the consent itself, that is, when collecting the number, you must provide information under Article 13 GDPR about your name and contact details, the purposes and the legal basis. If the processing is based on consent, the notice that it can be withdrawn at any time also belongs here, as does the notice of the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority. This information is typically in the sign-up form and the privacy policy, not in every single advertising message. How an opt-in is built is shown in the guide on Double opt-in.
Source: Art. 13 GDPR (legal text), accessed on November 2, 2026.
What does Meta require in addition to the law?
Meta requires that you maintain a WhatsApp business profile with contact details for customer service. At least one of email, website or phone number must be in it and be up to date. In addition, according to the Business Messaging Policy, you may not pretend to be another business and may not deceive customers about the nature of your business. According to Meta's recommendation, the opt-in should cover the message categories, for example product recommendations. Whether your company name has to be in the opt-in is not stated in the policy. The opt-in requirement itself and Meta's role are explained in the guide Advertising to customers allowed?. For fees, see Meta fees in the Trust Center.
Source: WhatsApp Business Messaging Policy, accessed on November 2, 2026.
What does an advertising message with the details look like?
This is an example, not legal advice and not a template approved by Meta. It shows where the sender and the unsubscribe method can go.
Example, name and text are made up.
What does that mean for SmartChat?
SmartChat is a WhatsApp marketing solution for businesses. Contacts unsubscribe from SmartChat with STOP, and newsletters and follow-ups only go out after confirmation. For every contact, SmartChat stores a proof of consent with date, time and method as a PDF. How you set up your messages correctly under the law is something you decide with your lawyer. You can start for free.
Frequently asked questions about Required information in WhatsApp advertising.
What must be in a WhatsApp advertising message?
The sender must be identifiable, and the recipient needs a valid address to demand that the advertising stop, at no cost beyond the basic rates. § 7 para. 2 no. 3 UWG requires this. Not legal advice.
Do I need an imprint in every WhatsApp message?
There is no documented statement on this for individual messages. All that is documented is that the sender must not be disguised.
Is STOP enough as an unsubscribe method?
The law requires a valid address for the request to stop, with no extra costs. A reply to the message itself is a simple way. Whether it is enough in an individual case is something a lawyer checks.
When do I have to point out the right to object?
At the latest at the first contact, in an understandable way and separate from other information. This is in Art. 21 para. 4 GDPR.
What does Meta require in my business profile?
Contact details for customer service, at least an email, website or phone number, and they must be up to date.
May I pretend to be a different business?
No. Meta's Business Messaging Policy forbids imitating another business or deceiving customers about the nature of your business.
Does my company name have to be in the opt-in?
Meta's Business Messaging Policy says nothing about this. For the privacy information, Art. 13 GDPR requires the name and contact details of the controller.
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Last updated: By SmartChat Team