Broadcast Compliance Guide

Following best practices is critical to maintain your WhatsApp quality rating and avoid account restrictions.

GDPR/AVG Requirements

Requirement	What This Means	How Bugalou Handles It
Consent (opt-in)	Customers must explicitly agree to receive messages	Auto opt-in on first customer-initiated message or webshop order. Manual toggle and bulk opt-in available.
Purpose limitation	Only send messages for the consented purpose	Separate opt-in for WhatsApp and SMS channels
Right to withdraw	Customers must be able to opt-out at any time	Automatic STOP keyword detection (STOP, Uitschrijven, Afmelden, Unsubscribe, and more). Confirmation message sent automatically.
Data minimization	Only collect and use necessary contact data	Only phone number and name are required
Record keeping	Keep records of when and how consent was given	Bugalou stores opt-in/opt-out timestamps (whatsappOptInAt, whatsappOptOutAt, etc.)

Do's

• Get explicit opt-in before adding contacts to broadcast lists
• Include opt-out instructions in every marketing message (e.g. "Reply STOP to unsubscribe")
• Segment your audience for targeted, relevant messages
• Use Utility category for transactional messages (lower cost + better quality)
• Monitor your quality rating regularly
• Test templates on a small group before sending to your full list
• Schedule broadcasts during business hours
• Track delivery and read rates to optimize future broadcasts
• Let Bugalou's automatic opt-in handle consent for customer-initiated contacts

Don'ts

• Don't send to purchased contact lists
• Don't send more than 2–4 marketing messages per month per contact
• Don't ignore opt-out requests — Bugalou processes STOP keywords automatically, but also check for requests in conversations
• Don't use misleading content or clickbait
• Don't send at unsociable hours (before 8am or after 9pm)
• Don't include sensitive data in templates
• Don't use excessive emojis, ALL CAPS, or exclamation marks
• Don't manually re-opt-in contacts who have explicitly opted out

WhatsApp Quality Management

• Green rating — Everything is fine, you can grow your tier
• Yellow rating — Reduce sending volume and improve message relevance
• Red rating — Stop marketing broadcasts immediately. Focus on utility messages only.

What Gets Templates Rejected?

• Asking for sensitive information (passwords, SSN, credit cards)
• Threatening or intimidating language
• Templates that violate WhatsApp's commerce policy
• Poor spelling/grammar or placeholder text
• Embedding URLs in body text instead of using URL buttons