The WhatsApp marketing glossary.
Plain-language definitions for the WhatsApp Business Platform terms you'll run into — from message templates and quality ratings to COD, NDR, and RTO.
WhatsApp Business Platform (Cloud API)
Meta's API for businesses to send and receive WhatsApp messages at scale. Businesses connect through a Business Solution Provider (like LeapCrew AI) or directly, rather than using the consumer WhatsApp Business App.
WABA (WhatsApp Business Account)
The account entity that ties a phone number, a verified business, and Meta Business Manager together. All messaging activity, templates, and quality ratings are scoped to a WABA.
BSP (Business Solution Provider)
A company authorized by Meta to give businesses access to the WhatsApp Business Platform, typically adding tooling on top such as campaign builders, chatbots, and CRM features.
Message Template
A pre-approved message format, submitted to Meta for review, required to start a conversation with a customer outside the 24-hour customer service window.
Template Categories — Marketing, Utility, Authentication
The three categories Meta classifies message templates into. Each is billed at a different conversation rate and reviewed against different compliance rules.
24-Hour Session Window (Customer Service Window)
The 24-hour period after a customer messages a business during which the business can send free-form replies without needing a pre-approved template.
Conversation-Based Pricing
Meta bills WhatsApp messaging per 24-hour conversation window opened with a customer, not per individual message, with rates varying by conversation category.
Broadcast / Campaign
A message sent in bulk to a segmented list of opted-in contacts, almost always using an approved message template since recipients are outside the session window.
Opt-in
Explicit consent a customer must give — via a form, checkbox, or WhatsApp message — before a business is allowed to message them. Required by Meta's WhatsApp Business Policy.
Quality Rating
A High, Medium, or Low score Meta assigns to a business phone number based on block and report rates from recipients. Sustained low quality can reduce a number's messaging limit or trigger a review.
Messaging Limit (Tier)
The number of unique customers a business phone number can message in a rolling 24-hour period. Limits start small and scale up automatically based on quality rating and sending volume.
Webhook
An HTTP callback Meta sends to a business's server the moment a message, delivery status, or account event happens — the mechanism that powers real-time chatbot replies and delivery tracking.
Chatbot Flow (Node Builder)
A visual, rule-based conversational flow — built from trigger, message, question, and delay nodes — used to automate WhatsApp replies, as distinct from free-form AI autoresponders.
COD (Cash on Delivery)
A payment method where the customer pays at the time of delivery rather than online at checkout. COD drives the majority of D2C orders in India and is the leading cause of failed deliveries.
NDR (Non-Delivery Report)
The event a courier files when a shipment can't be delivered — customer unavailable, wrong address, or refused order. NDRs are the trigger point for delivery-recovery flows.
See RTO ShieldRTO (Return to Origin)
What happens when an unresolved NDR results in the shipment being returned to the seller instead of delivered, costing forward-plus-reverse shipping on top of the lost sale.
Why India's COD RTO rate is so highSee these terms in a live workspace.
Templates, quality ratings, and NDR recovery — all set up for you on a 30-day free trial.