WhatsApp Business Account Locked - Error 1330

Overview

When attempting to send WhatsApp messages through the Vonage Messages API, you may encounter Vonage error 1330 with provider error code 131031, indicating "Business Account locked".

Additionally, you may experience:

• Inbound messages are not being received

• Unable to edit your WhatsApp number profile in the Vonage Dashboard under External Accounts

• A "bad request" error when accessing your WhatsApp number settings

Important: Even when your account is locked at Meta's end, your number may still appear as "connected" in WhatsApp Business Manager.

Symptom

When your WhatsApp business account or number is locked:

• Outbound messages will be rejected with Vonage error 1330 and WhatsApp provider error code 131031

• Inbound messages will not be delivered to your webhook

• Profile editing is disabled in the Vonage Dashboard, and you might receive "Bad Request" status with the following error when attempting to edit the numbers profile under your External Accounts from your Vonage Dashboard

Error details:

"Fail to get number's profile"

Applies To

• WhatsApp
   

Possible Causes

According to Meta's documentation, your WhatsApp Business Account/number may be locked for several reasons:

1. Number Inactivity: Your WhatsApp number has been inactive for more than 30 days

2. Suspicious Activity: The account may have exhibited unusual or potentially fraudulent behaviour, such as sending a large number of unsolicited messages.
3. Policy Violations: The account may have breached platform rules, including sending spam, abusive content, or violating the WhatsApp Business terms of service.
4. Security Issues: There may have been attempts to access the account from unauthorised devices, resulting in a security lock.
5. Verification Problems: Required documentation or information may have been missing or incorrect during account verification(2FA). The error (#131031) it occurs due to multiple attempts with an incorrect 2FA pin code.
6. Payment-Related Issues: issues with payment methods, such as expired cards or outstanding balances, can result in account restrictions.
7. User Complaints: Multiple user complaints about the business’s messaging practices may trigger a review and lock.
8. Linked Account Concerns: Issues with other accounts associated with the business, such as previous violations or bans, can impact the current account.

Note: For privacy and security reasons, Meta typically cannot share specific details about why your account was locked. To determine the possible cause of your account lock, please contact Vonage API Support - they can review your account details and help identify the most likely reason.
 

Resolution

The only resolution to get the number active is to re-register the number.

Step 1: Contact Vonage Support

If you encounter this error, contact Vonage API Support with the following information:

• Your API key

• The affected WhatsApp number

• Time and date when you first noticed the issue

• Any error messages you received

Step 2: Re-registration Process

The Vonage support team will work with you to re-register your WhatsApp number. There are two possible approaches depending on when your number was originally onboarded:

For Recently Onboarded Numbers

The support team may be able to re-register your number directly using internal tools.

For older numbers

You will need to disconnect the number and re-register it:

1. Vonage Support will disconnect the number from the Vonage backend(ref: How to Disconnect a WhatsApp Number)

2. You must remove the number from your WhatsApp Business Manager, as shown below:

   • ⚠️ Important: Only remove the number, NOT your entire WhatsApp Business Account

   • Removing the entire WABA will cause issues when re-registering

  3  Re-register the number using the Embedded Sign-up flow

• Select the same WhatsApp Business Account

• Use the same phone number

⚠️ Critical: The number must be fully disconnected from both the Vonage backend and WhatsApp Business Manager before re-registration, otherwise you will encounter errors.

Step 3: Meta Review (If Needed)

In some cases, if re-registration fails, Vonage support may need to escalate to Meta to:

• Verify if there are internal restrictions on your account

• Confirm that your number and account have been unlocked

• Clear any remaining blocks

Best Practices to Avoid the Account Lock:

To avoid future account locks:

1. Keep your number active - Send at least one message every 30 days to prevent inactivity locks

2. Follow WhatsApp policies - Review and comply with:

   • WhatsApp Business Terms of Service

   • WhatsApp Commerce Policy

   • WhatsApp Messaging Policy

3. Send quality messages - Only send messages to users who have opted in to receive them

4. Monitor your message quality - Keep track of user feedback and message delivery rates

5. Secure your account - Use strong 2FA and only access your account from trusted devices

Additional Information

Getting Started with Vonage’s WhatsApp Business API: Embedded Sign Up

Getting started with Vonage's WhatsApp Business Account : Hosted Embedded Sign-Up for Partners' End Customers