WhatsApp API error codes: what 131026, 131047 and 131049 mean

It is the second day of a restock campaign. The campaign page shows 3,400 delivered and 610 failed. The reasons column is full of numbers: 131026, 131049, a few 131047, one 132000. The owner asks the one question that matters: "Egula ki abar pathabo?" Should we send these again?

For some codes the answer is yes, after a fix. For others, resending wastes money or makes things worse. This guide explains the WhatsApp Cloud API error codes Bangladeshi senders see most, what causes each, and exactly what to do.

How do I read a WhatsApp API error?

A WhatsApp API error has a numeric code, a short title and a details message. Failed sends come back either straight away from the API, or later in a status webhook marked as failed. Build your fixes on the code: Meta's error codes reference notes that titles may change, while codes are stable.

Most errors fall into six groups:

What does error 131026 mean, and how do I fix it?

Error 131026 means the message could not be delivered to that recipient. Meta lists common reasons: the number is not a WhatsApp account, the recipient has not accepted WhatsApp's latest terms, or they are using an old version of WhatsApp.

In Bangladesh, check these first:

1. Number format. The number must be 880 followed by the mobile number without its first 0, digits only. 01712345678 stored without 880, or as 88001712345678, will not reach the right account.
2. Different WhatsApp number. Many customers give one number for COD delivery and use another for WhatsApp. The COD number may not be on WhatsApp at all.
3. Old phones. Customers on very old app versions may not receive some messages until they update.

Fix: correct the format in your contact list, and for numbers that keep failing, confirm by SMS or a phone call that the customer uses WhatsApp on that number. Do not keep resending to the same failing number.

What does error 131047 mean, and how do I fix it?

Error 131047 means more than 24 hours have passed since the customer last messaged your number, so a free-form message is not allowed. This is the 24-hour window rule.

It usually happens when an agent replies the next morning to a chat from last night, or an automation sends plain text days after the customer's last message.

Fix: send an approved message template instead. A simple utility template to re-open the conversation works well:

Assalamu alaikum {{1}}, apnar gotokaler proshner uttor dite deri holo, dukkhito. Order er details janate chaile ei message e reply din.

Once the customer replies, the window opens again and normal messages work. Our guide to the 24-hour window with examples covers the edge cases.

What does error 131049 mean, and how do I fix it?

Error 131049 means Meta did not deliver the message "to maintain healthy ecosystem engagement". In practice it usually comes from Meta's per-user limits on marketing messages: WhatsApp may limit how many marketing templates one person receives from businesses over a period, especially people who rarely engage with them.

What to do:

• Wait at least 24 hours before resending to that person. Meta says sooner retries return the same error.
• Do not hammer the same list. Repeated sends to people who never reply are exactly what this limit is designed to stop.
• Target engaged customers. Recent buyers and people who replied to your last message are less likely to be held back.
• Use the right category. A real order update sent as a utility template is not subject to marketing limits. A promotion disguised as a utility template risks rejection or recategorisation.

Messages a customer receives while their 24-hour window is open do not count towards this limit, so a customer who replies to you can get your offer details in the chat.

What does error 131051 mean?

Error 131051 means unsupported message type. It shows up in two situations:

• Outgoing: your software tried to send a message type the API does not support. Fix the request and use a supported type.
• Incoming: the customer sent something the Cloud API cannot pass to you, such as some polls, events or newer message types. You see a placeholder instead of the content.

For incoming 131051, just ask the customer: "Apnar pathano message ta ekhane dekha jacche na. Text ba chobi hishebe pathaben please?"

What does error 131056 mean?

Error 131056 means too many messages were sent from your number to the same recipient in a short time. This is a per-pair limit: other customers are not affected.

It often happens with bots or automations that send four or five separate messages in a row, or with agents who send a long reply split into many bubbles. Fix: combine messages, add a short delay between steps, and wait before retrying for that recipient.

What do the template errors mean?

Template errors in the 132000 range mean the problem is in the template or the values you filled in. Resending without a fix fails again.

A frequent Bangladeshi case for 132000: the template has {{1}} for the name and {{2}} for the order number, but some contacts have no name saved, so the first value goes out empty. Give every variable a fallback, such as "priyo customer". For approval problems before you even send, see why WhatsApp templates get rejected. Paused templates are a quality signal; read how to keep your quality rating green.

Which other errors should I know?

These codes appear less often, but they can stop all sending, so act fast:

Update, October 2026: payment errors matter more since Meta's 1 October 2026 pricing change. Each number now gets 1,000 free service messages a month, then service messages are charged, and utility templates inside the window are charged again. Meta says that without a payment method, service messages can stop being delivered once they become charged. Add a payment method before you need it.

Which failed messages should I resend?

Resend only messages whose cause you fixed or whose error was temporary. A quick rule:

How does SaleMag show WhatsApp errors?

In SaleMag's inbox, a message that failed carries a failed marker, so agents see it did not arrive. The composer shows whether the 24-hour window is open and switches to the template picker when it has closed, which prevents most 131047 errors. In WhatsApp broadcast campaigns, each failed recipient shows the reason text Meta returned, which you can match to the tables above; you can export recipients filtered by status and retry failed recipients once the problem is fixed. Template variables are filled from contact fields, and template statuses from Meta, including paused and rejected, update automatically. Automation run logs show the error for any WhatsApp step that fails, and the channel setup screen shows each number's quality rating.

Next steps

Export last month's failed messages, group them by code with the tables above, and fix the top two causes, usually number format and closed windows. Then start free to send templates and broadcasts on Meta's official API with failure reasons you can act on, or see pricing.