What happens if WhatsApp is unavailable

When the shared WhatsApp number is paused by Meta, every message falls back to email automatically. What changes, what does not, and how to become independent.

What it is

Most shops send WhatsApp messages through Flowgento's shared platform number. If Meta pauses or disables that number (it happened in October 2026), nothing on it can send or receive. Flowgento notices this by itself — from Meta's refusals and from Meta's account notices — and switches the channel to disabled. You see a calm yellow line at the top of every admin page: *"WhatsApp messages are paused — customers get email instead."*

What still works

Order updates — placed, confirmed, packed, shipped, delivered, cancelled, refund — go by email to every customer who has an email address. The same emails were always sent; WhatsApp was the second copy.
Customer sign-in — the shop offers the email code first and hides "Send code on WhatsApp".
The "Chat on WhatsApp" button on your shop — it opens *your* contact number in the customer's WhatsApp app and has nothing to do with the platform number.
Alerts to you (new order, low stock) — by email, as before.
Your own WhatsApp number, if you connected one — a pause of the platform number does not touch it.

What pauses

WhatsApp copies of order updates, cart reminders, back-in-stock and price alerts, review requests, staff attendance notices and salary-slip messages on the shared number. Each skipped message is recorded in Settings → Communication → Message history with the reason "channel disabled", so nothing is lost silently and nothing is retried in a storm.
WhatsApp sign-in codes and the WhatsApp shop bot's replies.

When it comes back

When a message goes through again, or Meta sends an "account restored" notice, the status returns to OK by itself and the banner disappears. The platform operator can also force the status by hand and is emailed on every change.

How to never depend on it again

Settings → Communication → WhatsApp number → *How to connect your own number*. With your own number, your messages are yours: a problem elsewhere on the platform cannot pause them, and a problem with your number cannot pause anyone else.

Marketing messages (reminders, offers) go only to customers who ticked "Send me offers" at checkout or sign-in, or switched it on in their account. A customer with no recorded choice is not sent marketing. Order updates are not marketing and are always sent.