Broadcasts, consent, and the 24-hour rule
You can broadcast to any contact who opted in using an approved WhatsApp template. The 24-hour free service window begins the moment the customer sends a message back.
WhatsApp broadcasts are business-initiated messages sent to a list of opted-in contacts. Each recipient must have given explicit consent — a website checkbox, a keyword opt-in, or a form submission — and the opt-in proof must be storable for two years.
The service window
- Any user message to you opens a 24-hour service window.
- Inside the window, you can reply with free-form text, no template needed, and no per-message fee for utility replies.
- Outside the window, you can only use approved templates.
- The window resets every time the user messages you again.
SMSLocal surfaces the live service window for every contact in the inbox header, so your agents always know whether the next reply will be free or billed.
Browse other help categories
Getting started
Create your SMSLocal account, add INR credits to your wallet, complete DLT registration, and send your first compliant SMS, WhatsApp, or OTP in under fifteen minutes.
SMS campaigns
SMS content templates, DLT routing, sender ID setup, delivery report statuses, bulk campaign scheduling, throttle controls, and automatic retry logic for India.
AI WhatsApp Agents
Train your AI WhatsApp agent on your own knowledge, sync your product catalogue, configure handoff triggers, and serve customers across twelve Indian languages.
OTP & Transactional
Priority routing to the fastest carrier, automatic retry and failover logic, idempotency keys to prevent double-sends, and WhatsApp OTP fallback when SMS is slow or fails.
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