TL;DR: WhatsApp error
131048means Meta has restricted how much this phone number can send, likely because too many previous messages were blocked or reported as spam. Pause or sharply reduce risky sends, improve targeting and consent quality, and let number health recover.
What Error 131048 Means
Meta's details string is verbatim: "Message failed to send because there are restrictions on how many messages can be sent from this phone number. This may be because too many previous messages were blocked or flagged as spam." (Throttling error — confirmed on the live table; the short title often appears as "Spam Rate limit hit".) Meta's solution points to checking your quality status in WhatsApp Manager. This is a number-health problem, not just a per-recipient one — and it is a separate code from the per-user marketing cap 131049.
Where You See It
Most often as a failed status/delivery error tied to the sending number's current quality/restriction state.
Common Causes
- Poor recipient targeting or weak/stale opt-ins.
- Too much promotional traffic; recent spikes in blocks/reports.
- Continuing volume after quality already started dropping.
How to Fix It
- Pause or sharply reduce non-essential volume; prioritize high-value, expected traffic.
- Review recent templates and segments for the source of negative feedback.
- Remove risky audience cohorts first.
- Check your quality status in WhatsApp Manager and watch account/phone health before scaling back up.
How to Prevent It
- Warm new numbers gradually; keep targeting tight and opt-ins fresh.
- Move borderline content out of marketing where it doesn't belong.
- Reduce frequency before users start blocking at scale. Use Maintain Account Health as standing discipline.
Related Errors
/docs/whatsapp-error-131049— marketing-delivery suppression/docs/whatsapp-error-131031— account locked/docs/whatsapp-error-130429— throughput limit- See the full error reference
FAQ
Is 131048 the same as 131049? No — 131048 is a phone-number restriction/quality problem; 131049 is per-user marketing-delivery suppression. They are separate codes in Meta's current docs.
How long does 131048 last? Meta doesn't publish a fixed duration — recover quality before scaling again.
Can I get 131048 even if quality looked fine recently? Yes — block/report patterns can shift quickly.
How Dualhook Helps
This is an account/quality area where Dualhook adds real value. Dualhook does not handle the send payload, but it surfaces Messaging Health Status, Maintain Account Health, and Capacity, Quality & Limits — exactly the signals you need when 131048 appears. Recovering quality and pacing still happen in your sender.