TL;DR: WhatsApp error 368 is an integrity error meaning your WhatsApp Business Account has been restricted or disabled for breaking a platform policy. Meta's
detailsstring is "The WhatsApp Business Account associated with the app has been restricted or disabled for violating a platform policy." Fix it by reviewing the violation in Business Support Home, correcting the behavior, and (where appealable) requesting a review.
What Error 368 Means
368 is an integrity error (HTTP 403). It indicates enforcement action against the WABA for violating the WhatsApp Business Messaging Policy, Commerce Policy, or Business Terms of Service. Meta's official details value is:
"The WhatsApp Business Account associated with the app has been restricted or disabled for violating a platform policy."
Per Meta's Policy Enforcement doc, enforcement escalates with severity and repetition — from short messaging blocks to indefinite account locks and, for severe violations, permanent disablement.
Where You See It
368 appears synchronously on send attempts (403 Forbidden) once enforcement is active, and the underlying enforcement event is also pushed via the account_update webhook (events such as ACCOUNT_VIOLATION / ACCOUNT_RESTRICTION) and shown in WhatsApp Manager and the Business Manager Notifications Center. So you can learn about it either reactively (failed sends) or proactively (account webhook).
Common Causes
- Sending spam or messaging users who have not opted in.
- Template misclassification or repeatedly low template quality / high block-and-report rates.
- High-risk or prohibited content categories (e.g. alcohol, tobacco, drugs, gambling, adult content) under the Commerce/Business policies.
- Repeated prior warnings that went unaddressed, escalating to a block.
How to Fix It
- Log into Meta Business Suite → Business Support Home / Account Quality and open the Account Overview to see the specific violation and any restriction window.
- Call the Health Status API for additional insight into which node is restricted and why.
- Correct the behavior — audit opt-in flows, template content/classification, and recipient lists.
- If the violation is appealable, click Request Review and submit supporting business details. Appeal timing varies and Meta does not publish a fixed SLA — monitor Business Support Home for Meta's decision.
- If a time-based block is not appealable, wait out the restriction window; do not keep retrying, which can worsen standing.
How to Prevent It
- Subscribe to the
account_updatewebhook for real-time enforcement notifications so you can react within minutes. - Maintain strong opt-in hygiene and high template quality ratings.
- Read and follow the WhatsApp Business Messaging Policy and Commerce Policy; avoid restricted verticals.
Related Errors
- WhatsApp Error 131031 — account locked (policy or data-verification).
- WhatsApp Error 130497 — restricted from messaging users in a country.
- WhatsApp Error 131064 — messaging limit due to template classification violations.
- WhatsApp Webhook Override (Error 100)
- See the full error reference
FAQ
Q: How long does a 368 block last? A: It varies by severity — short messaging restrictions are common, while severe cases lead to indefinite locks or permanent disablement. The exact window is shown in Business Support Home.
Q: Can I appeal a 368? A: Often yes, via Request Review in Business Support Home. Appeal timing varies (Meta doesn't publish a fixed SLA), and some time-based blocks can't be appealed — you wait them out.
Q: How do I know exactly which policy I broke? A: Business Support Home / Account Quality shows the specific violation; the Health Status API adds node-level detail.
Q: Will retrying sends help? A: No. Retrying during enforcement won't deliver and can hurt your standing.
How Dualhook Helps
This is an account-level integrity code, so Dualhook helps substantially. With its advanced whatsapp_business_management access and account-level webhook visibility, Dualhook surfaces account-status and authorization-health signals — so a restriction shows up in your monitoring views and alerts rather than only as failed sends. See Maintain Account Health and Messaging Health Status. Subscribing to account_update (so enforcement events route to your endpoint) lets you respond in minutes. The actual remediation — fixing behavior and filing the appeal in Business Support Home — happens in Meta's tools; Dualhook makes sure you find out fast and know which WABA is affected.