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WhatsApp error 130497: recipient country not allowed

Error 130497 means messages to the recipient's country are not permitted for your account. It is a geography restriction rather than anything about the recipient, and it usually reflects a limit on the account rather than a mistake in the request.

130497

Meta's code for a restricted recipient country.

131026

The related code for a recipient who cannot receive the message at all.

131009

The code returned when the number itself is malformed rather than restricted.

What causes a country restriction

Several things, and they are not all permanent.

  • A new or unverified account with limits that lift after business verification.
  • A country under a restriction Meta applies platform wide.
  • An account level control set during review or enforcement.
  • A number formatted with the wrong country code, which produces the error for a country you never intended to message.

Rule out the formatting first

Because it is the only cause you can fix yourself, and it is more common than the others.\n\nA phone number sent with a leading zero retained, or with the country code omitted so a default is applied, resolves to a different country than intended. The send then fails against a restriction for a country you have no interest in. Checking that the number is in international format, digits only, with the correct country code, takes a second and eliminates the most likely cause.

Common mistakes

  • Assuming the recipient is at fault. The restriction is on your account and that country.
  • Retrying. Nothing changes between attempts.
  • Skipping the formatting check, which is the one cause within your control.
Doing this with EasyCoexistence

EasyCoexistence surfaces the connection's real status from Meta, so an account level restriction is visible as an account state rather than inferred from failed sends.

Frequently asked questions

Is the recipient blocking me?

No. This is a country level restriction on your account.

Can it be lifted?

Some are temporary and lift with business verification. Others are platform wide.

Could this be a formatting mistake?

Yes, and it is worth ruling out first. A wrong country code resolves to the wrong country.

Does retrying help?

No. The restriction does not change between attempts.

Keep reading

WhatsApp error 131026: message undeliverableError 131026 means the recipient cannot receive the message. Usually the number is not on WhatsApp, but an old client or unaccepted terms cause it too.WhatsApp error 131009: invalid parameter valueError 131009 means a parameter was present with a value the endpoint does not accept. Common causes: locale codes, phone formats and enum values.WhatsApp error 131050: the user has opted outError 131050 means the recipient chose not to receive messages from your business. Why it must be respected rather than worked around.WhatsApp Coexistence: the app and the API on one numberCoexistence runs the WhatsApp Business app and the Cloud API on the same number at once. What it changes, what it does not, and how a number gets connected.WhatsApp error 132007: template policy violationError 132007 means a template violates WhatsApp's content policy. What the policy actually forbids and how to rewrite a rejected template.WhatsApp error 132012: template parameter format mismatchError 132012 means the parameters sent do not match the template's format. Count, order and type all have to line up exactly.

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WhatsApp Error 130497