WhatsApp error 133015: number recently deleted, deletion not complete
Error 133015 means the phone number being registered was recently deleted and that deletion has not yet completed. Meta's description is "The phone number you are attempting to register was recently deleted, and deletion has not yet completed." The documented fix is to wait 5 minutes before retrying the registration request.
Meta's code for a number whose recent deletion has not yet completed.
How long Meta says to wait before retrying the registration request.
A number used to send paid messages in the last 30 days cannot be deleted.
Register requests allowed per number in a moving 72 hours before 133016 blocks it.
What does WhatsApp error 133015 mean?
It means a registration request arrived while the same number was still being deleted.
Meta's reference gives the full details text: "The phone number you are attempting to register was recently deleted, and deletion has not yet completed." The remedy is equally specific: wait 5 minutes before retrying the request.
The usual path into it is moving a number. Someone deletes it from one WhatsApp Business Account and registers it straight away in another, or deletes and re-adds it to start over, and the second step reaches Meta before the first has finished in the background.
How is a business phone number deleted?
Only in WhatsApp Manager, and only by a business portfolio admin.
Meta's phone number guide says a business phone number cannot be deleted through the API. Deletion is done in WhatsApp Manager, a number with a Connected status needs its two-step verification PIN to be deleted, and a number that sent paid messages in the last 30 days cannot be deleted until 30 days after the last one.
Deletion is different from deregistration. Meta's registration guide says deregistering only makes the number unusable with Cloud API and does not delete the number or its message history. Error 133015 concerns deletion specifically.
How do you avoid error 133015 when moving a number?
Build the wait into the procedure rather than discovering it.
After deleting the number, pause at least 5 minutes before the register call. If the call still returns 133015, wait again instead of retrying immediately.
The reason to be patient is the registration limit. Meta allows 10 requests to the register endpoint per number in a 72 hour moving window, and once that is exceeded the API returns 133016 and blocks registration for the next 72 hours. A retry loop that fires every few seconds against 133015 can exhaust those ten attempts before the deletion has even finished.
Common mistakes
- Retrying the register call every few seconds. Each call counts toward the 10 per 72 hours limit.
- Confusing deletion with deregistration. Deregistering does not delete the number, and this code is about deletion.
- Trying to delete the number through the API. Meta only supports deletion in WhatsApp Manager.
EasyCoexistence connects a number the business already uses in the WhatsApp Business app through Meta's Embedded Signup, so the number is not deleted and registered again to gain the API.
Frequently asked questions
How long should I wait after error 133015?
Meta says to wait 5 minutes before retrying the registration request.
Can I delete a business phone number with the API?
No. Meta's phone number guide says deletion is only possible in WhatsApp Manager.
Why can't I delete my number at all?
Meta blocks deletion of a number that sent paid messages in the last 30 days. You can delete it 30 days after the last one.
What if I retry too often?
After 10 register requests in 72 hours, the API returns 133016 and blocks registration for 72 hours.
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