Genuka WA docs

WhatsApp error 368: account restricted — cause and fix

WhatsApp error 368: the WhatsApp Business Account is restricted or disabled for a Meta policy violation. Durations, requesting a review, prevention.

WhatsApp error 368 means the WhatsApp Business account linked to the app has been restricted or disabled for violating a platform policy. It is neither a bug nor a rate limit: retrying will not help. The way out goes through Business Support Home, where the business sees the violation, how long it lasts, and can request a review.

What does error 368 mean?

Meta lists it among the Cloud API's integrity errors:

"The WhatsApp Business Account associated with the app has been restricted or disabled for violating a platform policy." — Meta, Cloud API error codes

The suggested fix points to Meta's policy enforcement document. In the general Graph documentation, code 368 is called "Temporarily blocked for policies violations" (Meta, Graph API error handling).

What restrictions does Meta apply?

Meta starts with a warning. If the account keeps violating the rules, restrictions grow longer step by step (Meta, Policy enforcement):

RestrictionEffect
1 or 3 daysNo marketing, utility or authentication templates; no new phone numbers
5, 7 or 30 daysNo messages at all; no new phone numbers
Account lockIndefinite block on all sends, lifted only through an appeal
DisabledPermanently removed from the platform, after several unheeded warnings

For severe harm, Meta names child exploitation, scams, terrorism and the sale of illegal drugs, the account can be offboarded immediately (same page).

When does error 368 happen?

Meta names spam, template misclassification, high-risk categories (adult content, alcohol and tobacco, drugs, gambling, unsafe supplements) and excessive negative user feedback as reasons for restrictions (same page). In practice:

  • Messages to people who never asked for them, who then block or report the number.
  • A template classified UTILITY whose content is promotional. Meta counts misclassification as a violation.
  • An activity WhatsApp's commerce rules forbid or tightly restrict.

Where do you see it in Genuka WA?

Genuka WA puts code 368 in the config class: the account can no longer do what is asked, and no retry will change that.

ChannelWhat you get
POST /api/v1/messages409, "error": "send_config", meta.code: 368
CampaignEach refused recipient turns failed with no retry; for a MARKETING campaign, Genuka first tries the Marketing Messages API, then the /messages endpoint, which refuses the same way
account_update webhookMeta's event, forwarded as is in data

Meta documents the account_update events to watch (account_update webhook):

eventWhat it announces
ACCOUNT_VIOLATIONA violation, with its type in violation_info
ACCOUNT_RESTRICTIONA restriction, with its type (for example RESTRICTED_BIZ_INITIATED_MESSAGING) and its end date
DISABLED_UPDATEThe account's ban state: SCHEDULE_FOR_DISABLE, DISABLE or REINSTATE

Genuka forwards each event type only once per WhatsApp account until its event log purges it, according to your plan's retention period: a second ACCOUNT_RESTRICTION on the same account within that window may never reach you. To know the current restriction, rely on Business Support Home rather than on the webhook alone.

How do I fix error 368?

Neither Genuka nor your code can lift a restriction: the decision is Meta's, and only the business that owns the account can contest it.

Pause sends on that account. Suspend the campaigns and automations that target its numbers: while the restriction lasts, every refused send only adds to the list of failures to replay.

Open Business Support Home. In Meta Business Suite: All tools, then Business Support Home, then Account Overview. The violation is described there: the policy violated, examples of allowed and disallowed content, active restrictions, what happens on a repeat, and how to appeal (same Meta page).

Request a review if you are compliant. Select the account, pick the violation, Request Review, add your supporting details and submit. Meta says the decision typically takes 24 to 48 hours, either "Unchanged" or "Reversed". Not every spam violation can be appealed: sometimes you have to wait for the restriction to end.

Fix the cause before resuming. Contact list, template classification, send frequency: resume with small volumes to contacts who have opted in.

How do I prevent error 368?

  • Only message people who agreed to it, and give them a simple way to stop receiving your marketing messages.
  • Classify your templates honestly. A promotion is not a utility message.
  • Watch quality before the penalty. Subscribe an endpoint to account_update and phone_number_quality_update (Webhooks): falling quality shows up before a restriction does.
  • Keep an eye on 131048: sends limited after blocks or reports are often the early warning.
  • 131031: account restricted or disabled, or request data that does not match the account (a wrong two-step verification PIN, for instance).
  • 131048: sends limited after too many blocked or reported messages.
  • 130497: account barred from messaging users in certain countries.
  • 131064: messaging limit imposed after template classification violations.

FAQ

How long does a restriction last?

It depends on severity and repetition: 1 or 3 days for templates, 5, 7 or 30 days for all sends, and an open-ended lock until an appeal succeeds. The ACCOUNT_RESTRICTION event carries the end date when there is one; if it was not forwarded to you, Business Support Home lists the active restrictions.

Can Genuka lift the restriction?

No. The decision and the review belong to Meta. Genuka relays the error and the account events; the appeal is made from the business's Business Support Home.

Are my other customers affected?

No. The restriction applies to one WhatsApp Business account. Your other customers' accounts are not concerned.

Should I retry the refused sends?

Not during the restriction. Resume after its end date, or after a "Reversed" decision.

Sources

WhatsApp error 131056: pair rate limit — cause and fix

WhatsApp error 131056: too many messages to the same recipient in a short time. Meta's pair rate limit (1 message every 6 s) and how to retry it properly.

WhatsApp error 141010: business not verified — fix

WhatsApp error 141010 "The Business has not passed business verification": why your OTP templates are refused, and how to unblock them.

On this page

What does error 368 mean?What restrictions does Meta apply?When does error 368 happen?Where do you see it in Genuka WA?How do I fix error 368?How do I prevent error 368?Related error codesFAQHow long does a restriction last?Can Genuka lift the restriction?Are my other customers affected?Should I retry the refused sends?Sources