WhatsApp Error 130472: User's Number Is Part of an Experiment

Error 130472 means WhatsApp did not deliver your message because the recipient's number is part of a Meta experiment. It is not a fault in your template, phone number or account, and you cannot opt a recipient out of it. Per Meta's documentation, it affects marketing template messages only, and a message that fails with this error is not billed. Stop retrying that recipient in a loop, log it, and reach them another way if the message is time-sensitive.

What error 130472 looks like

The failure arrives in the messages webhook as a status update with status "failed" and an errors entry carrying code 130472. This is an illustrative payload; the exact fields can vary, so check it against a real failed status from your own account.

{
  "statuses": [{
    "id": "wamid.XXXX",
    "status": "failed",
    "recipient_id": "91XXXXXXXXXX",
    "errors": [{
      "code": 130472,
      "title": "User's number is part of an experiment",
      "error_data": { "details": "Message was not sent as part of an experiment." }
    }]
  }]
}

Why error 130472 happens

Meta runs experiments on the WhatsApp Business Platform to assess how messaging affects people's experience. In the marketing message experiment, a very small percentage of WhatsApp users do not receive marketing template messages from any business, unless an open customer service window or an open free entry point window exists between that person and your business. Meta says no exceptions or opt-outs are available, and that the experiments have no fixed end date.

How to handle error 130472

1. Confirm the failed status carries code 130472 and not a template, quality or rate-limit error.
2. Mark the recipient as "held out" in your system so a campaign does not re-queue them.
3. Do not retry in a loop. If you retry at all, try once after a few days; Meta says an immediate resend returns the same error.
4. For time-sensitive messages, fall back to SMS, email or a call, and ask the customer to message your WhatsApp number first. Their message opens a customer service window, after which you can send them your template.
5. If failures are frequent or persistent, send the message IDs to your provider or Meta support.

What not to do

• Do not resend the same message in a loop. Every attempt returns the same error and adds noise to your delivery reports.
• Do not re-label a marketing message as utility to get around the error. Using the wrong template category breaks Meta's template rules and puts your account at risk.
• Do not treat it as a template, quality-rating or account problem. Nothing in your setup is broken.

Related: other reasons a marketing message is not delivered

Error 130472 is one of several Meta-side reasons a marketing template is not delivered. Another is the per-user marketing limit, covered in how Meta limits marketing messages.

Frequently asked questions