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How to fix WhatsApp error 131000 ("something went wrong")

Error 131000 is a generic Meta error. It can be a temporary outage, a restricted WhatsApp Business account, a template that is not active, free-form text outside the 24-hour window or a badly formatted number. Check metastatus.com, wait and retry, then check the connection status in Settings › WhatsApp, the template and the number.

Updated on

Before you start

  • WhatsApp must be connected in Settings › WhatsApp.
  • This code is a catch-all: Meta returns it when it cannot describe the failure any better. It is often temporary and clears on its own.
  • Follow the steps in order: rule out a general outage first, then look at your account.
Where to find it

Conversations › customer's conversation › failed message › error description

Step by step

1. Rule out a Meta outage

  1. Open metastatus.com and check for an active WhatsApp Business incident. If there is one, wait for Meta to resolve it; do not change anything in your account.
  2. If there is no incident, wait a few minutes and send again. If the error happened once or intermittently, this usually clears it.
  3. If the error is constant, keep going.

2. Check the connection and the account

  1. In Settings › WhatsApp, confirm the number shows as connected with no warnings. If it shows disconnected or with an expired-connection warning, click the option to reconnect and authorize the connection.
  2. At business.facebook.com, open the WhatsApp Business account and confirm that:
    • the account status is Active (not restricted, flagged or disabled);
    • the number is Connected and its quality rating is not red;
    • there are no policy violation notices or pending actions.

3. Check the template and the 24-hour window

  1. If you sent a template, open Settings › WhatsApp › Templates and confirm it is Active: a template in review, rejected, paused or disabled triggers this error.
  2. Confirm the workflow or campaign uses that template in the right language.
  3. If you sent free-form text, confirm the customer messaged you within the last 24 hours. Outside that window only approved templates go out.

4. Check the contact's number

  1. Open the contact record and confirm the phone has the country code and no spaces, hyphens or parentheses.
  2. Run a test send to another number you know works. If it arrives, the problem is the contact's number.

5. Ask for help

  1. If nothing worked, contact Elooo System support with: the exact time it started, whether it affects all contacts or only some, the template name (if any), an example customer number, the full error text and the list of steps you have already taken.

Tips

  • For anyone outside the 24-hour window, always use an approved template; do not try free-form text.
  • Check your account status and number quality in Meta now and then, to catch restrictions before messages stop.
  • If the error is occasional, a resend a few minutes later gets through.

Common problems

  • Every message failed at the same time → Almost certainly a Meta outage or a restricted account. Check metastatus.com and the account status at business.facebook.com.
  • Only one template fails, the rest go out → The template is not active or was changed. Check its status under Templates and resubmit if needed.
  • Only free-form text fails, templates go out → The 24-hour window closed. Send an approved template.
  • Fails for one contact only → The number is badly formatted or not on WhatsApp. Fix the number and test.

Frequently asked questions

Should I retry several times in a row?

No. Wait a few minutes between attempts. If it persists after three spaced-out tries, follow steps 2 to 5.

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