Free Reference
WhatsApp STOP & START Keywords in Every Language
WhatsApp does not auto-stop messages when a customer replies "STOP" — Meta requires the business to detect the keyword and suppress sends themselves. Below are the exact opt-out and opt-in keyword sets our multilingual detector matches, in English, Arabic, Hindi, Urdu, and French.
English
| Signal | Keywords |
|---|---|
| Opt-out (STOP) | stop · unsubscribe · optout · opt out · opt-out · cancel messages · end · quit · no more messages |
| Opt-in (START) | start · unstop · subscribe · resume · opt in · opt-in · optin |
Arabic
| Signal | Keywords |
|---|---|
| Opt-out (STOP) | توقف · قف · ايقاف · اوقف · الغاء الاشتراك · لا مزيد من الرسائل · اوقف الرسائل |
| Opt-in (START) | ابدا · بدء · اشترك · تفعيل · استمر |
Hindi
| Signal | Keywords |
|---|---|
| Opt-out (STOP) | बंद करो · रोको · संदेश बंद करो |
| Opt-in (START) | शुरू · शुरू करो · चालू करो |
Urdu
| Signal | Keywords |
|---|---|
| Opt-out (STOP) | بند کرو · روکو · پیغام بند کرو |
| Opt-in (START) | شروع · شروع کرو · دوبارہ شروع |
French
| Signal | Keywords |
|---|---|
| Opt-out (STOP) | arret · arrêt · desinscription · désinscription · stop messages |
| Opt-in (START) | demarrer · démarrer · reprendre · reabonner |
How WhatsApp opt-out compliance actually works
STOP is honored regardless of automation. Meta's Business Messaging Policy requires that a STOP-equivalent keyword be honored no matter what path the message came in through — whether a bot replied, a human agent was assigned, or automation was turned off entirely for that conversation. The obligation sits with the business, not with any one feature you happen to have enabled.
START/UNSTOP resumes messaging. Just as STOP must be honored, a customer sending START (or a local-language equivalent) must clear the opt-out and let messaging resume. Businesses that only implement the STOP half leave customers permanently blocked with no way back in, which is itself a compliance gap.
One confirmation message. When a customer opts out, the business should send exactly one confirmation acknowledging it (ideally in the customer's language) and naming the resume keyword. Sending anything further afterward is the opt-out being ignored, not a confirmation.
The 24-hour window is a separate mechanic. WhatsApp's customer-service window (whether you can send free-form text vs. needing a pre-approved template) tracks independently of opt-out status. An opt-out suppresses sends regardless of where the window stands, and the window resets on inbound messages regardless of opt-out history.
Why this matters for account health. Meta penalizes senders whose messages get blocked or reported by recipients — ignoring STOP is one of the more direct ways to accumulate exactly that kind of negative signal, since every ignored opt-out is a customer who now has a live reason to block or report you.
Built this detector, not just documented it
InstantReply enforces STOP/START automatically
Multilingual detection, one confirmation message, and automatic resume on START — wired into every inbound message, on every channel.
Frequently asked questions
Does WhatsApp automatically stop messages when someone replies STOP?
No — WhatsApp's Cloud API does not filter or auto-stop anything on Meta's side. STOP is a compliance requirement Meta places on the business: your system must detect the keyword and suppress future sends yourself. If your automation doesn't check for it, the message goes right back out, which is what puts your number at risk of quality-rating drops or a ban.
What is the Arabic word for STOP on WhatsApp?
There's no single official Arabic STOP keyword from Meta — businesses define their own. Common real-world equivalents are "توقف" (stop), "ايقاف"/"اوقف" (halt/stop it), and "الغاء الاشتراك" (unsubscribe). Note that bare "الغاء" (cancel) alone is deliberately excluded from opt-out matching in our detector, since "الغاء الحجز" means "cancel the booking," not "stop messaging me" — matching it would opt people out by accident.
Can a customer opt back in after sending STOP?
Yes. Meta requires that businesses honor a resume signal the same way they honor STOP. English keywords like START, UNSTOP, RESUME, or SUBSCRIBE clear the opt-out and let messaging continue. Each language has its own equivalents (for example Arabic "ابدا"/"بدء", French "démarrer"/"reprendre") — see the tables above.
Does STOP need to be the entire message, or does it work inside a sentence?
Reliable opt-out detection should only match STOP as the whole message or the first word followed by trailing text (e.g. "STOP please") — never mid-sentence. Matching a keyword anywhere in a sentence causes false positives (imagine a customer asking "can you stop sending me the wrong size" getting opted out by accident).
What happens on WhatsApp's 24-hour customer service window after a STOP?
Opting out and the 24-hour window are separate mechanics. STOP suppresses further outbound messages regardless of the window's state. The 24-hour window only controls whether you can send free-form text versus needing a pre-approved template — it doesn't override an opt-out, and an opt-out doesn't reset the window.