WhatsApp: Candidate Consent
This article explains how candidates opt in or out of WhatsApp messages on your job board, and how you record a consent status you confirmed outside of Ashby.
Prerequisities: You need to have WhatsApp candidate messaging configured before consent options will be available. For more on configuring WhatsApp candidate messaging, check out WhatsApp: Setup.
Consent for receiving messages via Candidate TextingCandidate Texting does not transfer to WhatsApp. Meta's WhatsApp Business Policy requires opt-in that specifically names WhatsApp and the sending business, and General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and ePrivacy require channel-specific consent.
Routes to obtain candidate consent for WhatsApp messages
Opting in or out when submitting an application
Candidates can opt in or opt out of receiving WhatsApp messages when submitting applications via your job board.
When you have Enable WhatsApp toggled on in your Ashby account, the following shows on your job board underneath your application form.
Ashby records the candidate's answer along with a snapshot of the exact consent language they were shown, so your consent record reflects what the candidate saw at the point of providing their consent status.
If you do not see the options to opt in or out of WhatsApp messages on your job board, check that you have a privacy policy link added to the Company Privacy Policy field in Admin > Organization Setup > Candidate Texting.
Manually setting consent status on a candidate profile
If you have confirmed a consent status with the candidate outside of Ashby, you can override the status on their profile.
- Navigate to the candidate profile.
- Click the Summary tab.
- Scroll to the Consent section and click the pencil icon in the WhatsApp Consent field.
- Select the consent status from the dropdown.
FAQs
If a candidate opts out of WhatsApp, does that affect their SMS consent?
No. Ashby tracks the two channels independently. An opt-out on one does not affect the other.
Is candidate consent auditable for GDPR or data subject requests?
Yes. Ashby records SMS and WhatsApp consent events, including application-form answers (including an explicit "No"), consent replies, and recruiter overrides. If you receive a data subject request that requires this history, contact [email protected].