Why has GupShup's WhatsApp Business API integration seen a 20% drop in message delivery rates over the past week?

Introduction

The recent 20% drop in GupShup's WhatsApp Business API message delivery rates is a critical issue that demands immediate attention. This analysis will systematically investigate the root cause, considering both internal and external factors that could be impacting our integration's performance. We'll follow a structured approach to identify, validate, and address the underlying issues while keeping both short-term fixes and long-term strategic implications in mind.

Step 1

Clarifying Questions (3 minutes)

• Given the sudden drop, I'm wondering about recent changes. Have there been any updates to GupShup's integration or WhatsApp's API in the past week?

Why it matters: Recent changes often correlate with performance issues. Expected answer: Yes, a minor update was pushed last week. Impact on approach: If confirmed, we'd focus on regression testing and rollback options.

• Considering user segments, is this drop uniform across all business types and message volumes?

Why it matters: Helps identify if the issue is global or specific to certain users. Expected answer: The drop is more pronounced for high-volume senders. Impact on approach: We'd prioritize investigating scalability issues and rate limiting.

• Looking at the timing, I'm curious about any changes in WhatsApp's policies or infrastructure. Have there been any announcements or observed changes from their end?

Why it matters: External factors could be causing the delivery rate drop. Expected answer: No major announcements, but some users reported slower message processing. Impact on approach: We'd need to engage with WhatsApp support and review our compliance.

• Regarding message content, has there been any shift in the types of messages being sent through our API?

Why it matters: Content changes could trigger filtering or blocking mechanisms. Expected answer: No significant changes in message types or content. Impact on approach: We'd focus more on technical issues rather than content-related problems.

• Considering system health, have we observed any unusual patterns in our infrastructure metrics coinciding with this drop?

Why it matters: Internal system issues could be causing the delivery rate decline. Expected answer: Some increased latency in our message queuing system. Impact on approach: We'd prioritize investigating our message processing pipeline and scaling resources if needed.