WhatsApp Templates

WhatsApp Templates are pre-approved message formats that allow businesses to send structured notifications and communications to users outside the 24-hour messaging window. They are essential for proactive outreach like reminders, updates, and marketing campaigns.

What Are Templates?

Templates are message structures that must be approved by Meta (WhatsApp) before they can be sent to users. They support dynamic content through variables, allowing personalization while maintaining compliance with WhatsApp policies.

Template Categories

Category	Description	Use Cases
MARKETING	Promotional and engagement messages	Offers, announcements, re-engagement campaigns
UTILITY	Transactional and service updates	Order confirmations, shipping updates, appointment reminders
AUTHENTICATION	Security and verification messages	OTP codes, login verification, account security

Template Components

A WhatsApp template consists of several components:

Component	Required	Description
Header	No	Text, image, video, or document at the top
Body	Yes	Main message content (min. 32 characters)
Footer	No	Small text at the bottom (max. 60 characters)
Buttons	No	Interactive actions (max. 10 buttons)

Variables

Templates support dynamic variables using the format {{1}}, {{2}}, etc. These placeholders are replaced with actual values when sending messages:

Hello {{1}}, your order {{2}} has been shipped and will arrive on {{3}}.

Template Lifecycle

┌─────────┐    ┌──────────────────┐    ┌──────────┐
│  Draft  │───▶│ Pending Approval │───▶│ Approved │
└─────────┘    └──────────────────┘    └──────────┘
                       │                     │
                       ▼                     ▼
                 ┌──────────┐          ┌──────────┐
                 │ Rejected │          │  Active  │
                 └──────────┘          └──────────┘

State	Description	Actions Available
Draft	Template created but not submitted	Edit, Publish, Delete
Pending Approval	Submitted to Meta for review	View, Delete
Approved	Approved and ready to use	Send Test, View
Rejected	Rejected by Meta	Edit, Resubmit, Delete
Paused	Temporarily disabled	View
Archived	No longer in use	View

Available Tools

Tool	Description	Link
Create Template	Create new WhatsApp templates	Step-by-step guide
Publish Template	Submit templates for approval	Publication process
Test Template	Send test messages	Testing workflow
Manage Templates	View, edit, and delete templates	Management interface

Button Types

Templates support three types of buttons:

Type	Description	Example
URL	Opens a web link	"Visit our website"
Phone	Initiates a phone call	"Call support"
Quick Reply	Sends a predefined response	"Yes", "No", "Learn more"

Quick reply buttons can trigger flows in the conversational builder, enabling automated follow-up conversations.

Supported Languages

Templates can be created in multiple languages:

Code	Language
`en`	English
`es`	Spanish
`pt_BR`	Portuguese (Brazil)
`fr`	French
`de`	German

Best Practices

Keep it concise - Users prefer short, clear messages
Personalize with variables - Use {{1}}, {{2}} for dynamic content
Choose the right category - Incorrect categorization may lead to rejection
Test before sending - Always send test messages to verify formatting
Monitor approval status - Templates may take 24-48 hours for Meta review

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