Publish Template

Publishing a template submits it to Meta (WhatsApp) for review and approval. Once approved, the template can be used to send messages to users.

Prerequisites

Before publishing a template:

• ✅ Template must be in Draft or Rejected status
• ✅ All required fields must be completed
• ✅ At least one WhatsApp connector must be configured
• ✅ Sample values must be provided for all variables

Publishing Process

Step 1: Open the Publish Dialog

1. Navigate to the Templates section
2. Find the template you want to publish
3. Click the Actions menu (three dots) on the template row
4. Select Publish

Step 2: Select a WhatsApp Connector

The publish dialog displays all available WhatsApp connectors:

Select the connector through which you want to publish this template.

Step 3: Review and Confirm

Before confirming, the dialog shows a summary:

• Template Name: Display name of the template
• Technical Name: Internal identifier
• Selected Connector: WhatsApp account for publication

⚠️ Important: Publishing is irreversible. Once submitted, you cannot edit the template until Meta reviews it.

Step 4: Submit for Review

Click Publish to submit the template. The status changes to Pending Approval.

Meta Review Process

After publishing, Meta reviews your template:

Review Criteria

Meta evaluates templates based on:

• Policy compliance - Follows WhatsApp Business Policy
• Content quality - Clear, professional, non-spammy
• Category accuracy - Matches declared category (MARKETING, UTILITY, AUTHENTICATION)
• Variable usage - Variables make sense in context

Approval Outcomes

Approved ✅

The template is ready to use:

• Status changes to Approved
• Can send test messages
• Can be used in production

Rejected ❌

The template needs modifications:

• Status changes to Rejected
• Rejection reason provided (when available)
• Can edit and resubmit

Common Rejection Reasons

Post-Publication Status

After submission, the template can have these statuses:

┌─────────────────────┐
│  Pending Approval   │
└──────────┬──────────┘
           │
     ┌─────┴─────┐
     ▼           ▼
┌─────────┐ ┌──────────┐
│Approved │ │ Rejected │
└────┬────┘ └────┬─────┘
     │           │
     ▼           ▼
┌─────────┐ ┌──────────┐
│ Active  │ │  Edit &  │
│         │ │ Resubmit │
└─────────┘ └──────────┘

Checking Approval Status

To check the status of a published template:

1. Go to the Templates section
2. Look at the Status column in the grid
3. Filter by status if needed using the search bar

Status badges:

Resubmitting a Rejected Template

If your template is rejected:

1. Click Edit from the actions menu
2. Review the rejection reason (if provided)
3. Make necessary changes
4. Save the template
5. Publish again following the same process

Best Practices

• Review before publishing - Double-check all content and variables
• Use realistic sample values - Helps reviewers understand context
• Match category to intent - MARKETING for promos, UTILITY for transactional
• Avoid rush submissions - Plan ahead for review time
• Keep records - Note what changes you made for rejected templates

Troubleshooting

No Connectors Available

If the connector list is empty:

• Verify WhatsApp connectors are configured in your tenant
• Check that connectors are in active status
• Contact your administrator if connectors should exist

Publish Button Disabled

The publish action is unavailable when:

• Template is already pending approval
• Template is already approved and active
• Template is in archived status

Template Stuck in Pending

If review takes longer than expected:

• Meta may be experiencing high volume
• Complex templates take longer to review
• Check Meta Business Suite for more details