Create WhatsApp message templates

WhatsApp requires an approved template for any message you send first, or more than 24 hours after the customer last wrote to you. Templates are reviewed by Meta before you can use them.

Choose a category

• Marketing: promotions, offers and announcements.
• Utility: order updates, receipts and reminders tied to something the customer asked for.
• Authentication: one-time codes. Meta writes the message; you only set the options, such as how long the code is valid (1 to 90 minutes).

The category also sets the price of each message — see How pricing works. Meta may change the category of a template that doesn't match the one you chose.

Create a template

1. 1Under WhatsApp → Management → Accounts, open your account and the sender, then select New template.
2. 2Choose the Category, a Template name (lowercase letters, numbers and underscores, such as order_ready) and the Language. These three can't be changed later.
3. 3Optionally add a header: text (up to 60 characters), an image, a video or a PDF document. Media headers need a sample file.
4. 4Write the body (up to 1,024 characters). You can use bold, italics and variables.
5. 5Optionally add a footer (up to 60 characters, no variables) and buttons: visit a website, call a phone number or copy a code.
6. 6Select Submit for review.

Variables

Variables are placeholders that you fill in each time you send, written with double braces, for example Hi {{customer_name}}, your order {{order_id}} is ready.

• Use lowercase letters, digits and underscores, starting with a letter, up to 20 characters.
• A variable can't be the very first or very last thing in the text.
• Give each variable a realistic sample value. Meta uses the samples to review the template.

Review and status

• Pending review: Meta is checking the template. Most reviews take minutes, some take longer.
• Approved: you can send it. Only approved templates can be sent.
• Rejected: open the template to see the reason given by Meta, fix it and submit again.
• Paused or Disabled: Meta has stopped the template, usually after poor customer feedback.